Students with different situations have different concerns regarding which Day 1 CPT programs and which Day 1 CPT universities to choose. These concerns include but are not limited to locations, on-site frequency, tuition, scholarships, payment frequency, application deadlines, etc. We help you apply for popular Day 1 CPT universities with components you care about the most. Use this article as a screening tool to figure out which Day 1 CPT program and Day 1 CPT school is the best one for you. If you still have a hard time making up your mind, call us, and our experts will explain the pros and cons of different choices to you in depth.

Based on Locations
Based on Your Occupation
Tuition and Scholarships
On-site Requirement
For-Profit & Non-Profit
Application Window
Vocation Policy

CPT School	Type	Location	Tuition	Onsite Frequency	CPT Program Fields
Avila University Arizona	Private Non-Profit	Goodyear, AZ	$18,288 (Master's)	1/Two Months	Analytics & Data & AI Business Administration & Management
Bay Atlantic University	Private Non-Profit	Washington D.C.	$45,360 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI IT & Computer Science
Benedictine University	Private Non-Profit	Lisle, IL Mesa, AZ	$26,400 (Master's)	1/Semester	Analytics & Data & AI Health Science
California Institute Of Advanced Management	Private Non-Profit	Alhambra, CA	$27,036 (Master's)	1/Two Months	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI
Concordia University Texas	Private Non-Profit	Austin, TX	$22,400 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI IT & Computer Science
Curry College	Private Non-Profit	Milton, MA	$30,960 (Master's)	1/Month	Business Administration & Management
Goldey-Beacom College	Private Non-Profit	Wilmington, DE	$24,156 (Master's)	1/Two Months	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI Accounting & Finance Health Science Nursing IT & Computer Science Humanities & Social Science
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	Private Non-Profit	Harrisburg, PA	$34,380 (Master's)	1/Two Months	Analytics & Data & AI Health Science Natural Science Nursing IT & Computer Science Arts and Design Engineering Media & Communication Business Administration & Management Humanities & Social Science
Humphreys University	Private Non-Profit	Stockton, CA	$24,492 (Master's)	1/Quarter	Business Administration & Management IT & Computer Science
Indiana Wesleyan University	Private Non-Profit	Merrillville, IN Forney, TX	$14,970 (Master's)	1/Semester	Analytics & Data & AI IT & Computer Science Business Administration & Management
LIM College	Private For-Profit	New York, NY	$22,140 (Master's)	1/Month	Media & Communication Arts and Design
McDaniel College	Private Non-Profit	Westminster, MD	$21,000 (Master's)	1/Semester	Analytics & Data & AI
Monroe University	Private For-Profit	New Rochelle, NY	$84,120 (Bachelor's) $21,888 (Master's) $12,852 (Certificates)	1/Month	Business Administration & Management Accounting & Finance Health Science Nursing IT & Computer Science Analytics & Data & AI Law & Policy Humanities & Social Science
National Louis University	Private Non-Profit	Tampa, FL Chicago, IL	$23,700 (Master's)	1/Term	Analytics & Data & AI Business Administration & Management
New England College	Private Non-Profit	Henniker, NH	$19,400 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Health Science Nursing IT & Computer Science Analytics & Data & AI
North Carolina Wesleyan University	Private Non-Profit	Rocky Mount, NC	$19,250 (Master's)	1/Quarter	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI
Ottawa University	Private Non-Profit	Overland Park, KS Surprise, AZ Brookfield, WI	$32,214 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI Health Science Nursing IT & Computer Science
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)	Private For-Profit	Indianapolis, IN	$19,500 (Master's)	1/Quarter	Analytics & Data & AI Business Administration & Management
Sofia University	Private For-Profit	Palo Alto, CA Costa Mesa, CA	$24,120 (Master's)	1/Month	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI IT & Computer Science
Texas Wesleyan University	Private Non-Profit	Fort Worth, TX	$30,600 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Analytics & Data & AI Health Science Nursing
Westcliff University	Private For-Profit	Irvine, CA Miami, FL Orlando, FL Santa Monica, CA Dallas, TX San Francisco, CA Corona, CA	$92,040 (Bachelor's) $29,484 (Master's)	1/Semester	Business Administration & Management Accounting & Finance Health Science Nursing IT & Computer Science Engineering Analytics & Data & AI Education

