Every year lakhs of students aspire to study abroad. Studying abroad has its advantages wherein you get to meet people from across the world, gain new perspectives and give your career the boost that it needs. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you have one shot at it, it is ever the more important to get the right direction and advice based on your needs and the outcomes that you want out of your study abroad journey. For this purpose, it becomes essential to have the right overseas education counselors providing you the right college and country based on your budget. Some students might be looking for the cheapest countries to study and maybe looking for others so you should always seek help from overseas education counselors.
We at Skylark Overseas Education have vast experience dealing with overseas education for Indian students. We realize not everyone can afford a study abroad program and we will help you in this endeavor. Most folks linger out of attempting to study abroad thinking it would be an expensive affair and just not worth putting time and mind into it. Although there are scholarships and loans that are granted, not everyone can avail themselves due to past academic performance or not enough collateral for the loan. This results in students opting to look at the cheapest countries to study abroad so that they can enjoy the perks of living in another country and study by not worrying too much about monetary compulsions.
When it comes to affordable places and colleges to study, there are three important aspects to keep in mind:
- Tuition Fee: This is the basic fee that you pay to the college for the service it renders. The service includes teaching and other infrastructural benefits like the library the college offers. This fee varies within the college based on the courses that you take. For example, STEM studies will have a greater tuition fee than that of humanities studies. The fees can also vary in terms of undergraduate level and post-graduate level.
- College Fee: This is a kind of fee that some of the colleges include for providing additional benefits like housing, food, and other recreational activities such as Gym and Sports facilities. Depending on the college this can be availed or not availed based on one’s needs.
- Living Expenses: The cost of living expenses completely depends on what country and what city the student chooses. There are certain countries which are expensive and the rest of them which are cheaper in terms of living.
Cheapest countries to Study Abroad:
To avoid this specific dilemma in choosing the cheapest places to study abroad, we have provided a list of countries below that are suitable for this aspect.
1) United Kingdom: Known for its universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, UK has excellent options with the best budget to study. Also well known for its English-speaking culture, students from all over the world come to take benefit of this thereby making it diversified student strength with the world-class atmosphere. A numerous number of colleges feature in QS World University rankings. This is the best country to study abroad for Indian students as it offers part-time work opportunities along with your studies.
2) Ireland: Just like India is known for its young population, Ireland comes under the same bracket and this makes studying there a wholesome experience with 40 percent of the population below the age of 25. As result giants like Google, HP, Apple, IBM, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pfizer, GSK, and Genzyme have made Ireland their primary office for European operations. The living expenditure is affordable and ranges from € 900-1800/month.
3) Norway: Except for a few programs, at public Universities, Norway country offers free education. Their programs are taught in English at all study levels. The only caveat is the high cost of living but it is reasonable due to the free education. The cost is about NOK 139, 680 (US$17,200) per year to live comfortably.
4) Taiwan: With as little as TW$88,000 (~US$2,900) each year for lodging prices, Taiwan promises to offer world-class education with learning Mandarin being the favourite among the students. The programs are taught in English which includes over 40 Universities. This country promises quality of life with cheaper expenditure.
5) Germany: Known for a number of things like quality of life, education, Germany promises to be a favourite destination among students. Famous for a wide number of reputable Universities, the main attraction being in all public colleges, Germany has no Tuition Fees. This includes undergraduate and Ph.D. students. Post Graduate students who have done Undergraduate degrees in a non-German country should expect to pay upwards of €20,000 (US$23,450) a year. Some of them may be eligible for scholarships.
6) France: This country offers the same fee structure for both domestic and international students. It is set at €170 (~US$200) per year for bachelor’s (license) programs, €243 (~US$285) for most master’s programs, and €380 (~US$445) for doctoral programs. If it is worth the extra cost then one may consider living in Paris to experience the city.
7) Mexico: In the ranking for the best cities to live in for students, Mexico City was ranked among the top 100. Here the private Universities charge US$6,300 per year for international undergraduate students. To attract them, Mexico offers programmes taught in English.
8) Argentina: If you are keen on geographical exploration and outdoor adventure, then Argentina is the right and cheapest country to study for Indian students. With its natural beauty and globally known to be the safest of the countries, Argentina offers free education on most state-funded Universities and approximately US$5,100 a year in private institutions.
Although the list may sound overwhelming to some of you, we will make sure that you choose the best among them here at Skylark Overseas Education and make your study abroad programme a success.