Top 10 Universities in USA for Data Science with Scholarships for International Students
If you’re aiming to study Data Science in the USA in 2025, you’ve made a smart choice. The field is booming, companies pay well, and U.S. universities offer the kind of exposure, projects and campus-to-career pipelines that really work. Here are the top 10 universities in USA for Data Science in 2025, complete with programme details, costs, entry requirements, scholarships and application links.
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| Top 10 Universities in USA for Data Science with Scholarships for International Students |
1) Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
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Programme: M.S. in Statistics – Data Science Track
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Duration: About 5 quarters (≈ 1.3 years) on average. (statistics.stanford.edu)
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Estimated Tuition + Living Cost (2025): Tuition ~$40,730 for first year + living costs ~$21,211 (as per recent figures) (Shiksha)
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Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s in quantitative field; GRE recommended; TOEFL/IELTS required for international students.
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Equivalent GPA ~3.5/4.0 (≈ 85%+) for competitive applicants.
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Scholarships & Funding: University fellowships (limited for master’s), departmental research assistantships.
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Official Programme Link: Stanford – Statistics MS / Data Science (statistics.stanford.edu)
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Why Choose: Located in Silicon Valley, world-class research labs and startup ecosystem.
2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA)
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Programme: MS in Data Science / related tracks (or MIT’s strong analytics/data science offerings)
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Duration: Typically ~1–2 years depending on track.
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Estimated Tuition + Living Cost (2025): Graduate tuition ~ $22,220 (for six or more units) as a baseline. (registrar.mit.edu) Living expenses for 12 months on campus: ~$31,159+. (oge.mit.edu)
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Entry Requirements: Strong quantitative and programming background, GRE/TOEFL for international.
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Top tier — strong academic & research/proj profile required.
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Scholarships & Funding: Fellowships, scholarships, teaching/research assistantships available. (MIT Course Catalog)
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Official Programme Link: MIT Graduate Admissions – Costs & Funding (oge.mit.edu)
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Why Choose: Leaders in algorithms, AI and analytics with unmatched industry ties.
3) University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, CA)
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Programme: Master of Information & Data Science (MIDS) – on-campus & online options
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Duration: Varies (3-semester accelerated or 5-semester path) (UC Berkeley School of Information)
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Estimated Tuition + Living Cost (2025): Tuition ~ $18,231 (for 6 units) for new students (Spring 2025) on certain plan (UC Berkeley School of Information) Graduate-level estimated total cost ~$54,901 for academic year 2025-26. (Financial Aid & Scholarships)
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Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, programming/statistics knowledge; GRE/GMAT optional. (UC Berkeley I School Online)
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Competitive applicants usually have solid quantitative grades (≈ 3.4/4 or above).
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Scholarships & Funding: E.g., Jack Larson Data for Good Fellowship (~$8,500) for MIDS students. (UC Berkeley I School Online)
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Official Programme Link: UC Berkeley MIDS
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Why Choose: Balanced curriculum (viz, ethics, ML), strong Bay Area network & internship/job opportunities.
4) Carnegie Mellon University (CMU, Pittsburgh, PA)
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Programme: MS in Computational Data Science / related data science programmes
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Duration: ~1.5–2 years typical
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: Specific 2025 data not publicly consolidated here, but CMU is known for high technical rigor & cost similar to top private US institutions.
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Entry Requirements: Strong CS/math background; GRE often required; TOEFL/IELTS for international students
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Very high academic standards; strong research/project profile expected.
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Scholarships & Funding: Departmental assistantships (RA/TA) available for top candidates
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Official Programme Link: Search “CMU Computational Data Science” on CMU’s website
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Why Choose: Exceptional reputation for CS/AI, strong industry ties.
5) Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
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Programme: MS in Data Science (joint between CS & Statistics)
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Duration: ~1–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: Similar scale to other Ivy-league data science master’s (often ~$55,000-60,000+ plus living)
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Entry Requirements: Strong academic (quantitative) background, GRE/IELTS/TOEFL for international students
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Top-tier applicants (GPA ~3.6/4 + strong profile)
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Scholarships & Funding: Internal scholarships & fellowships; need‐based + merit
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Official Programme Link: Search “Harvard MS Data Science”
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Why Choose: Prestigious institution, strong research & recruiting.
