Is an MS at Arizona State University worth it for Indian students? (2026 numbers)

The numbers

Total cost: about ₹14.3 lakh for the full 24-month program - published tuition only, converted to INR at July 2026 rates. There is no living-cost line because you never leave India, which is the single biggest reason this is cheaper than a campus degree.

Starting salary: around ₹12.0 lakh/year. To be precise about the basis: this is a broad India market band for master's-qualified software engineers (checked August 2026), not a per-university outcome and not an overseas salary - this programme carries no work authorisation abroad.

Payback: roughly 3.6 years. Our method is disclosed - the years of extra savings needed to cover the total cost, after destination tax and a year's living cost, compared with what you would save staying in India on a ₹8 lakh/year baseline role. It's the same formula the scorecard uses, and it's a simplification: it ignores loan interest, living costs above the visa minimum, and the risk of not landing the typical salary.

Admission bar: a GPA around 3.0/4.0 is the typical threshold. Test requirements: GRE typically waived.

Visa reality

There isn't one, and that is the most important thing on this page. An online programme does not put you in USA and does not grant a student visa, so there is no OPT, no STEM OPT, and no H-1B route attached to it. None of the 2026 policy changes that matter to campus students apply here, because none of those pathways were ever available. If your goal is to work abroad, this degree is not a way of getting there - it is a credential you earn while staying where you are. Anyone selling it to you as a route to the US is either confused or not being straight with you.

What to watch for

This is an ONLINE degree, studied from India. It carries no student visa, so there is no OPT, no STEM OPT and no route to work in the US on it - if working abroad is your goal, this programme does not provide one. Heavily marketed by consultants, with a high acceptance rate and outcomes that vary widely by individual effort. Judge it as a credential you earn while working in India, not as a way of getting to America.

One honest flag: this program is widely marketed through commission-paid agents and consultants - that's our editorial observation about how it's sold, not a sourced statistic about its quality. It doesn't make it a bad choice - but verify placement claims independently rather than taking an agent's word for it.

Verify these numbers yourself

• Tuition: asuonline.asu.edu (2026-27) - $15,000 total, $500/credit x 30 credits, no fees or textbooks, checked 2026-08-28
• Salary: broad India market band for master's-qualified software engineers (approx Rs 9-14L), NOT an ASU outcome and NOT a US salary - this programme carries no US work authorisation. ZipRecruiter/Collegedunia/Simpliaxis India salary guides, accessed 2026-08-28
• Visa: ASU Online MCS does not sponsor F-1 and is STEM-OPT-ineligible (asuonline.asu.edu programme terms, checked 2026-08-28)

Costs, salaries, and visa rules change - always confirm against the official program page before making a real decision. TruthPathMS aggregates and cites; it does not originate tuition, salary, or visa data.