Most Affordable Countries to Study Abroad

There are basically two prime factors that define the most affordable country for any parent or student. The first being the amount of money they would have to spend on tuition fees and the second, the living costs in the country. These two aspects are closely governed by several features that directly influence living costs and tuition fees of the student.

Tuition Fee

The tuition fee varies according to the different universities, courses, and cities within a country. While enrolling in certain colleges would require you to apply for an Education Loan, others would merely burn a hole in your pocket. Undergraduate courses which are for a longer duration is going to cost students more than the usual one-two years of postgraduate study, however, the tuition fee is not to be taken as a yardstick for the quality of education being provided in the intuition. Moreover, tuition fees for government-funded institutions are much lesser than private universities. There are a number of scholarships and grants available for students to apply, which would significantly reduce their studying expenses. Below is a comprehensive table that shows the average first-year cost of studying in that particular country, for the benefit of the students planning to study abroad.

Courses	MBA	MS	BE/BTech
Countries
USA	21.41	16.99	19.88
Canada	13.58L	10.20	11.50
Australia	17.30L	18.12	14.35
UK	16.63	14.51	14.38
Germany	9.03L	01.58	02.36
Singapore	20.08	17.04	12.05
New Zealand	11.42	13.06	10.78
Netherlands	13.82	12.03	07.43
Ireland	12.32	11.86	10.98
France	13.97	11.26	03.25
Sweden	NA	10.67	09.17

 *figures provided are in lakhs

Living Costs

On average, a student spends approximately $10,000–$12,000 per year on living expenses. But this amount entirely depends on the location where a student inhabits. If a student decides to reside in a metropolitan city, he would be spending more than a student who opts for a hostel or suburban accommodation. The living expenses generally include accommodation costs, room, and boarding, food, travel, textbooks, weather-appropriate clothing, and entertainment expenses as well. Other expenses that are taken into consideration under living expenses include, travel expenses between India and the country of choice during vacation time; large purchases, such as PC, furniture, or even a rental car; medical expenses not covered by health insurance, e.g. dental care, eye care, cosmetic treatments; social outings; weekend trips and personal and variable expenses. Keeping these factors in mind, we have gathered an all-inclusive average living expenses index for students wanting to travel abroad.

Country	Living Expenses (in lakhs)
USA	8.0
Canada	5.5
Australia	10.30
United Kingdom	10.2 (within London) 8.2 (outside London)
Germany	7.0
Singapore	8.0
New Zealand	7.5
Netherlands	8.0
Ireland	8.2
France	7.0
Sweden	8.0

Read on to find out the top destinations and colleges and course preferences for every country which are a major favorite among Indian students traveling abroad for higher education.

United States of America (USA)

The top universities in the US are Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Stanford University. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Boston, New York, Cambridge, Old Saybrook, and New Haven. Business Management, Computer Science, Finance and Accounting, Economics, Communications/Media are the popular courses Indian students pursue in the US.

Canada

Universities like McGill University, The University of British Columbia, University of Alberta and Simon Fraser University are popular choices, for candidates wanting to pursue a full-time academic degree in Canada. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Toronto, British Columbia, Montreal. The most popular higher study courses in Canada would be postgraduate diplomas in areas like Business Management, Media, Engineering, Computer Science, and Hospitality.

United Kingdom (UK)

The top universities in the UK are University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, Imperial College London, and the University of Durham. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in London, followed by Cambridge, Oxford, and Manchester. Popular courses in the United Kingdom for Indian Students include Sociology and Social Studies, Law, Business Management, Computer Science and Communications/Media.

Australia

The top universities in Australia are The Australian National University, The University of New South Wales, The University of Melbourne, The University of Western Sydney, and Monash University. The area of New South Wales on the east coast of Australia is the center of all its renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. Accounting, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Health Care, Information Technology, and Hotel Management are the popular courses that Indian students pursue in Australia.

New Zealand (NZ)

The top universities in New Zealand are the University of Auckland, University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Victoria University of Wellington, and Massey University. Auckland is the center of all the renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Napier-Hastings. Engineering, Business Studies, IT/Computing, Tourism & Hotel Management and Visual Communications are the popular courses for Indian students to pursue in New Zealand.

Singapore

The top universities in Singapore are Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Management University (SMU). International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, Information Technology, Management, Finance/Accounting and Engineering are a few popular courses for Indian students to pursue in Singapore.

Germany

The top universities in Germany are Heidelberg University, Technical University of Munich, Free University of Berlin, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and the Humboldt University of Berlin. Berlin is the center of all the renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Munich, Baden-Wurttemberg, Frankfurt, and Heidelberg. Engineering, Business Studies, IT/Computing, Tourism & Hotel Management, and Visual Communications are the popular courses for Indian students to pursue in Germany.

France

The top universities in France are the Ecole Normale Superieure, Ecole Polytechnique, and Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University. Paris is the center of all the renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Nice, Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, and Orleans. Space and Aviation teaching, Engineering, Business Studies, Art, History, Tourism and Hotel Management are the popular courses for Indian students to pursue in France.

Netherlands

The top universities in the Netherlands are the University of Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, Utrecht University, and Leiden University. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Wageningen‎, Groningen, Leiden, Maastricht, and Nijmegen. Space and Aviation teaching, Engineering, Business Studies, Art, History, Tourism and Hotel Management are the popular courses Indian students pursue in the Netherlands.

Ireland

The top universities in Ireland are Trinity College, National College of Ireland, University College Dublin, Griffith College, National University of Ireland Galway, Waterford Institute of Technology, IBAT College Dublin, Maynooth University, Cork Institute of Technology, and Dublin City University. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Dublin, Limerick, and Galway. Language and Literature, Business Studies, Medical courses, Nursing, and Social sciences are the popular courses Indian students pursue in Ireland.

Sweden

The top universities in Sweden are Lund University, Stockholm University, Uppsala University, University of Gothenburg, Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Stockholm‎ and Gothenburg.