Same fields, no narrative padding. Share the URL. It already holds the selection. Visa prior is a planning range, not a score. Indices, future proof, job security, all-in sketch, holds, costs you, and full freight are defined in the word list under a finished comparison.
Austin, Texas
UT Austin MSIS
2 years · 36 credit hours
The flexible, lower-tuition HCI menu. You have to aim it or it will not aim you.
Best cost structure in the set, with real concentrations in HCI, UX, and human-centered AI. Last in this order because outcomes vary more by how you build the degree than by the name on it.
Holds
Where it is strong for this decision.
Lowest published tuition in this set for nonresidents
Automatic scholarship consideration, $1,000–$4,000 a year
STEM OPT eligibility, stated in the admissions FAQ
Room to mix HCI, UX, and human-centered AI without a second application
Costs you
What you give up if you pick it.
The brand will not carry a vague portfolio. Electives can become a tour.
No required internship with the force of Georgia Tech’s summer.
Austin sponsors unevenly. Local companies and big-tech satellites behave differently.
Two years of opportunity cost against a one-year program, even when tuition is lower.
The craft year. Portfolio in, portfolio out, Seattle on the doorstep.
Best program in this set if the gap in your application is design craft and you want it fixed in a year. Weaker if you need a long internship before you can interview.
Holds
Where it is strong for this decision.
Studio craft and human-centered making
Seattle tech ecosystem
Same tuition for every student, so residency games do not matter
Speed: one year, then a salary
Costs you
What you give up if you pick it.
Published tuition estimate is $63,618 (46 × $1,383) before quarterly fees.
Almost no institutional aid. The program says most students use loans and savings.
No built-in long internship. The job search runs during the program.
Seattle rent will compete with tuition for your attention.
City names are places, not scores. Updated 11 October 2026. Visa ranges are editorial planning priors, not school statistics. No program on this list publishes an OPT-to-sponsorship rate. The range assumes a STEM-eligible I-20, a portfolio aimed at companies that have sponsored before, and a 2026 hiring market in which design studios sponsor less often than large tech and some product orgs. H-1B remains a lottery. Update your plan when policy or the market moves.
Word list
Decision framework
The rules for reading the order on the homepage. It is a weighting for one applicant, not a quality ladder of the six schools.
Indices
Five scores from 1 to 10: livability, job security, future proof, selectivity, and ROI. Each score compares these six programs only.
Visa prior
A planning range for OPT and for whether employers in that market sponsor. It is not an admission rate and not a promise.
Future proof
How directly the curriculum treats human-AI work, systems, and the mix of research, craft, and technical skill after 2026.
Job security
How usable the path is into product design, UX research, or product management: brand, network, internship, and where alumni land.
All-in sketch
Tuition plus a living estimate for the length of the degree. Not an invoice. Fees, flights, and aid sit outside it unless a line says so.
Holds
Where the program is strong for this decision.
Costs you
What you give up, or the risk you take, if you pick it.
Full freight
You pay the published tuition. Do not assume a scholarship or an assistantship will cut it.