200 Fully-Funded PhD Programs in the USA for International Students (2026)
200 fully funded PhD programs across 20 fields at U.S. universities — full tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for international students.
PhD programs in the United States typically offer full funding to all admitted students, including international students. This funding includes:
- Full tuition waiver — covering $30,000–$60,000+ per year
- Monthly living stipend — typically $25,000–$56,000 annually
- Health insurance coverage
Below are 200 fully funded PhD programs across 20 fields. Every program on this list funds international students.
For the step-by-step guide: How to Get a Full Scholarship for Your PhD
Computer Science#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor University |
| 2 | Brown University |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University |
| 4 | Duke University |
| 5 | Georgetown University |
| 6 | Johns Hopkins University |
| 7 | University of Colorado Boulder |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| 9 | University of Iowa |
| 10 | University of South Florida |
Top programs: Carnegie Mellon and UIUC are consistently ranked among the top 5 CS programs in the world. Brown and Duke offer smaller, more mentorship-focused PhD experiences. Georgetown provides a unique intersection of CS and policy in Washington, D.C.
Electrical Engineering#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 2 | North Carolina State University |
| 3 | Ohio State University |
| 4 | Princeton University |
| 5 | Purdue University |
| 6 | Stanford University |
| 7 | University of Michigan |
| 8 | University of Texas at Austin |
| 9 | Virginia Tech |
| 10 | Washington University in St. Louis |
Top programs: Stanford and MIT (not listed separately here) lead EE nationally. Georgia Tech, Michigan, and Purdue are powerhouses with massive research funding. Princeton offers a smaller, theory-focused program.
Mechanical Engineering#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University |
| 2 | Columbia University |
| 3 | Duke University |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University |
| 6 | Purdue University |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| 8 | University of Michigan |
| 9 | Virginia Tech |
| 10 | Washington University in St. Louis |
Top programs: Michigan and Georgia Tech have the largest and most well-funded mechanical engineering departments. Columbia and Johns Hopkins offer strong interdisciplinary opportunities with biomedical engineering. Purdue is a perennial top-10 program.
Biomedical Engineering#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boise State University |
| 2 | Boston University |
| 3 | Cornell University |
| 4 | Duke University |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University |
| 6 | University of Arizona |
| 7 | University of Michigan |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 9 | University of Virginia |
| 10 | Washington University in St. Louis |
Top programs: Johns Hopkins is the world leader in biomedical engineering. Duke, Penn, and Michigan are also top-5 programs. Boise State offers a more accessible option with strong research in biomechanics and neural engineering.
Chemistry#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn University |
| 2 | Drexel University |
| 3 | Emory University |
| 4 | Penn State University |
| 5 | Princeton University |
| 6 | Purdue University |
| 7 | Rutgers University |
| 8 | Stanford University |
| 9 | University of Iowa |
| 10 | University of Notre Dame |
Top programs: Stanford and Princeton have world-class chemistry departments. Purdue and Penn State offer massive research programs with extensive lab facilities. Emory provides a strong balance of research and mentorship.
Physics#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University |
| 2 | Colorado State University |
| 3 | Harvard University |
| 4 | MIT |
| 5 | Northwestern University |
| 6 | Ohio State University |
| 7 | Ohio University |
| 8 | University of Alabama |
| 9 | University of Chicago |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania |
Top programs: MIT and Harvard are the undisputed leaders in physics. University of Chicago has a legendary physics tradition (home to the first nuclear reactor). Northwestern and Penn are strong in condensed matter and particle physics.
Biology / Biological Sciences#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University |
| 2 | Boston University |
| 3 | Duke University |
| 4 | Georgetown University |
| 5 | Harvard University |
| 6 | Ohio University |
| 7 | University of Florida |
| 8 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 9 | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 10 | University of Texas at Dallas |
Top programs: Harvard and Duke lead in biological sciences research. University of Florida is a powerhouse in tropical biology and ecology. Boston University and Pittsburgh have strong programs with excellent funding packages.
