Studying abroad is a European tradition. The next question for many is, where should they go? Know that you shouldn’t use tourism posters, a desire to sight-see on weekends or your favourite cuisine as a deciding factor. Let’s look at the practical reasons as to why you’d want to study in a particular country. Here are the five best EU countries for studying abroad.
Spain
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Learn Spanish in the mother country, and you’ll be able to converse with people from Mexico, Central America, South America and a large portion of the Caribbean. Just know that you’ll have to learn Spanish because nearly all programmes are taught in that language.
This country is a must-see for history and politics majors. And you certainly benefit from spending time in cosmopolitan cities like Madrid and Barcelona.
Tuition in Spain is cheaper than in Britain. You could save even more money by sticking to the smaller cities instead of staying in Madrid.
Italy
Italy is a popular study-abroad destination. Rome is an excellent choice for art and history majors. Italy has extra weight for those studying international business or fashion. You can find decent programmes in art, design, engineering, and architecture. Note that few schools have programmes entirely in English. A point in favour of Italy is that tuition costs are generally cheaper than the UK.
Portugal
Portugal has a number of benefits in its favour. Portugal has a number of universities recognised worldwide. The University of Coimbra is the oldest, and it is renowned for its sociology, law and philosophy programmes. The credentials awarded here are recognised across the EU.
The incredibly low cost of living is another one. For example, you can find luxury student accommodation Coimbra facilities that cost less than you’d pay in the UK even though they’re a clear notch above. You can find out more about this at Collegiate through the following link: https://www.collegiate-ac.pt/en/student-accommodation/coimbra/.
Portuguese is an often-overlooked language, but it shouldn’t be. It is the sixth most commonly spoken language in the world, and learning it positions you to work in fast-growing economies like Brazil and a few countries in Africa.
Germany
Germany is one of the core countries of the EU, so learning German is definitely a plus if you want to work in international business or engineering. A major attraction of studying here is that English is taught as a second language to most students, so you could get by even if your German is weak.
Another benefit of studying Germany is the low overall cost. It has low tuition fees, and sometimes there are no tuition fees at all. If you’re working towards an undergraduate degree at a public university, there is no tuition, just an administrative fee billed each semester.
Switzerland
Whether you want to study business, finance, diplomacy, or international relations, Switzerland is the place to be. It’s also an excellent place for those studying multiple languages to stay. The country has four official languages: Italian, German, French and Romansh. If you already know one or more of those languages, you can become fluent through practice by staying here and conversing with the locals.
Studying abroad is always an enriching experience. Cost, educational programme quality and the value of the language in relation to one’s chosen career should be the main factors in deciding where you want to study.
