Study abroad at Fairfield

Fairfield is a prestigious, charming coastal town situated along the Gold Coast of Connecticut on Long Island Sound (in Fairfield County, consistently ranked among the wealthiest and safest counties in the US), located just 50 miles (60 minutes by Metro-North Railroad) from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, New York City. Celebrated for its five picturesque public beaches (Penfield Beach, Jennings Beach), historic Town Green, and thriving hedge fund, private equity, and corporate financial centers (Bridgewater Associates, Point72, GE legacy corridor), Fairfield is the home of Fairfield University (founded in 1942, premier private Jesuit university ranked #1 Regional University in the North by US News & World Report and top 100 nationally with over 6,000 students). Fairfield University is internationally acclaimed for the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (AACSB-accredited, top 20 in the US for Accounting, Finance, Business Analytics, and Marketing with state-of-the-art simulated trading floors), Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies (consistently ranked in the US top 10 for Nursing and Doctor of Clinical Nursing DNP), and School of Engineering and Computing (Biomedical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering), alongside neighboring Sacred Heart University (SHU - renowned for the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology and Health Professions). Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from an extraordinary Wall Street and Fortune 500 internship pipeline, generous international merit scholarships, luxury coastal New England lifestyle, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Fairfield for international undergraduate students at Fairfield University range between $55,500 and $57,800 per academic year for Dolan Business, Finance, Computer Science, Engineering, and Nursing (with Fairfield University awarding highly generous international merit scholarships such as the Bellarmine and Magis Scholarships offering $20,000 to $32,000/year to qualified international applicants, bringing net tuition down to approx. $23,000–$35,000/year). At Sacred Heart University, undergraduate tuition is approx. $48,500/year with merit scholarships of up to $22,000/year. Postgraduate Master's programs (MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Software Engineering) range from $22,000 to $36,000 for the full program. On-campus university residence halls (Fairfield Loyola, Gonzaga, 42 Bellarmine, The Townhouses) cost between $900 and $1,550 per month (inclusive of meal plans and utilities), while off-campus student beach area houses and private apartments in Fairfield and Black Rock range from $750 to $1,350 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $950 and $1,650.

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 minus scholarship awards), the Office of International Student & Scholar Services (Fairfield OISSS) 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).