The United States of America is home to many technological innovations that impacted the world in a very significant way. This is the reason why many Indian students aspire to pursue STEM programs in the USA.
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Various UG and PG programs fall under these four streams, and there will be prosperous career opportunities across the world for the students who complete courses from STEM categories and also who are looking for jobs in the USA.
Before choosing STEM courses in the USA for international students, it is essential to check out certain factors to decide if that particular university is the best choice for you or not. The fee structure, ease of entry, and success of the alumni are some of the factors based on which International students can filter out the best STEM university in the United States.
Overview of STEM courses in the USA
The United States has been a very dominant country in STEM education and it is evident by the fact that thousands of students every year apply to pursue STEM education in the US universities. Moreover, the USA is the land of some of the greatest technological innovations and many companies that have had a significant impact on the world like Tesla, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are all from the United States. In the USA, there are more than 300 STEM courses and if you are an Indian student, interested in areas like Science and technology, it’s vital to do extensive research to filter out the best STEM university in the USA that suits your personal interests and passion.
Why choose the USA for STEM Education?
Irrespective of the country you choose, there will be a wealth of opportunities after obtaining a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. It’s widely believed that these courses offer fantastic careers compared to other courses in any country. But, pursuing STEM courses in the US is a big add-on for some obvious reasons. Let’s look at some of them.
World-class universities
As per the QS world university rankings 2024, there are twenty-seven US universities in the top hundred. Apart from that, many top Indian-origin CEOs leading global brands like Google and Microsoft graduated from US universities. The universities in the United States give utmost importance to research and that is what makes a difference in the learning experience of STEM students. International students after pursuing STEM courses in the USA can also try to apply for the OPT(Optional Practical Training) and CPT (Curricular Practical Training) to get a chance to continue their stay in the USA and gain some hands-on experience.
Students from diverse backgrounds
The US universities welcome students from different parts of the world, and this gives Indian International students a chance to connect with them and learn from their experiences. So, another benefit of choosing STEM programs in the USA is to expand your network to a global level. Science and Technology are such fields, which give a great learning experience when brainstorming with like-minded people and that is what exactly you as an international student will do by taking up STEM courses from the universities of the United States as there is a great footfall of international students from all over the world.
Limitless Possibilities of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is the place where many top companies like Meta, Alphabet, Google, etc have their headquarters located. This offers STEM students an opportunity to grab internships from these prestigious companies and gain some good hands-on experience. Learning is just one side of the coin and the implementation of what you have learned is a whole different thing. With its cutting-edge infrastructure and limitless learning opportunities, Silicon Valley is the favorite spot for many international students and that is what drives many students to enroll in the STEM programs in the United States.
Encouragement of the government to the international tech talent
The United States always encourages immigrants with super tech skills that will help to boost their economy. After finishing STEM courses in the United States, there are high chances of getting employed by tech companies in the US itself. If you have gained good practical experience and can help a company grow, there are many employers in the United States that are willing to offer incredibly high salaries for tech talent irrespective of their nationality. It’s no need to mention separately that Indians are the dominant foreign nationals in the IT industry in the United States. You can even try applying for a green card after gaining significant years of experience working in the United States.
Eligibility for enrolling in STEM courses
Academic Qualifications:
International applicants, to enroll in the STEM programs in the US, should have completed their high school education with a CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 which is equivalent to around 90% in the Indian system. However, the required percentage might vary from course to course and from university to university. For postgraduate admissions into STEM courses, a relevant STEM degree is needed to fulfill the entry criteria.
Entrance Exams:
For both undergraduate and postgraduate STEM programs, international students from non-English speaking countries need to prove their language proficiency through various exams like TOEFL and IELTS. Scores on SAT and ACT play a crucial role to pursue engineering at the top universities in the United States. Exams like GRE and GMAT are important for taking up postgraduate programs in the best STEM universities in the USA.
F-1 Student Visa:
As soon as your admission is approved by the university in which you are planning to study, the very next step is to apply for an F-1 student visa without which you can’t stay and study in the USA legally. Visa processing can be quite complex and it’s always advised to consult the experts who can guide you for a seamless visa approval process. Even though the validity of an F-1 student visa is five years, you can stay in the US only as long as you maintain your student status. Once your course gets completed, you have to return to your home country within 60 days.
