Top 5 Affordable Countries to Study Abroad

Affordable countries to study abroad, a term often searched on the internet by aspiring Indian students who wish to study abroad on a budget. The main factors that are considered while looking for affordable countries to study abroad are the cost of education, living expenses incurred while pursuing the desired educational degree and standard of education. Besides the US and UK where tuition fees are quite high, there are other viable options that can be explored for affordable education by international students.

In this article, we have listed the top affordable countries to study abroad for students benefit. Along with the list, you will also find details about average tuition fees and living costs in these countries to help you decide your study abroad destination.

Top 5 Affordable Countries to Study Abroad

The increase in the cost of education, even in our own country, has propelled students to look for those offshore locations where they can not only find affordable education but quality education and high standard of living as well. We have listed below top 5 affordable countries to study abroad along with their top-ranking universities and popular courses.

List of Affordable Countries to Study Abroad

S.No.	Country Name	Popular Universities	Popular Courses
1.	Italy	Politecnico di Milano Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Pisa di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna Sapienza University of Rome	Area & Cultural Studies Architecture Economics Fashion Design International Relations Business Administration
2.	Germany	Technical University of Munich Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen Ruprecht-Karls-Universitt Heidelberg KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin	Engineering Maths & Computer Sciences Business Management Humanities Fine & Applied Arts
3.	Spain	Universidad Autnoma de Madrid Universitat de Barcelona Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona Complutense University of Madrid University of Navarra	Law Arts and Humanities Marketing & Finance Hospitality Management Spanish language
4.	Norway	University of Oslo University of Bergen Norwegian University of Science and Technology University of Troms The Arctic University of Norway Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)	Management Natural Sciences Industrial Engineering Mathematics Medicine Energy
5.	France	Universit PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres) cole Polytechnique Sorbonne University CentraleSuplec cole Normale Suprieure de Lyon	MBA Engineering Pure Science Art &Design Philosophy Medicine

Now that you have gone through the list of most affordable counties to study abroad, lets read about the average cost of studies and living in each of the country listed above.

Affordable Countries to Study Abroad Italy

Boasting of rich cultural and historical legacy, astounding architecture, varied landscape and mouth-watering cuisines, Italy attracts students from all around the world to study there. Also, the country is home to the worlds oldest running educational institution, the University of Bologna. Offering courses like Architecture, Arts, Music, Economic and Fashion Design, most of the universities of Italy are public-funded where tuition fee is relatively lower than other countries. Also, the living cost in Italy varies from place to place. Living in major cities like Milan, Rome and Venice can be an expensive affair as compared to living in cities like Florence, Bologna, Naples and Catania. Find below the table displaying the average cost of education and living in Italy.

Average Cost of Education and Living Expenditure in Italy

S.No.	Particulars	Expenses
1.	Average cost of study at a public university	EUR 900 to EUR 4000 per annum
2.	Average cost of study at private institutions	More than EUR 6000 per annum
3.	Average cost of living in Italy	A minimum of EUR 700 to EUR 1000 per month

* The expenses mentioned above are approximate and can change depending on the living standard of the student in Italy.

The candidates can also avail various scholarships, tuition fee waivers and grants offered by the Italian government and other sources. Find below the table with the list of scholarships for studying in Italy.

List of Scholarships to Study in Italy

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Amount
1.	SDA Bocconi MBA Scholarship	Up to 100% tuition fee waiver
2.	Invest Your Talent in Italy Program (IYT)	Up to EUR 90000
3.	NABA Communication Design Scholarship, Italy	Tuition fee waiver up to 60%
4.	MIB Trieste School of Management MBA Scholarships, Italy	50% of MBA tuition fee

Affordable Countries to Study Abroad Germany

Having a rich culture replete with architectural marvels and natural beauty, Germany is known for its high-quality education system. According to the Ministry of External Affairs of India, more than 15,000 Indian students travelled to Germany to pursue courses like Management, Engineering, Medicine and Fine Arts. The more exciting thing about the German education system is that the public universities of Germany do not charge tuition fees from students for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees irrespective of their nationalities. However, if the candidates pursue a masters degree in a subject other than that of their bachelors degree subject, they would need to pay the tuition fees. The students studying in public universities need to pay an administration fee which costs about EUR 100 to 200 per annum. Find below the table displaying the average cost of education and living in Germany.

Thinking of pursuing English taught UG or PG courses in Germany – Read “Study in Germany in English” article here.

Average Cost of Education and Living Expenditure in Germany

S.No.	Particulars	Expenses
1.	Average cost of study at a public university	EUR 100 to EUR 200 per annum (administrative fees)
2.	Average cost of study at private institutions	More than EUR 3000 per annum
3.	Average cost of living in Germany	A minimum of EUR 650 to EUR 1000 per month

* The expenses mentioned above are approximate and can change depending on the living standard of the student in Germany.

To cover the educational cost, international students can also avail the benefits of various scholarships and grants. Find below the table with the list of scholarships for studying in Germany.

