Investing in Your Future
Going to graduate school is an important decision. Studying for a master’s degree requires a significant investment of time and personal resources and you want to be sure that you’re making an informed choice and equipping yourself to meet — and exceed — your future career goals. To help you navigate some of the key costs of attending the NLP Program, we’ve set out the estimated quarterly and annual tuition and fees below. Scroll down the page to find a variety of financial aid options that you may also be eligible for.
Ride the wave! It’s an exciting time to study NLP
Natural language processing is a growth area which is projected to grow rapidly in coming years. Data from Statista indicates that by 2025, the industry will grow to over USD 43 billion. Our specialized NLP Program enables you to gain expertise in highly sought-after NLP skills such as machine translation, information extraction, sentiment analysis, and text summarization. Industry demand coupled with a short supply of well-qualified graduates means there are many opportunities to fast-track your career.
Alumni from our program have gone on to work as NLP engineers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers. Some are based at local start-ups while others are working for industry heavyweights such as Microsoft, Zoom, and Amazon. Core NLP skills are now sought in an ever-wider range of companies and recent alumni are employed at the Washington Post and Walmart Global Tech. Recent advances in AI mean that graduates with NLP skills are very much in demand.
We’re proud to share that in alumni surveys, NLP graduates reported earning a median annual salary of USD 135,000 after graduation. Learn more about the careers our students pursue on our Alumni page.
Costs of Attendance
During the academic year, tuition and fees are assessed on a quarterly basis for Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters. Details of the resident and non-resident tuition and other fees for full-time enrollment in the NLP MS Program are listed below. As there is a choice of degree plan, tuition and fees vary according to the option you choose. You can check out which option will best align with your goals and learning needs by visiting our Program Overview page.
You’ll see that one component of the fees is for supplemental tuition for a professional degree (also known as the PDST fee). The NLP MS Program is a Professional Degree Program and this fee helps provide some fellowship support to eligible students and hire staff dedicated to supporting NLP students’ success. This includes customized extracurricular programming to support NLP students’ personal and professional growth as members of UCSC’s Silicon Valley community.
In the table below, you’ll find a general estimate of the quarterly and overall tuition costs for the Academic Year 2023-24. Please note that all tuition and fees listed below are estimates and are subject to change, and costs may vary by quarter. For a current, detailed breakdown of the estimated costs of attendance for residents and non-residents, visit the Office of the Registrar’s website.
Estimating costs for each degree plan
In the four-quarter plan, tuition and fees for students’ second Fall Quarter are subject to the tuition rates for the following academic year (e.g., AY 2024-25). Similarly in the five-quarter plan, students’ second Fall and Winter Quarters are subject to the next academic year’s tuition rates. When estimating a degree plan’s total cost, please be aware that tuition rates may increase by 3% or more each academic year.
Tuition and Fees |
Quarterly FeesAY 2023-24 |
Total Program FeesAY 2023-24 |
| Tuition | $4,088 | $12,264 |
| Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition | $7,503 | $22,508 |
| Student Services Fee | $402 | $1,206 |
| UC SHIP Health Insurance (can be waived) | $1,613 | $4,839 |
| Campus Fees | $461.70 | $1,385.10 |
| UCGPC Fee | $3.00 | $7.00 |
| Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition | $4,082 | $12,245 |
| Total Fees (CA Resident) | $14,070.70 | $42,209.10 |
| Total fees (Non-resident) | $18,152.70 | $54,454.10 |
Living Expenses
You’ll need to plan ahead for costs related to living in Silicon Valley including food, housing, books, and transportation. Visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships’ website for current cost of living estimates. You can also review our Living in Silicon Valley page for more information.
We’re Here to Help
As you consider your options and make the decision that’s right for you, we’re here to help if you need any additional information or would like to speak to a member of our Support Team. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We believe for our graduates to excel in the NLP Program, you should have access to a variety of opportunities to grow professionally, academically, and personally. Our Parents and Families page provides an overview of the holistic support UCSC graduate students can access during their studies. Feel free to share this with your support network as you make your decision.
Financial Support
While Baskin master’s students are generally expected to be self-supported, a variety of financial support resources are available for eligible NLP MS students. There are also some student employment opportunities you can consider outlined below.
Fellowships
The NLP Program is able to offer fellowship support to eligible NLP students that may include stipends and partial payment of fees and tuition. Recipients of these fellowships are selected based on merit and financial need. To be considered for financial support, applicants should complete the Statement of Financial Need when applying to the NLP MS Program. Guidance on completing the Statement of Financial Need can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.
Applicants are also encouraged to seek external support for covering graduate education expenses. An extensive list of fellowships is available on the Graduate Division’s website. The International Student and Scholar Services’ (ISSS) website also includes a number of financial support options for international students.
Educational Loans
Federal Loans are available to domestic graduate students through the Financial Aid Office. In order to qualify, applicants must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online. We encourage you to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible, even if you are only considering applying for graduate school.
Educational loan options are also available for international students. Visit UCSC’s International Student and Scholar Services’s website to learn more.
Student Employment
Teaching Assistantships
A Teaching Assistant (TA) is a registered graduate student, chosen for excellent scholarship and for promise as a teacher, and serving an apprenticeship under the active tutelage and supervision of a regular faculty member. TAs are hired on a quarterly basis approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of the quarter. TAs who work 10 hours per week or more are also eligible for a partial fee remission and payment of health insurance (i.e., UCSHIP).
MS students meeting the English language proficiency requirements for TAships may apply for available TAship vacancies each quarter, but please note that placement in a TAship cannot be guaranteed. It is also important to note that the majority of Baskin TAships are offered at the UCSC Main Campus in Santa Cruz while a limited number of TAships may be facilitated at the Silicon Valley Campus where NLP courses are held. NLP MS students who are offered a TAship may need to consider their transportation options in order to fulfill their program requirements and TAship responsibilities.
More information about Baskin Teaching Assistantships including eligibility requirements and application deadlines can be found on the Office of Graduate Student Affairs website.
UCSC programs external to Baskin Engineering also advertise TAship opportunities each quarter on the Graduate Division’s website. Please review each posting for eligibility and application requirements.
Reader and Tutor Positions
NLP students have also supported courses at UCSC as readers and tutors. Baskin Engineering instructors hire readers and tutors on a quarterly basis, and positions are advertised on the Career Center’s website. The hiring process typically starts before the the quarter begins. Readers’ responsibilities encompass grading student work including homework, papers, laboratory reports, and exams. Tutors assist students with understanding course concepts and developing study strategies and academic skills through reviewing student work during tutorial sessions. Please note that the responsibilities of a reader or tutor position may require a student to travel to the UC Santa Cruz Main Campus.