Popular STEM courses in the USA
There are around 300 courses that fall under any of the four categories in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. We tried to list some of the important STEM courses in the USA and categorized them into four categories for better understanding. The categorization may not be completely accurate as some courses may fall under more than one category. Let’s check out the list of some of the popular STEM courses in the USA.
| Category | Courses |
|---|---|
| Science | Astronomy, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, Genetics, Geology, Horticulture Science, Biology, Botany |
| Technology | Computer Programming, Computer and Information Science, Forensic Science and Technology, Military Applied Science, Forensic Chemistry, Food Science, Nuclear Physics, Petroleum Technology |
| Engineering | Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Technology, Architectural Engineering, Chemical Engineering |
| Mathematics | Statistics, Mathematics |
Popular Universities for STEM Education in the USA
Let’s look at the Top 5 US universities as per QS world university rankings 2024 along with STEM courses offered by those universities. It’s out of the scope of this blog to discuss all the popular STEM courses offered by US universities. If you want to delve deep and get complete details about STEM courses in the USA, book a call with our career counselor and we will be more than happy to help you out. Let’s check out the top US universities and the popular STEM courses offered by them.
| University | Courses |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering |
| Harvard University | Computer Science, Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics Chemistry |
| Stanford University | Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mathematics Chemistry, Physics |
| University of Chicago | Computer Science, Behavioral Sciences, Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences |
Approximate cost of pursuing STEM courses in the USA
The cost of STEM education in the USA is very subjective as the fee structure and duration vary for different courses and universities. However, we can expect the average tuition fee in top STEM universities in the US to be anywhere between $20,000 to $60,000. There are universities that offer the same courses at relatively lower tuition fees but thorough research needs to be done to assess the career opportunities after completing the course from those universities. It’s advised to check for the alumni who achieved significant success after graduating from a particular university and decide if that university is worth your time and money.
Career after pursuing a STEM course in the US
The mean entry-level annual salary for a software engineer in the United States is around $85,000 and the average salary can be as high as $140,000. Students can expect many high-paying STEM jobs in the USA in various sectors like Engineering, Medicine, Science, etc after successfully finishing the course. In the Medical field, if we consider jobs like Psychiatrists, the average salary can be around $270,000.
Benefits of pursuing STEM education in the United States
Optional Practical Training(OPT) usually gives international students an opportunity to work in the US for 12 months without a work permit. But eligible students who pursued STEM courses can get a chance to work in the United States for an additional 24 months which amounts to a total of 36 months. Even after completion of three years, international students get a grace period of sixty days. After the completion of OPT, international students even apply for a H1 B Visa which gives the authorization to work full-time as a foreigner. These tremendous flexibilities are one of the reasons that make STEM courses in the USA a popular choice for international students planning to study abroad.
Conclusion:
STEM courses in the USA for International students are by far the most in-demand courses that a student can take up in 2023. With the evolution of AI at such a great pace, there will be more opportunities opening up for young talent in the United States, as it’s the home for some latest technological innovations like Open AI. The curriculum of the STEM universities in the USA helps students to tackle complex challenges and find effective solutions to existing problems. Apart from the curriculum, the huge network you are going to make as an international student is going to be truly fantastic. If you want to make a career in the STEM field and are worried about getting started, let Texas International Academy help you with everything that you needed to study abroad like clearing the required entrance exams, visa processing, profile building, etc. So, don’t hesitate anymore and give us a call to take the first step towards your journey to study in the United States.
FAQs:
For undergraduate STEM programs, GRE is not needed. For postgraduate programs GRE, and GMAT scores play a crucial role in getting your application approved. However, universities are the final decision-makers regarding standardized tests.
International students to work in the United States with a STEM OPT extension should have completed undergraduate and the position to which he/she is applying should be directly related to his/her field of study to fulfill the eligibility criteria.
Engineers who graduate from US universities can expect a very competitive salary anywhere in the world with an average median salary for a computer engineering student is around $100,000. But yes! Other STEM degrees in the fields of Mathematics and Science also offer high-paying jobs. It doesn’t matter which course you choose. What matters is how deeply you explore that course.
As the number of letters in the acronym suggests, the courses are segregated into four major categories namely Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In each of these categories, there are many courses and we can’t say a definite number as the number of majors keeps on changing each passing year.
The popularity of any course depends on the ongoing trends and in 2023, we can clearly see that AI is booming. So, choosing courses around computer science and Artificial Intelligence can be a wise decision. But, these trends will keep on changing with time.
