Affordable Universities in Europe

Affordable universities in Europe

Western and Northern Europe

There are many universities in Northern and Western Europe with affordable prices for education. In Germany, France, and Austria, prices in public universities are fixed by law, and in Norway and Finland, education in the national language is completely free. On the other hand, the high cost of living there "balances out" the low cost of education. The major expense in most countries is housing. Universities rarely have dormitories, so students have to rent apartments or rooms on their own.

• Germany. Education in German state universities is free for everyone, including foreigners. Students only pay administrative fees from 181 USD to 791 USD per year. These cover, for example, travel on public transport. Accommodation will cost at least 11,300 USD per year — having that much in your bank account is a requirement for a student visa. Scholarships such as DAAD can help cut costs. Another important condition: you will not be able to enroll in a Bachelor's program immediately after school if it lasts 11 years or less in your home country. First, you have to spend a year at the preparatory courses at Studienkolleg or in a university at home.
• Austria. In Austria, as in Germany, in public universities students pay fixed fees — 791-1,695 USD per year. It is still incomparably cheaper than studying in the USA or the UK. The requirements for a student visa depend on age: if you are under 24, you will need at least 6,780 USD for a year, if more — 12,091 USD. The minimum level of German for admission to a university is C1, but you can also enter preparatory courses with A2+.
• France. In all public universities in France, the tuition fee for foreigners is universal: 3,130 USD per year for Bachelor's and 4,260 USD for Master's degree programs. But some universities, for example, the University of Paris, gave foreign students partial benefits in 2020/21: now they pay the same as locals — 295 USD for Bachelor's and 377 USD for Master's programs^[1]. However, English-taught programs, as a rule, are more expensive — 4,520 USD/year or more. To obtain a student visa, the applicant must have at least 695 USD on their account for each month of stay.
• Belgium. Prices in Belgian universities start from 1,130 USD per year. There are a few English-language undergraduate programs, and prices for them can go up to 4,520 USD. Most of the teaching is in French, Dutch or German. The minimum level of language proficiency is B2. It will take about 15,820 USD per year in living expenses, and for a student visa, it is necessary that the sponsor of the student earns at least 2,222 USD per month.
• Italy. Education in Italy is considered relatively inexpensive, the average cost is 2,260-3,390 USD per year. There are also completely free universities that even cover the cost of living and meals. For example, the Teacher Training School of Pisa. But the competition is very high there. Also, some universities give discounts to children from large and needy families. Accommodation will cost at least 6,500 USD per year. It is impossible to enter immediately after grade 11, first you need to take preparatory courses or study for a year at a university in your homeland.
• Finland. In Finland, foreign students can get a completely free education in both undergraduate and graduate programs. There is only one condition: the program must be in Finnish or Swedish. English-language programs are expensive — 10,000-12,000 USD/year. To obtain a student visa, you will need 7,594 USD per year, but the actual costs will be at least 11,300 USD/year. More money will be spent on housing in Finland, since many universities do not have residences.
• Switzerland. Studying in Switzerland is surprisingly cheap: on average it costs 1,017 USD per year. But in order to enroll, you will have to spend two years at a university at home or complete a one-year preparatory program at a local university. Teaching is done in French or German, the minimum language level is C1. The cost of living in the country is very high. For a student visa, you need a minimum of 25,882 USD per year.
• Norway. Education in Norway is free for all students, regardless of the language. You only need to pay small contributions of 28-56 USD. Though there are very few English-language programs — 15 in the whole country. And life in Norway is also not cheap: for a student visa you need at least 13,673 USD per year.
• Spain. You cannot study for free in Spain, but the tuition fees there are relatively low: they start from 904 USD per year, for example, at the University of Granada. The average cost in other public universities is 2,260-3,390 USD/year. At the same time, some universities offer discounts for students from large families. Living in Spain is also not very expensive: for a student visa you need to have 7,910 USD per year in your account. Because of this, Spain is one of the most affordable options among Western European countries.

Eastern and Southern Europe

The universities in Eastern and Southern Europe are considered less prestigious than in Western and Northern. But education there is also good. St. Petersburg State University, for example, is considered one of the 50 best universities globally to study for a Master in Management^[2]. In addition, these universities have many English-language Bachelor's programs — many more than in Western Europe. And education in the national language in many countries is completely free. Living expenses are about as low as it gets: universities have dormitories that cost 113-169 USD per month, so you won't have to spend a lot of money on accommodation.

• Russian Federation. Russian universities offer a good balance between price and quality — the cost of a single year ranges from 600 to 6,780 USD, averaging around 2500. The majority of programs are taught in Russian, but there is a growing number of options in English, especially at the graduate level. Russian universities offer about 15000 state-funded seats for international students. To apply for a program in English, you will need a certificate of previous education, a motivation letter, and IELTS/TOEFL results (unless you are a native English speaker). An interview is also relatively common. You can learn more on the official website for international students in Russia.
• Czech Republic. Studying in Czech is completely free. For admission, you must pass a language exam at the B2 level. You can prepare for it both at home and at a university in the Czech Republic. There are also English-language programs, but their prices start at 3,000 USD per year. To obtain a student visa, you need to have 3,955 USD in your account per year of study.
• Poland. Just like the Czech Republic, in Poland education in the national language is free. Universities accept students with a C1 level and above. But in general, knowing Polish is not necessary to study, there are many English-language programs in the country. For non-EU citizens, education costs 2,000-3,000 USD per year. For EU citizens, prices will be lower. A year of living in Poland will cost at least 4,520 USD.
• Bulgaria. Education is conducted mainly in Bulgarian, but there are also English-language programs — about 20% of total. There are also programs in Russian, German and French. The average cost of education is 2,000-3,000 USD per year, at least 4,520 USD will be spent on living. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, so Bulgarian education can be a good start for immigration to the EU.
• Hungary. In Hungary, compared to other European countries, there are many English-language programs. There are almost two hundred of them at the undergraduate level^[3] alone. There are programs in other languages, too. The average tuition fee is 3,390-5,650 USD per year and about 7,910 USD will come in living expenses. But the costs can be reduced with the help of scholarships and grants offered by the government and universities.
• Greece. Education in Greek public universities is free but available only in the national language. It can be learned in the year-long preparatory courses at universities, tuition there costs only 904 USD. There are also Master's programs in English, but most of them are paid. The minimum monthly budget is 339-452 USD, which is quite cheap for Europe. And because of their low cost, local medical programs are especially popular. Prices start at 1,695 USD per year.
• Baltics. Education in the Baltic countries is becoming more and more popular among foreign students. In Estonia, for example, the number of international students has doubled since 2014. Students are attracted by relative economic well-being, a large number of English-language programs and low tuition fees: in Latvia and Lithuania, prices start from 1,695 USD per year, in Estonia — from 3,390 USD. Moreover, education in the national language in Estonia is free.