Students aspiring to study abroad look for opportunities for attaining the best quality of education and training. However, before making any decision, aspirants must also consider and evaluate the costs associated with studying and living in a different country.
As per most experts, Germany has over the years emerged as the best destinations for offering affordable education to students.
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Germany
"Germany is a top choice as it offers tuition-free education at public universities. Students here only pay a nominal administrative fee. The country also has a very good reputation for offering quality and research based education and opportunities for Indian students," says Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer iSchoolConnect. The nominal fee in the public universities of Germany is INR 20,000 per semester, he adds.
As per Aditi Lahiri, Senior Consulting Manager, Athena Education "Germany is renowned for offering free education in its public universities which makes it highly affordable for international students. The Cost of living (per month) in Germany is $850 to $970 while the average tuition fees for an undergraduate degree (per year) is $2,400 to $2,760." She mentions that the popular courses offered in the country include Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil), Computer Science and IT, Business Administration, Medicine and Arts and Humanities.
Malaysia
Malaysia also offers a affordable option to students due to its significantly lower tuition fees and cost of living. The average tuition fees for an undergraduate degree (per year) in Malaysia is $180 to $480 and the cost of living (per month) is $440 to $780. The popular courses offered here include Business and Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Medicine and Social Sciences.
Australia and New Zealand
These Down Under destinations are perfect for IT and finance enthusiasts. Australia even throws in a temporary graduate visa so students can stick around and work after graduation. New Zealand's a bit cheaper, and both offer scholarships to sweeten the deal.
Norway
Norway provides free education to all students, but the living expenses can be high, explains Mr Gupta. "Norwegian universities prioritize a high standard of education and research, especially in areas like marine studies and renewable energy. The higher education here is free, but living expenses can reach NOK 120,000 annually (₹9,60,000)."
The country is popular for offering courses in Engineering, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Business and Management and Environmental Studies.
The US and UK
Lakshmi Iyer, Managing Director, SI-Global India, explains that, "Contrary to popular belief, state universities in the United States offer affordable fee structures, with master's programmes costing anywhere from US $18,000 - US $65,000 (INR 16.5 lacs - 53.6 lacs) per academic year and bachelor's degrees between US $15,000 to US $50,000 (INR 12.5 lacs - 41 lacs) per year. However, Ivy League universities may cost double what other universities usually cost."
"Recently, admissions to British universities have also soared to new heights with fewer student visa restrictions, flexible academic requirements, and cheaper tuition fees. It is estimated that pursuing a master's degree in the UK would cost between euro 7,000 - euro 1200 (INR 7.5 lacs - 12 lacs), with MBAs and other specialised programmes costing around euro15,000-euro25,000 (INR 16 lacs - 27 lacs)," explains Ms Iyer.