The YRI Research Fellowship costs $2,997, or 3 monthly payments of $999 with no interest. That one price covers ten weeks of unlimited 1:1 sessions with a PhD mentor, editing on every draft, submission to journals such as IEEE and Springer, science fair preparation, and free help until the paper is published.
The YRI Fellowship also offers a second program, the Top 1% Profile, at $9,997 (or 3 payments of $3,333), built for families aiming at the Ivy League. This guide breaks down both prices, what each includes, how payment plans and scholarships work, and how to decide which one fits your child.
YRI Fellowship cost at a glance
| The Research Fellowship | The Top 1% Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,997 | $9,997 |
| Payment plan | 3 payments of $999 | 3 payments of $3,333 |
| Length | 10 weeks | 6 to 9 months |
| Mentorship | Unlimited 1:1 with a PhD mentor | Unlimited 1:1 across the whole profile |
| Publications | One first-author paper | 2 to 3 published papers in one field |
| Competitions | ISEF, JSHS and regional fair preparation | The full competition season, coached intensively |
| Extras | Mentor letter of recommendation | A patent with your child's name on it, a company or nonprofit, the founder working with you personally |
| Seats | Rolling admissions | 8 families a year |
Both prices are listed publicly on the YRI pricing page. There are no hidden fees and nothing is sold separately later.
What the $2,997 YRI Fellowship tuition includes
The short answer from the pricing page is "Everything." Here is what that means in practice.
A PhD mentor of your child's own
Your child is matched with a full-time PhD mentor whose own research sits in your child's field, drawn from a network of more than 1,000 PhD mentors. Sessions are unlimited and 1:1, every week. Read more about how mentors are chosen in our guide to YRI Fellowship mentors.
Help from the first idea to the finished paper
Most Fellows arrive with no research experience. The mentor helps your child come up with the research question, builds the methodology from scratch with them, and walks them through every step of the research.
Editing on every draft
YRI's writing team edits every draft with your child until the manuscript meets the standard a journal expects.
Submission and peer review, handled
YRI's publishing team picks the venue, submits the paper to journals and conferences such as IEEE and Springer, and sees it through peer review.
Science fair preparation
The same research is prepared for ISEF, JSHS and regional fairs. A competition coach preps your child and rehearses judge questions.
A mentor letter of recommendation
Your child receives a letter of recommendation from the PhD mentor who worked beside them for ten weeks.
Free help until the paper is published
The program ends at week 10. The help does not. If the journal asks for changes, the mentor keeps working with your child at no extra cost until the paper is published. This is why 87% of Fellows publish, and why there is no extra fee for revisions.
How YRI payment plans work
You can pay the Fellowship in full or in 3 monthly payments of $999, which adds up to the same $2,997 with no interest. The Top 1% Profile works the same way: 3 payments of $3,333.
Two things make this lower risk for families:
- Applying is free. The application takes about 10 minutes and has no fee.
- You pay only after acceptance. Money comes up only after your child is accepted and you decide to go ahead.
One point to know before enrolling: under the YRI terms, payments are non-refundable once made, and each installment in a payment plan is non-refundable once processed. That is exactly why tuition is settled after acceptance, so you can ask every question first.
YRI scholarships
If the price is a stretch, tell us. Scholarships are decided case by case. There is no separate scholarship form to hunt down. Raise it once your child is accepted and the team will look at your situation.
The pricing page sums it up in plain words: applying is free, and money only comes up after your child is accepted.
What the Top 1% Profile costs and includes
The YRI Top 1% Profile is $9,997, or 3 payments of $3,333, and runs 6 to 9 months. It is built for families whose child is aiming for Harvard, Stanford or the Ivy League.
It includes everything in the Fellowship, plus:
- 2 to 3 published papers in one field, each first author
- A patent with your child's name on it, filed with your child named as inventor
- A company or nonprofit your child starts
- The full competition season, coached intensively, from the regionals up
- The founder working with your family personally
Only 8 families a year are accepted, by application and interview. For the full picture, read our guide to the YRI Top 1% Profile or visit the Top 1% Profile page.
How YRI tuition compares to other routes
The YRI pricing page sets the two programs next to the other paths families usually consider, without naming any single program:
| University labs | Other programs | The Fellowship | Top 1% Profile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 12 to 24 months | 8 to 12 months | 10 weeks | 6 to 9 months |
| Investment | Unpaid, if admitted | $500 to $8,000 | $2,997 | $9,997 |
| 1:1 PhD mentorship | Rare | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Peer-reviewed publication | Rare | Sometimes | 87% publish | Included |
| Support until published | No | Extra cost | Included | Included |
The difference is what the money buys. Many programs offer research experience: sessions on a calendar, publishing as an add-on, a certificate at the end. YRI is built around results that count in admissions: 87% get published, 73% place at science competitions, and $0 extra until published.
For a wider look at the market, see our post on whether the YRI Fellowship is worth it.
What one tuition can lead to
A publication does not guarantee an admission, and no honest program will tell you it does. What it gives your child is something almost no other applicant has: proof they can do the work. A few results from YRI Fellows:
- Sadaf S. published in IEEE, then was admitted to Brown and Johns Hopkins.
- Mubashir S. qualified to represent his country at Regeneron ISEF 2026.
- Aditya S. won Best Oral Presentation at an IEEE conference in Tokyo.
- Karan A. had a full paper accepted at an international finance symposium in Riga.
Across the program, Fellows have been admitted to Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Caltech and Harvard. Every result is listed on Published Work and in Student Stories.
Sadaf's parents put it this way: "We tried everything: summer programs, college counselors, tutoring. Nothing moved the needle until she joined YRI."
Which YRI program should you pay for?
Choose the Research Fellowship if you want one published paper with your child's name on it, in 10 weeks. This is where most families start, and Fellowship alumni can later apply to the Top 1% Profile with the first paper already done.
Choose the Top 1% Profile if your child is aiming for Harvard, Stanford or the Ivy League and you want the whole application built with you, with the founder working with your family personally.
Time commitment
Cost is not only money. The Fellowship takes 5 to 8 hours a week, set around school, including the weekly 1:1 with the mentor. The Top 1% Profile takes 5 to 10 hours a week, with more in the weeks around a submission or competition deadline.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the YRI Fellowship cost?
$2,997 for the 10-week Research Fellowship, or 3 monthly payments of $999. The Top 1% Profile is $9,997, or 3 payments of $3,333.
Are there hidden fees?
No. The Fellowship price includes mentorship, editing, submission, science fair preparation, a mentor letter of recommendation, and free help until the paper is published.
Does YRI offer scholarships?
Yes. Scholarships are decided case by case. Tell the team about your situation after your child is accepted.
Is there an application fee?
No. Applying is free, takes about 10 minutes, and you get a decision within 48 hours.
When do we pay?
Only after your child is accepted and you decide to enroll.
What if the paper is not published by week 10?
The mentor keeps helping, free, until it is published. 87% of Fellows publish.
Is YRI tuition refundable?
Under the YRI terms, payments are non-refundable once made. Because tuition is settled only after acceptance, you can ask every question before you pay.
Apply first, decide on cost after
The application is free, the decision comes within 48 hours, and money only comes up once your child is accepted. That means the only step that costs anything is the one you take after you have all the facts.
See the YRI Research Fellowship or compare both programs side by side on the YRI pricing page.
