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PhD Programs Are Usually FREE

Full funding explained: tuition, stipends, assistantships, fellowships, and programs with no GRE.

Unlike Master's programs, where full funding is rare, PhD programs typically fund all admitted students. When a PhD program accepts you, they are making an investment in you. They expect you to spend four to six years conducting research, publishing papers, and contributing to the academic community. In return, they cover all your costs.

What Does Full Funding Include?#

Full funding for a PhD typically includes tuition remission, which means you do not pay tuition at all. It also includes a stipend, which is a regular payment (usually monthly) that covers your living expenses like rent, food, and personal costs. Stipends vary by program and location, but they typically range from $25,000 to $40,000 per year. In expensive cities like New York or San Francisco, stipends are usually higher.

Many programs also include health insurance. Some programs provide additional funding for conference travel, research expenses, or summer support.

How Does PhD Funding Work?#

PhD funding usually comes through assistantships. There are two main types.

A Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) means you help teach undergraduate courses. You might lead discussion sections, grade assignments, hold office hours, or assist a professor in a large lecture class. Teaching is excellent preparation if you want an academic career.

A Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) means you assist a professor with their research. This research is often directly related to your own dissertation work. Research assistantships are common in fields where professors have grant funding, such as engineering, sciences, and social sciences.

Some programs also offer fellowships, which provide funding without teaching or research requirements. Fellowships are prestigious and allow you to focus entirely on your studies and research, especially in your first year.

You Should Never Pay for a PhD#

This is important: if a PhD program does not offer you full funding, you should not attend. Paying for a PhD is almost never a good financial decision. The opportunity cost of spending four to six years earning a PhD while also accumulating debt is too high. There are enough fully funded programs that you should not need to pay.

If a program admits you without funding, this is often a sign that the program does not consider you a top candidate. Good programs fund the students they want most.

PhD Programs With Full Funding and No GRE#

Many PhD programs no longer require the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). This is good news for international students, as the GRE costs money and requires preparation time. Below are PhD programs organized by field that offer full funding to international students and do not require the GRE.

PhD in Business - Full Funding, No GRE Required#

Business PhD programs prepare you for careers as a professor or researcher in business schools. These programs are highly competitive but fully funded.

University at Buffalo
University of Michigan
Fordham University
University of Oregon
Columbia Business School
University of Nevada - Reno

PhD in Engineering - Full Funding, No GRE Required#

Engineering PhD programs are research-intensive and almost always fully funded. You will work closely with a faculty advisor on cutting-edge research.

Stanford University (Biomedical Engineering)
MIT (Electrical Engineering)
UC Berkeley (Electrical Engineering)
University of Michigan (Mechanical Engineering)
Georgia Tech (Civil Engineering)

PhD in Education - Full Funding, No GRE Required#

Education PhD programs prepare you to conduct research on teaching, learning, policy, and educational systems. These programs value diverse perspectives and experiences.

University of Pennsylvania
Harvard University
New York University
University of California - Irvine
University of Michigan

PhD in Computer Science - Full Funding, No GRE Required#

Computer Science PhD programs are among the most competitive and well-funded programs. You will conduct research in areas like artificial intelligence, systems, theory, or human-computer interaction.

Stanford University
Carnegie Mellon University
University of California - Berkeley
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Chicago

Social Science PhD programs prepare you to research human behavior, societies, and institutions. These programs value students who ask important questions about how the world works.

University of California - Berkeley (Sociology)
University of Wisconsin - Madison (Sociology)
University of Michigan (Political Science)
Cornell University (Population Health Sciences)
University of Chicago (Anthropology)

Chapter Quiz

Answer all questions correctly to unlock the next chapter.

1. What is the typical range for PhD stipends per year?

2. What are the two main types of assistantships that fund PhD students?

3. What should you do if a PhD program admits you without full funding?

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