Mathematics#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor University |
| 2 | Clarkson University |
| 3 | Cornell University |
| 4 | Princeton University |
| 5 | Rice University |
| 6 | Syracuse University |
| 7 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 9 | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 10 | University of Texas at Austin |
Top programs: Princeton is the world's leading mathematics department. Cornell and Penn are top-10 programs. Rice offers a small, focused program with excellent student-faculty ratios. UT Austin has particular strength in applied mathematics.
Economics#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University |
| 2 | Cornell University |
| 3 | Duke University |
| 4 | Emory University |
| 5 | Fordham University |
| 6 | Rice University |
| 7 | Syracuse University |
| 8 | University of Virginia |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 10 | University of Wyoming |
Top programs: Columbia and Cornell are top-10 economics departments. Duke and Wisconsin-Madison are powerhouses in applied economics and econometrics. Rice and UVA offer smaller, well-funded programs with strong placement records.
Psychology#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University |
| 2 | Columbia University |
| 3 | Fordham University |
| 4 | Louisiana State University |
| 5 | Northwestern University |
| 6 | Old Dominion University |
| 7 | Rutgers University |
| 8 | Teachers College, Columbia University |
| 9 | University of Chicago |
| 10 | University of Minnesota |
Top programs: University of Chicago and Columbia are elite psychology departments. Northwestern is strong in cognitive and social psychology. University of Minnesota has a legendary tradition in clinical and developmental psychology. Teachers College is a leader in educational psychology.
Political Science#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University |
| 2 | MIT |
| 3 | New York University |
| 4 | Northwestern University |
| 5 | Ohio State University |
| 6 | Penn State University |
| 7 | Stanford University |
| 8 | University of California, Berkeley |
| 9 | University of Minnesota |
| 10 | University of Washington |
Top programs: Stanford, MIT, and Berkeley are the top political science programs in the country. GWU's location in Washington, D.C. provides unmatched access to government and policy. NYU is strong in international relations and comparative politics.
Sociology#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brown University |
| 2 | Harvard University |
| 3 | New York University |
| 4 | Rice University |
| 5 | Stanford University |
| 6 | University of Chicago |
| 7 | University of Michigan |
| 8 | University of Washington |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 10 | Vanderbilt University |
Top programs: Harvard, Stanford, and University of Chicago are the three most prestigious sociology departments in America. Michigan and Wisconsin-Madison are known for quantitative and demographic research. Brown has a strong focus on inequality and race.
History#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University |
| 2 | Brown University |
| 3 | Columbia University |
| 4 | Cornell University |
| 5 | Georgetown University |
| 6 | New York University |
| 7 | Penn State University |
| 8 | Rutgers University |
| 9 | University of Chicago |
| 10 | University of Michigan |
Top programs: Columbia, Chicago, and Michigan are among the top history departments in the world. Georgetown is especially strong in diplomatic and international history. NYU has leading scholars in Atlantic world and Middle Eastern history.
English / Literature#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boston College |
| 2 | Columbia University |
| 3 | Cornell University |
| 4 | Duke University |
| 5 | Emory University |
| 6 | University of Chicago |
| 7 | University of Miami |
| 8 | University of Michigan |
| 9 | University of Texas at Austin |
| 10 | University of Virginia |
Top programs: Columbia, Chicago, and Cornell have storied English departments. Duke is known for critical theory and cultural studies. UVA has a long literary tradition. Michigan is a leader in creative writing within the English department.
Education#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University |
| 2 | Chapman University |
| 3 | Harvard University |
| 4 | Michigan State University |
| 5 | New York University |
| 6 | Stanford University |
| 7 | University of California, Irvine |
| 8 | University of Colorado Boulder |
| 9 | University of Delaware |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania |
Top programs: Stanford and Harvard have the top-ranked education schools in America. Michigan State is the #1 college of education for research. Penn's Graduate School of Education is a leader in higher education and literacy research.