Arizona

Avila University Arizona
Goodyear, AZ
Benedictine University
Lisle, IL, Mesa, AZ
Ottawa University
Overland Park, KS, Surprise, AZ, Brookfield, WI

California

California Institute Of Advanced Management
Alhambra, CA
Humphreys University
Stockton, CA
Sofia University
Palo Alto, CA, Costa Mesa, CA
Westcliff University
Irvine, CA, Miami, FL, Orlando, FL, Santa Monica, CA, Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA, Corona, CA

Delaware

Goldey-Beacom College
Wilmington, DE

Florida

National Louis University
Tampa, FL, Chicago, IL
Westcliff University
Irvine, CA, Miami, FL, Orlando, FL, Santa Monica, CA, Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA, Corona, CA

Illinois

Benedictine University
Lisle, IL, Mesa, AZ
National Louis University
Tampa, FL, Chicago, IL

Indiana

Indiana Wesleyan University
Merrillville, IN, Forney, TX
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)
Indianapolis, IN

Kansas

Ottawa University
Overland Park, KS, Surprise, AZ, Brookfield, WI

Maryland

McDaniel College
Westminster, MD

Massachusetts

Curry College
Milton, MA

New Hampshire

New England College
Henniker, NH

New York

LIM College
New York, NY
Monroe University
New Rochelle, NY

North Carolina

North Carolina Wesleyan University
Rocky Mount, NC

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Harrisburg, PA

Texas

Concordia University Texas
Austin, TX
Indiana Wesleyan University
Merrillville, IN, Forney, TX
Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX
Westcliff University
Irvine, CA, Miami, FL, Orlando, FL, Santa Monica, CA, Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA, Corona, CA

Washington D.C.

Bay Atlantic University
Washington D.C.

Wisconsin

Ottawa University
Overland Park, KS, Surprise, AZ, Brookfield, WI

CPT School	Degree	By Year	By Semester/ By Quarter	By Credit	Credits Required	Total Cost	Program Length
Avila University Arizona	Master's	$9,144	$3,048	$508	36	$18,288	24 months
Bay Atlantic University	Master's	$15,120	$5,040	$630	72	$45,360	36 months
Benedictine University	Master's	$13,200	$4,400	$800	33	$26,400	24 months
California Institute Of Advanced Management	Master's	$13,518	$4,506	$751	36	$27,036	24 months
Concordia University Texas	Master's	$13,440	$4,480	$700	32	$22,400	20 months
Curry College	Master's	$15,480	$2,580	$860	36	$30,960	24 months
Goldey-Beacom College	Master's	$12,078	$4,026	$671	36	$24,156	24 months
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	Master's	$17,190	$5,730	$955	36	$34,380	24 months
Humphreys University	Master's	$10,885	$2,721	$471	52	$24,492	27 months
Indiana Wesleyan University	Master's	$8,982	$2,994	$499	30	$14,970	20 months
LIM College	Master's	$13,284	$4,428	$738	30	$22,140	20 months
McDaniel College	Master's	$12,600	$4,200	$700	30	$21,000	20 months
Monroe University	Bachelor's	$21,030	$7,010	$701	120	$84,120	48 months
	Master's	$10,944	$3,648	$608	36	$21,888	24 months
	Certificates	$12,852	$4,284	$714	18	$12,852	12 months
National Louis University	Master's	$18,960	$4,740	$790	30	$23,700	15 months
New England College	Master's	$9,700	$3,233	$485	40	$19,400	24 months
North Carolina Wesleyan University	Master's	$11,550	$3,850	$550	35	$19,250	20 months
Ottawa University	Master's	$16,107	$5,369	$767	42	$32,214	24 months
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)	Master's	$15,600	$3,900	$650	30	$19,500	15 months
Sofia University	Master's	$16,080	$4,020	$670	36	$24,120	18 months
Texas Wesleyan University	Master's	$15,300	$5,100	$850	36	$30,600	24 months
Westcliff University	Bachelor's	$23,010	$7,670	$767	120	$92,040	48 months
Westcliff University	Master's	$14,742	$4,914	$819	36	$29,484	24 months

Distinguished Scholarships — up to $10,000
Awarded to a select number of students who demonstrate an aptitude for excellence, a grand vision for the future, and a keen sense of social responsibility to leave the world a better place when they are gone.

