Eastern Africa, capital Kigali

Cost of Studying in Rwanda (2027) for International Students

Foreign students in Rwanda hold a U1 student permit from the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, valid for one year, with an application fee of RWF 20,000; citizens of the East African Community do not pay for residence permits. A separate P2 permit lets students work during holidays or work for up to a year after completing their studies. At Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali, 2025-2026 tuition is USD 16,000 for African students and USD 60,300 for other international students.

Verified 15 Sep 2026 Sources
Public tuition, per year
Not listed
international students
Living cost, per month
Not listed
typical range
Work during study
Not listed
per week
Post study work
1 yr
after graduation
Intakes
September
main application cycles

Tuition example, CMU-Africa 2025-2026. USD 16,000 a year for African students; USD 60,300 for international students; no application fee.

Permits. U1 student permit RWF 20,000 (one year); P2 student work permit RWF 20,000. East African Community citizens do not pay for residence permits.

Sources, checked 15 September 2026
  1. https://www.migration.gov.rw/our-services/permit/study-research
  2. https://www.migration.gov.rw/our-services/permit/general-information
  3. https://www.africa.engineering.cmu.edu/admissions/tuition.html
  4. https://www.africa.engineering.cmu.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/index.html
  5. https://www.africa.engineering.cmu.edu/impact/mastercard-foundation-scholars.html