Public Health / Epidemiology#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brown University |
| 2 | Columbia University |
| 3 | Emory University |
| 4 | Harvard University |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University |
| 6 | University of Florida |
| 7 | University of North Texas Health Science Center |
| 8 | Vanderbilt University |
| 9 | Washington University in St. Louis |
| 10 | Yale University |
Top programs: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the #1 public health school in the world. Harvard and Columbia are also in the top 5. Emory's proximity to the CDC in Atlanta is a major advantage for epidemiology students.
Business / Management#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Binghamton University (SUNY) |
| 2 | Cornell University |
| 3 | Duke University |
| 4 | Ohio State University |
| 5 | Purdue University |
| 6 | Rice University |
| 7 | University of Cincinnati |
| 8 | University of Michigan |
| 9 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Top programs: Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross, and Cornell Johnson are top-10 business PhD programs. PhD in business/management is a research degree that trains future professors — very different from an MBA. These programs are small (5–10 students per year) but fully funded.
Environmental Science / Ecology#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University |
| 2 | Cornell University |
| 3 | Emory University |
| 4 | New York University |
| 5 | Oregon State University |
| 6 | University of California, Los Angeles |
| 7 | University of Michigan |
| 8 | University of Miami |
| 9 | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 10 | Yale University |
Top programs: Yale's School of the Environment is a global leader. Columbia's Earth Institute and Cornell's ecology programs are world-class. Oregon State is a powerhouse in marine and forest ecology. UCLA has strong climate science research.
Neuroscience#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University |
| 2 | Brandeis University |
| 3 | Brown University |
| 4 | Case Western Reserve University |
| 5 | Harvard University |
| 6 | Michigan State University |
| 7 | Northwestern University |
| 8 | Ohio State University |
| 9 | University of California, Davis |
| 10 | University of Virginia |
Top programs: Harvard is the leader in neuroscience research. Northwestern and Brown have excellent programs with strong clinical and computational neuroscience. Brandeis is a hidden gem — small but highly regarded in the field. UC Davis is strong in systems and behavioral neuroscience.
Communication / Media Studies#
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University |
| 2 | Columbia University |
| 3 | New York University |
| 4 | Northwestern University |
| 5 | Ohio State University |
| 6 | Purdue University |
| 7 | Texas Tech University |
| 8 | University of Miami |
| 9 | University of Michigan |
| 10 | University of Oregon |
Top programs: Northwestern's Medill School and Columbia's Journalism School are the gold standards. NYU is strong in media studies and culture. Ohio State and Purdue have large, well-funded communication departments with excellent placement records.
Summary: All 20 Fields#
| Field | Number of Programs |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 10 |
| Electrical Engineering | 10 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 10 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 10 |
| Chemistry | 10 |
| Physics | 10 |
| Biology / Biological Sciences | 10 |
| Mathematics | 10 |
| Economics | 10 |
| Psychology | 10 |
| Political Science | 10 |
| Sociology | 10 |
| History | 10 |
| English / Literature | 10 |
| Education | 10 |
| Public Health / Epidemiology | 10 |
| Business / Management | 10 |
| Environmental Science / Ecology | 10 |
| Neuroscience | 10 |
| Communication / Media Studies | 10 |
| Total | 200 |
Remember: You Only Need a Bachelor's Degree#
You do not need a master's degree to apply for a PhD in the United States. Most of these programs accept students directly from their bachelor's degree and include master's-level coursework in the first 1–2 years.
All 200 programs listed here provide full funding — tuition waiver, living stipend, and health insurance — for the duration of your PhD (typically 4–6 years).
Related Resources#
- How to Get a Full Scholarship for Your PhD — the step-by-step guide
- How to Get a Full Scholarship for Your Master's Degree — the master's guide
- USA Travel Ban 2026 — check if your country is affected
- Full Scholarships in Canada for Your Master's Degree — Canadian options
- How to Get a Full Scholarship for Your Bachelor's Degree — the undergraduate guide
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