Scholarships for Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) — up to $5,000
Established for high-performing students who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in pursuit of a master’s/doctorate degree at Westcliff.

Building Leaders for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (BLEND) Scholarships — up to $2,500
Established for accomplished international students who are pursuing a degree at Westcliff in order to create a more inclusive world in their field of study.

Warrior Scholarships — $2,500
Established to support students in overcoming financial barriers to pursuing academic success at Westcliff.

Monroe Scholarship—$1,500-$3,000
Additional Reading: How to Apply for Day 1 CPT at Monroe

Sofia University Scholarship－$1,000-$3,000

*Sofia University provides multiple scholarships depending on students’ merits or financial needs. You may talk to our specialist about which one is suitable for you and how to apply for it. Click here, to schedule a free consultation.

Additional Reading: Sofia University

Multiple Family Member University of the Potomac Scholarship
families with more than one member attending UOTP concurrently can get a scholarship equal to a 20% reduction in the credit hour tuition rate in effect at that time.
Good Hope Scholarship
Recipients will receive $1,000 per year for their studies at UOTP toward costs not covered by other financial aids and the expected family contribution.
International Students Tuition Scholarship Program
This scholarship covers up to 35% of tuition for new full-time international students; it is renewable annually based on academic performance.
Alumni Graduate Student Scholarship:
Current graduate students who already completed an undergraduate or graduate program at UOTP are eligible for this $2,000 scholarship, which requires a 3.0 GPA.

Alumni Doctoral Student Scholarship
Current doctoral students who already completed a graduate program at UOTP are eligible for this $2,000 scholarship, which requires a 3.0 GPA.

Day 1 CPT Universities On-Site Requirements

With the ease of the pandemic, Day 1 CPT universities resumed their on-site sections. Although it might seem “inconvenient” to some, it indeed is to your own benefit to choose Day 1 CPT universities that have on-site sections and fulfill the on-site requirement. By not complying with the on-site requirements, you may lose your F1 status.

This is a factor you’d like to take into consideration if your employers are less flexible. The renewal process itself is very simple and takes little time and effort. However, if your HR is not flexible on this, we recommend you choose a Day 1 CPT university that only requires you to renew your CTP once per year to avoid the nuisance.

CPT School	On-Site Requirement	On-Site / Year
Avila University Arizona	1 / Two Months	6 / year
Bay Atlantic University	1 / Term	3 / year
Benedictine University	1 / Term	3 / year
California Institute Of Advanced Management	1 / Two Months	6 / year
Concordia University Texas	1 / Term	3 / year
Curry College	1 / Month	12 / year
Goldey-Beacom College	1 / Two Months	6 / year
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	1 / Two Months	6 / year
Humphreys University	1 / Term	4 / year
Indiana Wesleyan University	1 / Term	3 / year
LIM College	1 / Month	12 / year
McDaniel College	1 / Term	3 / year
Monroe University	1 / Month	12 / year
National Louis University	1 / Term	4 / year
New England College	1 / Term	3 / year
North Carolina Wesleyan University	1 / Term	3 / year
Ottawa University	1 / Term	3 / year
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)	1 / Term	4 / year
Sofia University	1 / Month	12 / year
Texas Wesleyan University	1 / Term	3 / year
Westcliff University	1 / Term	3 / year

Non-Profit	For-Profit
Avila University Arizona	LIM College
Bay Atlantic University	Monroe University
Benedictine University	Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)
California Institute Of Advanced Management	Sofia University
Concordia University Texas	Westcliff University
Curry College
Goldey-Beacom College
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Humphreys University
Indiana Wesleyan University
McDaniel College
National Louis University
New England College
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Ottawa University
Texas Wesleyan University

