15 Tuition Free Universities for Masters Degree in USA

This article provides every detail about the tuition free universities for masters degree in USA for international students.

Recall that the cost of acquiring a master’s degree in the U.S without a scholarship is very expensive. So, if you wish to acquire a graduate degree in the U.S and you lack funding, these universities that require no tuition fees for their master’s degree programs are a sure bet for you.

Statistics from the U.S News &World Report show that the average cost of tuition for public universities in the U.S increased by 4% in the previous year. As a result of this, there was an increase in student debt with a figure totaling over $1.5 trillion currently.

This has made both undergraduate and graduate programs to be quite expensive for students. Luckily, the universities that we have listed in this article do not charge tuition fees for any master’s degree program. However, students will still have to pay for books, accommodation, and other expenses.

You can see the highlights of the article in the table of contents below.

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Which universities offer master’s degree programs for free in the USA?

The cost of graduate programs in the U.S.A is very high, however, there are universities where you can study to acquire a master’s degree in any field of study without paying tuition fees.

We compiled a list of top tuition free universities for masters degree in USA based on acceptance rate, number of programs, and rankings.

Therefore, the tuition-free universities for master’s degree in the U.S.A include:

  • Macaulay Honors College at City University of New York (CUNY)
  • Weill Cornell Medical College
  • New York University School of Medicine
  • Barclay College — Haviland, Kansas
  • Berea College — Berea, Kentucky
  • Curtis Institute of Music — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Alice Lloyd College — Pippa Passes, Kentucky
  • The United States Merchant Marine Academy — Kings Point, New York
  • College of the Ozarks — Point Lookout, Missouri
  • The United States Coast Guard Academy — New London, Connecticut

Tuition Free Universities for Masters Degree in USA

Macaulay Honors College at City University of New York (CUNY) — New York, New York

William E. Macaulay Honors College (Macaulay Honors College or Macaulay) is one of the best tuition free universities for masters degree in USA, a selective, co-degree-granting honors college for students at the City University of New York that was established in 2001.

In recent years, Macaulay has been consistently ranked as one of the best public university honors colleges in the U.S.

Students of Macaulay are offered tuition-waivers so long as they meet CUNY New York’s requirements for in-state and out-of-state.

They are also given an Apple MacBook Air laptop and an NYC cultural passport card that offers free or discounted admission for participating in New York’s cultural institutions. Additionally, students of the school are offered professional advisors through the Macaulay Advising Program (MAP).

Macaulay Honors College has an acceptance rate of 29% and a graduation rate of 81.5%.

School website

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WCGS) is one of the popular tuition free universities for masters degree in USA, a graduate college of Cornell University that was established in 1952. It was established from the partnership of two medical schools in New York City, namely the Weill Cornell Medical College and the Sloan Kettering Institute.

The college offers different programs at the graduate level. Through its partnership with Sloan Kettering Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College offers four different master’s degree programs and seven Ph.D. programs. WCGS also offers two Tri-Institutional PhDs, a Tri-Institutional MD/Ph.D., and an Accelerated Ph.D./MBA program

The Ph.D. programs that Weill Cornell Graduate School offers include:

  • Biochemistry and Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology Biophysics and Systems Biology

The tri-Institutional Ph.D. programs include:

  • Chemical Biology
  • Computational Biology and Medicine
  • Tri-I MD / Ph.D. Program

WCGS started giving funding to students in September 2019. The funding covers tuition, books, accommodation, and feeding.

The school has an acceptance rate of 5% while the graduation rate is (N/A).

School website

New York University School of Medicine — New York, New York

The New York University Grossman School of Medicine is the medical school of New York University and one of the tuition free universities for a master’s degree in the USA that was established as the University Medical College in 1841.

The School of Medicine offers MD/Ph.D. dual degree training through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).

In August 2018, New York University announced that it has generated $450 million of the required $600 million to make its medical school free for its students.

New York University School of Medicine has an acceptance rate of 5%.

School website

Barclay College — Haviland, Kansas

Barclay College is a private Christian college in Haviland, Kansas that was founded in 1917. The school is among the tuition-free universities for masters degree in USA that offers master’s degrees in the ministry and other professional fields.

During the fall of 2007, the institution announced its readiness to offer tuition-waiver for its students. However, students will have to pay for books, accommodation, and feeding.

Barclay College has an acceptance rate of 46% and a graduation rate of 60%.

