University of Southern Indiana [USI]: Rankings, Fees, Top Programs, Admission Requirements, Cost of Attendance & Scholarship

Popular Courses and Fees at University of Southern Indiana 2027

University of Southern Indiana offers more than 130 study areas at undergraduate and graduate levels. Non-resident graduate tuition is charged at USD 875.33 per credit hour, with five online master’s programmes billed at a lower bundled rate of USD 465 per credit hour. Standard master’s degrees require 30 credits and typical duration runs from 18 to 24 months.

Top Master’s Programmes for Indian Students at University of Southern Indiana

[Source: USI Bursar and International Admissions 2026-2027 fee schedule]

Top Undergraduate Programmes for Indian Students at University of Southern Indiana

Insider note: Indian graduate applicants at USI cluster in Nursing, Industrial Management and the online MBA. The MBA online rate cuts total tuition by nearly half compared to the standard on-campus schedule.

Read More: University of Southern Indiana Programs and Fees

University of Southern Indiana Admission 2027

University of Southern Indiana operates two intakes per year through a rolling admissions process, with the Fall intake serving as the primary entry point for Indian applicants.

[Source: USI International Admissions and USI Bulletin 2026-2027]

Planning note: Indian applicants aiming for the International Merit Scholarship should submit the separate scholarship application alongside the admission file. Late submission places the file outside the merit review cohort even though rolling admissions remain open.

Read More: University of Southern Indiana Admissions Guide for Indian Students

University of Southern Indiana Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Indian applicants must meet minimum academic thresholds, submit valid English scores and complete a credential evaluation before an I-20 can be issued.

Postgraduate Requirements

• Academic: Bachelor’s degree with 55% or CGPA 5.5/10 (recommended); some programmes may state higher thresholds on their programme pages
• English test: TOEFL iBT band 4 on the new 1-6 scale (from 21 January 2026) or 71 on the legacy 0-120 scale; IELTS 6.0; PTE Academic 50; Cambridge English 169
• Credential evaluation: Course-by-course evaluation from ECE (preferred) or another NACES member
• Application fee: USD 40 (INR 3,780); international applicants are not eligible for the CommonApp waiver

Undergraduate Requirements

• Academic: Class 12 with minimum 70% marks (recommended); freshman GPA guidance is 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
• English test: Same minimums as PG applicants across TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and Cambridge
• SAT or ACT: Optional; USI test codes are 1335 (SAT) and 1207 (ACT)

Key insight: USI publishes both TOEFL scales through the 2026 to 2028 transition. Indian applicants who tested before 21 January 2026 can submit the legacy 71 score; those testing later must submit the new band 4 result.

University of Southern Indiana Acceptance Rate 2027

US News reports the University of Southern Indiana acceptance rate at 96%, placing it among the most accessible public universities in the Midwest for qualified Indian applicants.

[Source: US News Best Colleges 2026 profile]

USI’s acceptance policy centres on academic fit rather than selectivity. Indian applicants meeting the GPA and English thresholds face a straightforward decision cycle under the rolling review model.

Reality check: A high acceptance rate does not remove document scrutiny. Indian files that clear the 96% band still need clean ECE evaluations, valid English scores and a funded I-20 financial statement.

Read More: University of Southern Indiana Acceptance Rate

University of Southern Indiana Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

Total annual cost for an Indian undergraduate at USI is estimated at USD 40,240 (INR 38.03 lakh) including tuition, housing, meals, health insurance and personal expenses. Graduate students should budget USD 28,839 (INR 27.25 lakh) annually.

University of Southern Indiana (USI) Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

USI charges international students the non-resident tuition rate. Tuition varies by degree level, credit load and delivery mode.

[Source: USI International Admissions 2026-2027 fee schedule]

Monthly Cost of Living in Evansville for Indian Students

Evansville has a cost-of-living index roughly 7% below the US national average. The figures below draw from USI’s official 2026-2027 cost of attendance estimate.

[Source: USI official cost of attendance estimate 2026-2027]

Insider note: One-bedroom apartments within 15 minutes of the USI campus rent for USD 700 to 900 per month, materially cheaper than comparable options in Indianapolis or Chicago. Sharing a two-bedroom apartment cuts individual rent to under USD 500.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

University of Southern Indiana Campus, Facilities and Student Life

The University of Southern Indiana campus spreads across 1,400 acres in Evansville, a mid-sized city in southwest Indiana with a metropolitan population of about 315,000.