6) Columbia University (New York, NY)
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Programme: MS in Data Science / related analytics/data programmes
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Duration: ~1–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: Comparable to other top private universities ($50,000+ tuition + cost of living in NYC)
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Entry Requirements: Quant background, programming skills; TOEFL/IELTS for non-US applicants
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Competitive (GPA ~3.5/4 or higher)
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Scholarships & Funding: Scholarships + assistantships available for select students
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Official Programme Link: Search “Columbia MS Data Science”
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Why Choose: NYC location with vast data/analytics job market.
7) New York University (NYU, New York, NY)
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Programme: MS in Data Science / related degree
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Duration: ~1–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: ~$52,000-55,000 tuition + NYC living expenses
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Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s quantitative, GRE/TOEFL for international
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Strong academic + project background required
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Scholarships & Funding: Available for strong applicants
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Official Programme Link: Search “NYU MS Data Science”
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Why Choose: Big-city exposure, robust alumni & job market.
8) Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA)
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Programme: MS in Analytics / MS in Data Science / related
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Duration: ~1.5–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: Public university so tuition somewhat lower than private; exact 2025 figure must be checked on official site
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Entry Requirements: Quantitative background, programming skills; TOEFL/IELTS for international
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Minimum Marks (Approx): GPA ~3.4/4 or above preferred
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Scholarships & Funding: Departmental awards + external scholarships
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Official Programme Link: Search “Georgia Tech MS Analytics/Data Science”
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Why Choose: Strong technical curriculum, good value for money.
9) University of Washington (UW, Seattle, WA)
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Programme: M.S. in Data Science / related data science programmes
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Duration: ~1–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: ~$48,000 tuition + living in Seattle approx (public institution offers slightly lower costs)
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Entry Requirements: Quantitative undergrad, programming skills; international students need TOEFL/IELTS
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Minimum Marks (Approx): GPA ~3.3/4 or above preferred
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Scholarships & Funding: Assistantships + departmental awards available for top students
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Official Programme Link: Search “UW MS Data Science”
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Why Choose: Seattle tech hub (Amazon, Microsoft) gives great internship/job advantage.
10) University of Pennsylvania (UPenn, Philadelphia, PA)
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Programme: MS in Engineering in Data Science (or equivalent)
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Duration: ~1–2 years
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Estimated Tuition + Cost: ~$37,000-40,000 tuition (shorter programme) plus living expenses — according to some recent sources.
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Entry Requirements: Strong math/engineering background; TOEFL/IELTS for internationals
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Minimum Marks (Approx): Competitive profile expected (GPA ~3.4/4 or higher)
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Scholarships & Funding: Scholarships, fellowships + assistantships for select applicants
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Official Programme Link: Search “UPenn MS Engineering Data Science”
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Why Choose: Strong engineering toolkit plus Ivy League prestige.
Final Advice for Applicants
When you plan to apply to the top universities in USA for Data Science in 2025, remember these key points:
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Start your preparations early — the application timeline matters.
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Strong Quantitative and programming background is indispensable for Data Science-master’s.
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Build a project portfolio (GitHub, Kaggle, internships) that shows you can handle real data problems.
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For scholarships and funding: apply for internal university funding (RA/TA/fellowships) and also external scholarships (from your home country).
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Keep in mind the costs — tuition + living expenses in US top programmes can run $50,000-100,000 per year.
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Apply to 2–3 universities: one dream school, one realistic fit, one safe option.
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Meet the English language test requirements early, and make sure your SOP, LORs are strong and specific.
Study Data Science because you love analysing data, building models, and turning data into actionable insights. The USA offers some of the best programmes in this field — and if you prepare well, you can get into one of the top universities in USA for Data Science in 2025.
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