Financial Support for PhD students
PhD students in the School of Computing receive financial support while they are in the program, conditional on good progress. Financial support comes in three basic forms:
- Fellowship: If you are admitted with a fellowship, you are supported by the department during your first two semesters.
- Research assistantship: You are paid to work with a research group.
- Teaching assistantship: You are paid in order to help support a course, for example running lab sections, grading homework, and doing office hours.
MS students have the opportunity to apply for teaching assistantships with the department, or approach individual faculty members about research assistantships.
Here is How Much you can Expect to Earn
Most PhD students are paid for doing research for most of their academic career.
If you’re paid for doing research (as a fellow or a research assistant), in 2022/2023 you will receive $ 12,232 per term for the fall and the spring term, for a total of $ 24,464. If you continue to do research over the summer, you will be paid between $ 8,153 and $16,338 for the summer term – these numbers can vary at your advisor’s discretion. Hence, you can expect a yearly income of between $ 32,617 and $ 40,802. Also note that many students choose to do industry internships over the summers.
Tax rates in the US and in Utah are relatively low by international standards. If you are filing taxes as an individual, you can expect a take home pay of about $ 34k on a salary of about $ 41k.
If you’re paid for teaching (as a teaching assistant), in 2022/2023 you will receive $8,355 per term. There are opportunities for teaching over the summer, but most students choose to do internships instead. Many but not all MS students find employment as teaching assistants after they have been in the program for at least a semester. Your ability to find employment as a teaching assistant will depend on your performance in the early courses.
If you receive a fellowship or work as a teaching or research assistant you will also receive a health insurance benefit, covering 80% of the health insurance cost.
Tuition & Fees
Students who are financially supported by the School or Computing are eligible for a tuition waiver. This means that if you receive a fellowship or work as a teaching or a research assistant, you do not have to pay tuition, which can be as much as $32k per year, assuming 12 credits per semester at the non-resident rate. However, you will be responsible for differential tuition (a fee certain colleges charge, which is $83.26 per credit for College of Engineering courses) and the international student fee ($ 150 per semester, if applicable).
MS students can get the tuition waiver for two years. PhD students who enter the program with a BS degree can get the tuition waiver for five years. Students who enter the program with an MS degree can get the tuition waiver for four years.
If you do not get a tuition waiver, then you must pay tuition:
International student fee: $150 per semester
Living Expenses
The University of Utah campus is just next to downtown; public transportation is readily available and the cost of living is low comparable to most cities.