School website

Berea College — Berea, Kentucky

Berea College is on our list of tuition free universities for masters degree in USA, a private liberal artwork college in Berea, Kentucky that was established in 1855.

The institution offers free tuition to its students from the undergraduate to the graduate levels. Most of the students receive free accommodation too.

Berea College accepts applications from students whose family income falls within the bottom 40% of U.S. households.

The institution offers the Tuition Promise Scholarship that is worth more than $176,000 to all admitted students.

Berea College also offers a full ride to students on campus, however, they will have to work on campus for a minimum of 10 hours per week.

The school has an acceptance rate of 38% and a graduation rate of 63%.

School website

RELATED POST: Best Tuition Free Universities in the USA and How to apply for each

Curtis Institute of Music — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Curtis Institute of Music is a private, coeducational conservatory in Philadelphia that was founded in 1924. It is one of the known tuition free universities for masters degree in USA and one of the schools offering free online masters degree for international students.

The institution offers courses that lead to the award of a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, or Professional Studies Certificate in Opera.

Upon acceptance of admission, students pay a comprehensive fee of $1,750 per year.

The acceptance rate of the Curtis Institute of Music is 5% while its graduation rate is 64%.

School website

Alice Lloyd College — Pippa Passes, Kentucky

Alice Lloyd College is one of the tuition free universities for masters degree in USA, a private college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky that was established formerly as Caney Junior College in 1923.

The college later became a degree-awarding institution in the early 1980s and it holds accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

On the other hand, the school offers full-tuition to its students, and the students are required to participate in a work-study program. Here, students work as janitorial staff, office assistant, tutor, craft maker, resident advisor, maintenance, grounds, or working in the cafeteria (Hunger Din)

According to the 2018 U.S. News & World Reports Rankings, Alice Lloyd College is ranked 7th in the list of Regional Colleges South and 2nd in the list of Best Value Schools.

The institution has an acceptance rate of 28% and a graduation rate of 33%.

School website

College of the Ozarks — Point Lookout, Missouri

College of the Ozarks is tuition free university for masters degree in USA, a Christian liberal arts college in Point Lookout, Missouri that was established in 1906.

Due to its student-work program and donations, the institution offers free tuition to all its students. The study-work program requires every student to work 15 hours per week at an on-campus work station plus two 40-hour work weeks during breaks.

Additionally, the school has a summer work program for its students to enable them to cover their accommodation costs.

The school has an acceptance rate of 12% and a graduation rate of 66%.

School website

The United States Coast Guard Academy — New London, Connecticut

The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is the service academy of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut that was established in 1876 and listed as one of the tuition free universities for masters degree in USA.

This academy is the smallest of the five U.S. service academies and the institution offers education to future Coast Guard officers in one of nine major fields of study.

At USCGA, cadets do not pay tuition fees during their program. Upon graduation, they are required to serve in the U.S Coast Guard for a period of five years.

Most cadet graduates go on to pursue master’s degree programs and the academy pays for it. While pursuing the graduate program, cadet officers are paid their salaries regularly.

Upon completion of the graduate program, officers are given a new role where their advanced skills and knowledge are needed.

USCGA has an acceptance rate of 19% and a graduation rate of 78%.

School website

The United States Merchant Marine Academy — Kings Point, New York

The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York counted among the tuition free universities for masters degree in USA that was established in 1943.

USMMA trains officers to serve in United States Merchant Marine, branches of the military, and the transportation industry.

Students at the academy (Midshipmen) are trained in different fields of study including marine engineering, navigation, ship’s administration, maritime law, personnel management, international law, customs, and courses that are relevant to the task of running a large ship.

USMMA offers the Master of Science in Marine Engineering program to officers to give them the advanced knowledge and skills needed in the field. The program aims at building officers to be professional marine engineers.

Kings Point like other military academies requires students (cadet officers) to serve in the military in exchange for free tuition.

The acceptance rate of USMMA is 22% while its graduation rate is 95%.

School website

Conclusion

The hike in tuition costs has led to a high rate of student debt in the United States. Acquiring an undergraduate degree seems to be an uphill task to talk more of a graduate degree.

At some point, students tend to drop out while pursuing their undergraduate degrees. Those that have the zeal to acquire a master’s degree find it difficult because of the funds involved.

However, students can find in this article, universities in the U.S.A where they can pursue a master’s degree program without paying tuition fees.

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