A video posted by an American woman living in India has gone viral after she shared her personal take on the cost of education in the United States versus India. Kristen Fischer, who has been residing in India, regularly shares her observations on social media. Her recent video has sparked widespread conversation about the affordability of education across the two countries.
In the Instagram post, Kristen wrote, "India has very affordable education and here is why... I have only used one example here and that is public college tuition. But honestly, all forms of education are far cheaper in India compared to the USA."
She further added in the caption, "This is while taking into account the lower salaries in India compared to the USA. I am surprised when people give me pushback when I say that education in India is low-cost. The cost of a college education in America has gotten out of hand recently. It is nearly impossible to go through college without a loan anymore. India makes education more affordable, and therefore, more accessible to people in India. You may think college is expensive in India. But trust me, it is worse in the USA."
"Education is just crazy expensive in America"
In her video, Kristen explained the comparison in detail: "India actually has much more affordable education, even when you factor in the salary difference between India and the US. In India, the median annual salary is Rs 3.3 lakh and in US, it's Rs 41 lakh. Now in India, public college tuition costs between Rs 10 to Rs 50,000 per year. And if you do the math you find that comes out to being about 3 to 15 percent of the annual salary," she said.
She contrasted this with the situation in the US, stating, "In the US, on the other hand, the average public college tuition costs between Rs 10 to 26 lakh per year. Doing the math, you will find that American public college tuition accounts for 23 to 63 percent of your annual salary."
Kristen concluded by saying, "Education is just crazy expensive in America. That's why most people can't afford to pay for college on their own and they have to take out loans. So looking at these two numbers, it's easy to see that education really is lower cost in India."
Viral Video Sparks Online Reactions
Although the video has garnered thousands of views and positive reactions online, NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the claims made in the video.
Many viewers praised Kristen for sharing her perspective. One user commented, "You're absolutely right. I love the way you portray our country. I pray that you guys don't face any problems here. Much love to you and your lovely family."
Another wrote, "You're doing such a great job educating people on differences between US and India. Hopefully helping people to understand that it's not worth selling land to move to the US just for higher wages - especially when the cost of living is so much higher."
Some users added their perspectives. One person said, "Education just gives someone a direction. Giving education in a better place has become a status symbol. It's like choosing between a local restaurant and a seven-star hotel, but in the end, it's the outcome that matters."
Another user pointed out: "Private universities here have extremely high tuition fees. Most people end up in private universities because government institutions have limited seats."
A comment comparing job prospects in the US read, "Often in the US, a degree doesn't even help you earn enough to live. People have to work multiple jobs. Bartending and serving make more money than many college degree jobs nowadays."
