Study abroad at Cookeville

Cookeville is an idyllic, safe, and highly affordable college town situated on the scenic Cumberland Plateau in Putnam County, Tennessee, located midway between Nashville (70 miles west) and Knoxville. Renowned for its spectacular natural beauty (Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls, Center Hill Lake) and ranked among the best and most affordable college towns in the American South, Cookeville is the home of Tennessee's premier technological and engineering public university: Tennessee Technological University (Tennessee Tech - founded in 1915, major STEM-focused public research university with over 10,000 students). Famous for Derryberry Hall with its Golden Eagle carillon, Tennessee Tech is internationally celebrated for the College of Engineering (ABET-accredited leader in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, and Electrical Engineering with the state-of-the-art Ashraf Islam Engineering Building and Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center CEROC), College of Business (AACSB-accredited), College of Agriculture and Human Ecology, and College of Education. Degrees are taught 100% in English. International students benefit from zero state personal income tax in Tennessee, extremely low tuition and living costs, generous international merit scholarships, high return on investment (Tennessee Tech graduates have the highest median starting salaries among public universities in Tennessee), and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Cookeville for international undergraduate students at Tennessee Tech University are exceptionally competitive, ranging between $19,800 and $22,500 per academic year for Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Business (with automatic International Merit Scholarships awarding $3,000 to $8,000/year for qualified international applicants, bringing net annual tuition down to approx. $14,000–$18,000). Postgraduate Master's and PhD programs range between $14,000 and $19,500 per year (with extensive funded graduate teaching GTAs and research assistantships GRAs). On-campus university residence halls (New Hall North, New Hall South, Maddux/McCord) cost between $550 and $950 per month (inclusive of meal plans and utilities), while off-campus private student apartments in Cookeville range from $480 to $800 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $650 and $1,050 (among the most affordable in the US).

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses), Tennessee Tech's International Friends / Center for Global Experiences issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).