CPT School	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov
Avila University Arizona		03/16		05/11	06/29				10/20
Bay Atlantic University				05/22			08/25
Benedictine University		03/10							10/15
California Institute Of Advanced Management	02/28			05/02	06/27		08/29		10/24
Concordia University Texas				05/04			08/25
Curry College		03/16		05/18		07/06	08/31		10/26
Goldey-Beacom College		03/16		05/11	06/29		08/25		10/20
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology		03/14		05/09		07/11	08/23			11/01
Humphreys University			04/06			07/07			10/06
Indiana Wesleyan University	02/02	03/02		05/04	06/01		08/24	09/21	10/29
LIM College				05/18			08/31
McDaniel College				05/26			08/15
Monroe University	02/28		04/29		06/20			09/05	10/25
National Louis University			04/13	05/04		07/06	08/24	09/21
New England College		03/16		05/04		07/13	08/31			11/09
North Carolina Wesleyan University				05/11			08/10
Ottawa University		03/09		05/04	06/29		08/24		10/19
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)		03/02		05/04		07/06	08/31		10/26
Sofia University			04/06			07/06		09/28
Texas Wesleyan University		03/23		05/25		07/06	08/19		10/14
UCSB Professional and Continuing Education			04/25			07/25			10/19
Westcliff University		03/02		05/04	06/29			09/01	10/27

Schools allow you to take semesters off

Many Day 1 CPT universities offer options for breaks or leaves, a crucial consideration for students needing to extend their study period. Extending your study duration in the U.S. can open the door to 2-3 additional opportunities (potentially 4-5 times for doctoral degrees) in the H1B lottery, providing valuable chances for advancing your career and immigration prospects.

If you are interested in learning more, you can see details in our blog: Extending Study and H1B Lottery Opportunities at Day 1 CPT Universities

Summer Off: You can only apply for semester offs during summers. Some schools require you to apply for a summer off after 2 semesters of studying, while some schools do not have the restriction.
Semester Off: You can apply for 1 semester off after 3 consecutive semesters.

CPT School	Semester Break	Work Authorization During Break	Policy Detail
Avila University Arizona	❌	❌	N/A
Bay Atlantic University	❌	❌	N/A
Benedictine University	❌	❌	N/A
California Institute Of Advanced Management	✅	✅	After completing three semesters, students may take a one‑semester leave of absence and remain eligible to apply for CPT during that time.
Concordia University Texas	❌	❌	N/A
Curry College	❌	❌	N/A
Goldey-Beacom College	✅	❌	Due to the College’s definition of full-time enrollment, there is no leave policy for a student wanting to take a vacation while maintaining an F-1 status. Students can have their SEVIS record terminated for “Authorized Early Withdrawal,” and be re-activated within 5 months if they so choose and if they leave the country. There is no allowance for vacation from courses while remaining in the U.S. on an F-1 visa status.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	❌	❌	N/A
Humphreys University	✅	✅	The MBA programs are a 52-credit, 27-month program. It is a full-time hybrid program. Each quarter (11 weeks) you will take two 4-credit courses concurrently with a 2-week break between quarters. Both courses are delivered in a hybrid format with some mandatory face-to-face, in-person learning. Total 52 credits; 8 credits per quarter; 3 quarters per year (mandatory annual break given in your 4th and 8th quarters with CPT authorization).
Indiana Wesleyan University	❌	❌	N/A
LIM College	❌	❌	N/A
McDaniel College	✅	✅	Students may take one semester break, typically during the summer term. Choosing this option will extend the total program duration to approximately 24 months.
Monroe University	❌	❌	N/A
National Louis University	❌	❌	N/A
New England College	✅	❌	You may take a term off after a full year of studies at NEC (3 terms) if you want to remain in F-1 status and remain in the US. If you are willing to leave the US and temporarily lose F-1 status, you may take a term of Authorized Early Withdrawal (AEW) at any time. You will have 15 days to leave the US once AEW is authorized by your DSO. When you are ready to return to study you will work with your NEC DSO to reactivate your SEVIS record to Active.
North Carolina Wesleyan University	❌	❌	N/A
Ottawa University	❌	❌	N/A
Salem University (CPT is not available at this moment)	✅	✅	The official break period is from May to September. During this time, students are permitted to continue using CPT. Students are not required to complete three academic terms before becoming eligible for this break.
Sofia University	✅	✅	Students have the option to take a break for one quarter after finishing three consecutive quarters with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. During this break, they are also eligible to engage in full-time CPT employment.
Texas Wesleyan University	❌	❌	N/A
Westcliff University	✅	✅	Students can take a one-semester break after completing 18 credits consecutively (3 semesters).

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