These European Countries Offer Almost Free Education

If you’re looking for more affordable education options outside of India, consider Europe. Surprised? Don’t be. For government or state-funded universities in several European countries offer both low-cost quality education as well as placement opportunities for the talented students. However, it is important to note that low-cost education is generally not provided by the private institutes.

Natasha Chopra, Managing Director, The Chopras, explains, “Students’ destination has changed in the last decade to multiple options apart from the traditional seven English speaking countries. Several nations foreseeing the shortage of talent in the near future in their countries, have formulated policies that encourage students from other countries to study and work in their states. The aim is to not only attract the talent but also retain them. What’s more, these countries are also doing away with the language barrier, by teaching higher degree programmes in English.”

Countries in Europe where quality education is inexpensive:

Below is the list of some of the countries/universities in Europe where quality education is inexpensive and job opportunities immense for those with language skills. The only condition is that students should have excellent marks in studies:

1) Germany 

Considered good in Science/automobile sector, Germany is well-known for quality education and almost all its educational institutions are of repute. It thus is mainly looking for students for science and engineering programmes.​

Universities to consider:

• Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• University of Applied Sciences
• RWTH Aachen University
• Free University of Berlin
• Frankfurt University
• Humboldt-University
• International University
• Bremen

2) Netherlands

It offers good opportunities for pursuing PhD for students who have completed their Master’s degree from here. It is now offering courses in English which was not the case earlier.

Universities to consider:

• University of Twente
• University of Groningen
• University of Amsterdam
• Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
• Leiden University

3) Hungary

It is a popular destination for Medicine.

Universities to consider:

• Budapest University of Technology and Economics
• University of Debrecen -well-known for medicine

4) Italy

One of the most sought-after destinations for design programmes.

Institutes to consider:

• Florence Institute of design International
• Politecnico di Milano

5) Finland
 
If you love technology, then this is the place to opt for.

Universities to consider:

• University of Jyväskylä
• ÅboAkademi University
• University of Eastern Finland
• University of Helsinki

6) France

Well-known for fashion, design and hospitality. France is an expensive place to live in, but can be affordable if you pursue your higher education in semi-urban cities.

Institutes to consider:

• EcoleNormaleSupérieure (ENS Paris) – well-known for humanities and sciences
• ÉcolePolytechnique (ParisTech) – popular for science and engineering

Admissions to them are usually accompanied by full tuition scholarship plus cost-of-living stipend.

7) Norway

Whether you enroll for undergraduate programmes or Ph.D, there is no tuition fee that is charged by public universities. However, majority of undergraduate courses are taught in Norwegian.

Universities to consider:

• Aalesund University College, Oslo
• Aarhus University College of Applied Sciences
• Bergen University College
• BI Norwegian Business School

8) Estonia 

Considered to be one of the safest countries in the world, this northern European country is famous for digital technologies.

Institutes to consider:

• University of Tartu

Common Requirements 

• 13 years of education. Hence, it is better to do one year of college from India.
• A certain level of English is required
• Good grades
• Students should be able to fund themselves, mainly living expenses

Tips for students:

• While opting for a foreign university, also keep in mind the living costs. Countries like Austria do offer low-cost education, but living costs are quiet high.
• Although learning the native language is not a pre-requisite, it is important to learn it if you are looking for a job there. “A mistake the Indian student often makes is not to learn the local language.  Learning a local language is an essential skill and has advantages for students – as it helps them to assimilate with the local population and the day-to-day communication,” cautions Chopra.

The Peeper Times would like to thank Natasha Chopra, MD, The Chopras for her contribution to this article. The Chopras Group is one of the leading education consultants in India.

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