List of Scholarships to Study in Germany

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Amount
1.	The Einstein Fellowship, Germany	Stipend of EUR 10,000 and other benefits
2.	SID Institute Merit Scholarships, Germany	Up to EUR 2000
3.	DAAD Scholarship	Financial assistance in the form of tuition fees, living costs, travelling conveyance and several other benefits
4.	Media Ambassadors India Germany Fellowship Program	EUR 1600 monthly stipend and other benefits

Affordable Countries to Study Abroad Spain

One of the most tourist-friendly countries in the world, Spain also attracts thousands of international students from around the world every year due to its high-quality education available at a reasonable cost. Here, students can pursue courses like Law, Arts & Humanities, Management and Hospitality at undergraduate or postgraduate level. The country also offers a variety of doctoral and postdoctoral degrees in different subjects. The tuition fees in Spanish universities are among the lowest in Europe. This is probably one of the reasons why Spain is considered among affordable countries to study abroad. Even the cost of living is reasonable, it mostly depends on the lifestyle of individual students. Find below the table displaying the average cost of education and living in Spain.

Average Cost of Education and Living Expenditure in Spain

S.No.	Particulars	Expenses
1.	Average cost of study at a public university	EUR 750 to EUR 2100 per annum (undergraduate degrees) EUR 1000 to EUR 3500 (masters degrees and doctoral degrees)
2.	Average cost of study at private institutions	More than EUR 4000 per annum
3.	Average cost of living in Spain	A minimum of EUR 600 to EUR 1000 per month

* The expenses mentioned above are approximate and can change depending on the living standard of the student in Spain.

There are also various scholarship options for international students which they can avail to lower their tuition fees. Highlighted below is the table with the list of scholarships to study in Spain.

List of Scholarships to Study in Spain

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Amount
1.	Erasmus Mundus Scholarships	Stipend of Euro 1000 per month, tuition fees for 2 years, travel expenses
2.	IED Undergraduate Scholarship Competition	Tuition fee waiver
3.	IED Masters Courses Scholarship Competition	50% of tuition fee
4.	MIT – Zaragoza Dual Degree Scholarships	Up to 50% of tuition fee waiver

Affordable Countries to Study Abroad Norway

Considered one of the most affordable countries to study abroad, Norway offers quality education and a high standard of living at a very reasonable cost. Courses such as Management, Natural Sciences, Industrial Engineering and Mathematics are the most sought-after in this snow-clad country. Education is affordable here, even for international students, because public education is free in Norway. A reasonable fee is to be paid by students as semester fee which gives students access to student welfare organisation, health services, counselling facilities and official student card. However, private universities, as well as public ones, charge tuition fees in case of specialised programmes. Find below the table displaying the average cost of education and living in Norway.

Average Cost of Education and Living Expenditure in Norway

S.No.	Particulars	Expenses
1.	Average cost of study at a public university	EUR 32 to EUR 64 per semester (in case of public universities)
2.	Average cost of study at private institutions	Between EUR 8000 to 9500 per annum
3.	Average cost of living in Norway	A minimum of EUR 1000 to EUR 2000 per month

* The expenses mentioned above are approximate and can change depending on the living standard of the student in Norway.

There are also several grants, scholarships schemes and financial aids for students who wish to study in Norway. Availing these schemes help in managing the living cost in the country. Given below is the table with a list of scholarships to study in Norway.

List of Scholarships to Study in Norway

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Amount
1.	Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Individual Fellowships	Multiple awards
2.	Nord University Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Ecology, Norway	NOK 515,200 per year
3.	University of Oslo, PhD Research Fellowship in Immunology in Norway	NOK 436 900 to 490 900
4.	OsloMet PhD Fellowships in Computer Science in Norway	NOK 432 700 to 466 100

Affordable Countries to Study Abroad France

Known as the gateway to Europe, France is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Not only culturally rich, but the country is also famous for its high standard of education. Offering world-class education, France is replete with prestigious educational institutions that provide high-class education and research facility at various levels of study. Courses such as MBA, Engineering, Pure Science, Art & Design, Philosophy and Medicine are some of the most sought-after programmes that attract thousands of students from all around the world. Also, the tuition fee here is low since the French government pays 2/3^rd of the total educational cost in public institutions. Find below the table displaying the average cost of education and living in France.

Read “Study in France” article to know everything about pursue higher studies in France.

Average Cost of Education and Living Expenditure in France

S.No.	Particulars	Expenses
1.	Average cost of study at a public university	EUR 2770 per annum (Bachelor level) EUR 3770 per annum (Masters level) EUR 380 (for Doctoral level)
2.	Average cost of study at private institutions	EUR 3000 to EUR 10,000 per year
3.	Average cost of living in France	A minimum of EUR 500 per month

* The expenses mentioned above are tentative and can change depending on the living standard of the student in France.

The French government and other organisations offer a number of scholarships to international students who wish to pursue higher education in France. Given below is the table with a list of scholarships to study in France.

List of Scholarships to Study in France

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Amount
1.	Charpak Master’s Program, France	Tuition fee waiver up to EUR 5000 and other benefits
2.	French Academic Cooperation and Excellence (FACE) Scholarship, France	Up to EUR 5000
3.	Terra Summer Residency Fellowship Giverny, France	USD 5000 Stipend and Travel Expenses
4.	Erasmus Mundus Scholarships	Stipend of Euro 1000 per month, tuition fees for 2 years, travel expenses

Are you interested to study in Australia? – Visit the top courses in Australian colleges here.