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The official tools
Start with EducationUSA's study steps.
The U.S. Department of State's Research Your Options page organizes choices by undergraduate, graduate, community college, short-term and English language study.
It recommends considering academic, financial and personal requirements when selecting institutions. Each institution sets its own program and admission details, so check its official site for the course under consideration.
Open EducationUSA research stepsUse the SEVP school search.
The Department of Homeland Security's School Search lists schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to enrol F-1 or M-1 students.
The tool can be searched by school name, location, education type or visa category. EducationUSA directs students to this list when researching institutions for U.S. study.
Open the certified school searchCheck the full study budget.
EducationUSA's finance step covers tuition, fees, living expenses and possible institutional aid. It notes that living costs vary by location.
Check each institution's current tuition and financial aid pages for amounts and deadlines. EducationUSA's guidance is a starting point for the budget, not a single national price list.
Open EducationUSA finance guidanceRead housing and orientation information.
EducationUSA's Prepare For Your Departure page covers travel arrangements, documents, school reporting and pre-departure orientation.
It also directs students to their institution's website for housing, local transport and health insurance details, which vary by campus and location.
Open pre-departure guidanceUse the Department of State visa page.
The U.S. Department of State study and exchange page links to student visa information for academic and vocational study.
Visa category and application steps depend on the intended program and the applicant's circumstances. Read the current government instructions before making an application.
Open U.S. study visa informationOfficial pages used in this guide
Factual information above is linked to these source pages, checked 7 October 2026. Follow the links for current details.