Study abroad at Dayton

Dayton is celebrated worldwide as the 'Birthplace of Aviation' (home of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright) and the premier aerospace, defense technology, and advanced materials engineering hub in southwestern Ohio on the Great Miami River. Dayton is famous for the National Museum of the United States Air Force (the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum), historic Oregon Arts District, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB - the global headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command AFMC and Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL). Dayton is home to prestigious higher education giants: the University of Dayton (UD - founded in 1850, top-tier Carnegie R1 national Catholic research university with over 12,000 students, ranked #1 in the US for sponsored materials science research and top 35 in the nation for engineering research with over $220 million in annual sponsored research at the University of Dayton Research Institute UDRI). UD is internationally celebrated for the School of Engineering (ABET-accredited leader in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering with the GE Aviation EPISCenter), School of Business Administration (AACSB-accredited), and School of Law, alongside Wright State University (WSU - major public research university renowned for College of Engineering & Computer Science and Boonshoft School of Medicine), and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Degrees are taught 100% in English with elite US accreditations. International students benefit from massive aviation/defense engineering research pipelines, generous international merit scholarships, low Midwestern living costs, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Dayton for international undergraduate students at the University of Dayton (UD) range between $47,500 and $49,800 per academic year for Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Business (with generous international merit scholarships such as the UD International Merit Scholarship automatically awarding $10,000 to $25,000/year to qualified applicants, reducing net annual tuition to approx. $22,500–$37,500). At public Wright State University (WSU), undergraduate tuition is significantly lower, ranging from $20,500 to $22,800 per year. Postgraduate Master's and PhD programs range between $16,000 and $28,000 per year (with extensive funded graduate research assistantships GRAs through UDRI). On-campus university residence halls (UD Stuart Hall, Founders, Marianist Hall, WSU Honors Community) cost between $700 and $1,250 per month (inclusive of meal plans and utilities), while off-campus student apartments in South Park, Historic Oregon District, and Fairborn range from $550 to $950 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $750 and $1,250 (among the lowest 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), the International Student and Scholar Services (UD ISSS / WSU UCIE) 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).