• Location and transit: Campus is 15 minutes from downtown Evansville by car; METS city buses run a dedicated USI route on weekdays
• Housing: University Home apartments and traditional residence halls; on-campus housing is not guaranteed for graduate students
• Signature facilities: Recreational Fitness Wellness Center, David L. Rice Library, Applied Engineering Center and health simulation labs
• Indian student community: Small international cohort of 158 students; the Center for International Programs runs orientation, immigration advising and cultural events

What Indian students say: Evansville feels quieter than large US cities, which suits focused study but limits weekend variety. Faculty access at USI is close, class sizes stay small, and Indian grocery stores and restaurants are available in the city.

University of Southern Indiana Scholarships 2027

University of Southern Indiana offers two named funding routes for Indian applicants at the undergraduate level, with additional foundation awards accessible through the AwardSpring portal.

[Source: USI Student Financial Assistance office]

USI notes that F-1 and F-2 visa holders remain ineligible for US federal and state aid, so private and university-issued scholarships form the sole institutional funding path. Indian graduate applicants should discuss departmental assistantships directly with programme coordinators; these are not centrally listed.

Planning note: The International Merit Scholarship review runs alongside admission review, but requires a distinct application. Missing this separate form is the single most common Indian-applicant funding miss at USI.

Read More: University of Southern Indiana Scholarships Guide

University of Southern Indiana Rankings 2027

University of Southern Indiana’s strongest ranking anchor is US News Best Colleges, where it holds #78 in Regional Universities Midwest and #27 in Top Public Schools Midwest for the 2026 edition.

[Source: US News Best Colleges, QS, THE, ARWU official rankings]

USI is not tracked by QS, THE or ARWU because these bodies weight research output, which regional teaching-focused US public universities produce at lower volume. The US News Regional Universities Midwest table is the appropriate peer set for USI.

Key insight: For Indian F-1 applicants, US News Regional recognition covers OPT eligibility and mainstream employer acceptance in the US Midwest. Global QS or THE placement is not a visa or work-authorisation requirement.

Read More: University of Southern Indiana Rankings Analysis

University of Southern Indiana Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

The USI Career Success Center runs full career support for international students, with a dedicated F-1 and STEM-OPT advising track through the Center for International Programs.

• Career services: Individual advising, resume and interview coaching, and NACE-affiliated employer partnerships
• Annual recruiting events: Fall Career Link Expo and Spring Job & Internship Fair on the Evansville campus
• OPT eligibility: 12 months for all F-1 graduates; 36 months total for STEM-designated majors including Industrial Management and Engineering
• Regional employers: Toyota, Berry Global, Deaconess Health System and Old National Bank recruit USI graduates in the Evansville and Indiana corridors
• Median starting salary: Not officially disclosed by USI for international graduates; market benchmarks apply

Insider note: Indian STEM-OPT graduates in Nursing, Engineering and Industrial Management typically anchor the first job in the wider Midwest before considering coastal moves. Evansville’s manufacturing base absorbs a meaningful share of these placements.

University of Southern Indiana vs Peer Universities

The most relevant peer set for USI is other Midwest public regional universities offering similar tuition bands and rolling international admissions.

University of Southern Indiana stands out on affordability and application accessibility. Its 96% acceptance rate combined with rolling admissions is unusual among ranked Midwest publics.

For a first-time Indian applicant testing US graduate study, University of Southern Indiana works as a low-risk entry point. The total investment of INR 27.25 lakh over one graduate year sits well below typical US master’s costs, while median STEM-OPT salaries in the Midwest routinely recover the outlay inside 12 to 18 months of employment. The Center for International Programs and the 36-month STEM-OPT window remain USI’s strongest Indian-facing levers, backed by clear F-1 visa pathways.

University of Southern Indiana is not the fit for Indian applicants targeting QS top-100 brand recognition, coastal-city recruiter density, or heavy research assistantship funding. Applicants prioritising those levers should compare against larger flagship publics such as Purdue University in Indiana before committing.