PhD Stipend in USA 2026: How Much Indian Students Actually Earn (in INR)
A $3,000/month PhD stipend sounds like ₹2.5 lakh/month — but after US taxes, health insurance premiums, and rent in expensive cities, the real take-home is often closer to ₹1.2–1.8 lakh/month. Here's the complete, honest breakdown.
"PhD stipend $3,000/month" sounds incredible when you're in India. Multiply by 82 and it's ₹2.46 lakh/month — more than most Indian software engineers earn in their first job. But the US is not India. After federal taxes, state taxes, health insurance, rent, and basic living costs, the actual surplus (money left after necessities) looks very different depending on where you are.
The Real Numbers: Gross vs Net
Let's take a concrete example. A PhD student at MIT in CS earns $3,500/month gross. They are on an F-1 visa in their first 5 years, so they're exempt from FICA (Social Security + Medicare — 7.65%). Federal income tax on $42,000/year (after the standard deduction of ~$14,600) is approximately $3,400/year = $283/month. Massachusetts state income tax: 5% flat = $175/month. Health insurance (MIT student health plan): $130/month. Take-home: approximately $2,912/month = ~₹2.4 lakh/month.
Typical monthly expenses in Cambridge, MA (MIT area):
- Rent (shared 2BR apartment): $900–1,200/month
- Groceries: $200–300/month
- Transport (MIT area is walkable/T-accessible): $100/month
- Phone, internet, utilities: $80–120/month
- Total essentials: ~$1,400–1,700/month
- Monthly surplus: ~$1,200–1,500/month = ₹1.0–1.2 lakh savings potential
Stipend by University (2026 Estimates)
- MIT: $3,200–3,800/month gross | ~₹2.6–3.1 lakh/month gross
- Stanford: $3,000–3,600/month | ~₹2.4–2.9 lakh/month
- UC Berkeley: $2,800–3,400/month | ~₹2.3–2.8 lakh/month
- Carnegie Mellon: $2,600–3,200/month | ~₹2.1–2.6 lakh/month
- Cornell / Columbia / Yale: $2,700–3,200/month | ~₹2.2–2.6 lakh/month
- UIUC / Georgia Tech / Purdue: $2,200–2,700/month | ~₹1.8–2.2 lakh/month
- Ohio State / Arizona State: $1,800–2,300/month | ~₹1.4–1.8 lakh/month
The City Matters as Much as the Stipend
A $2,300/month stipend at Purdue (West Lafayette) stretches much further than a $3,200/month stipend at MIT (Boston area). West Lafayette's average rent for a 1BR is $700–900; Boston's is $2,200–2,800. The effective purchasing power — after rent — is often higher at mid-tier universities in low-cost cities than at elite universities in expensive metros.
Indian PhD students who want to save money, support family, or build savings should seriously consider this geography factor when choosing between offers. A $500/month difference in stipend is easily overcome by a $800/month difference in rent.
Stipend by Field
STEM fields (CS, EE, ME, Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical Engineering) typically pay higher stipends than humanities and social sciences. Within STEM, industry-adjacent fields like ML/AI, semiconductor engineering, and pharmaceutical chemistry often have access to industry-funded fellowships that top up the university stipend by $500–1,000/month. NSF and NIH fellowships (available to international students after their first year) can add $2,000–5,000/year.
When comparing PhD offers, calculate the effective take-home after rent (not just gross stipend). A lower nominal stipend in a low-rent city is often a better financial situation than a higher stipend in a coastal city.
PhD Tracker shows you stipend information alongside deadlines and requirements for 60 top universities — so you can make an informed comparison when deciding where to apply.
Compare universitiesFrequently Asked Questions
Is a PhD stipend in the USA taxed?
Yes. PhD stipends paid as wages (RA/TA salaries) are subject to US federal income tax (10–12% for typical stipend levels) and, in most states, state income tax. Fellowship stipends may also be taxable depending on whether they cover qualified education expenses. The India-US DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) exempts Indian students from FICA (Social Security + Medicare) taxes for the first 5 years under the F-1 visa — saving approximately 7.65% of gross income.
What is a typical PhD stipend at MIT, Stanford, or Berkeley?
MIT: $38,400–$45,600/year ($3,200–$3,800/month gross). Stanford: $36,000–$43,200/year ($3,000–$3,600/month). UC Berkeley: $33,600–$40,800/year ($2,800–$3,400/month). After federal taxes (~12%), state taxes (~5–9% for CA/MA), and health insurance premiums ($0–200/month depending on the plan), take-home is typically $2,200–$3,000/month or approximately ₹1.8–2.4 lakh/month.
Can I send money home to India from a US PhD stipend?
Yes. Many Indian PhD students send ₹20,000–50,000/month to family in India while still covering US living expenses. The key is choosing a university where cost of living allows savings on the stipend — lower-cost cities like West Lafayette (Purdue), Columbus (Ohio State), or College Station give much more room than San Francisco or Boston.
Which cities have the best quality of life on a PhD stipend?
Best: College Station TX (TAMU), West Lafayette IN (Purdue), Champaign-Urbana IL (UIUC), Columbus OH (Ohio State), Tempe AZ (ASU) — low rent, reasonable cost of living, stipend surplus. Worst: San Francisco (UCB, Stanford), New York City (Columbia, NYU), Boston (MIT, Harvard, Northeastern) — rent alone can consume 40–60% of a stipend.