Most times tuition for tertiary education leave students with huge debt after they’ve graduated. We have therefore compiled a list of the top 15 free education countries for international students to help you study without the worry of incurring so much debt.
We have not only listed countries who have free or almost free education, we also made sure that the education in these countries are at a global standard.
There is no doubt that education is so important, although it has it’s own few disadvantages that is heavily outweighed by it’s advantages, It has to be made available and possible for people with thin pockets to also have access to it from all over the world.
A lot of countries are already making this possible.
It wouldn’t be a surprise that most of the countries on this list are European. European nations believe that everyone has the right to higher education irrespective of citizenship.
With this motive, they have discarded tuition for both students of the EU/EEA and for International students. Let’s get to know what free education is all about below.
What is Free Education?
Free education is simply education funded through charitable organizations or government spending rather than tuition funding.
Want more on the definition of free education? You can check Wikipedia.
Table of Contents
List of Free Education Countries for International Students To Study Abroad
- Germany
- France
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Spain
- Austria
- Denmark
- Belgium
- Greece.
1. Germany
Germany is the first in this list of free education countries for international students.
In Germany both local and international students who enroll for programs in public universities get tuition free education. Why is this?
In 2014, the German government resolved that education should be made accessible to everyone who decides to get educated.
Subsequently, tuition fees were eliminated and undergraduate students at all public German universities were required to only pay administrative fees and other fees such as utilities per semester. Checkout the best Universities to Study in English in Germany.
Education in Germany is ranked as one of the best in Europe and in the globe.
Checkout the free universities in Germany.
2. France
The next on our list is France. Although in France education is not free, the tuition fees are considerably low given the standard of education available to students who study in the country. Preference is given to French citizens and students who are denizens of EU countries. They pay a few hundred Euros as tuition.
As an international student, who isn’t a denizen of the EU, you pay a few thousand Euros which can be deemed as little when compared to tuition in the UK or US
Therefore, tuition fees in France can be said to be insignificant and thus free.
You can also study abroad in France at lower costs as an international student due to the availability of some amazing cheap universities in-situ in France.
3. Norway
It will be an anomaly if Norway is not also listed as one of the best free education countries for international students.
Just like Germany, Norway is a country with totally free tuition education for both local and international students. Also, just like Germany, the student is only required to pay administrative fees and fees for utilities. See this guide to studying in Norway.
Checkout the free universities in Norway.
4. Sweden
Sweden is also one of the top free education countries for international students. For denizens of EU countries, studying a Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Sweden is tuition-free.
However, international students (who are not denizens of EU countries) can enroll for PhD programmes, tuition-free. There are also cheap schools in Sweden where international students can study abroad and get quality academic degree.
Checkout the free universities in Sweden.
5. Finland
Finland is another nation whose higher education is tuition-free. The state keeps the tertiary education funded – even for international students. So students are not required to pay tuition.
However, administrative fees may apply. The state however does not fund other living expenses of the student such as rent for accommodation and funds for books and research.
6. Spain
Students who get admitted into a Spanish university need not bother about tuition. The nation is quite popular for its low cost education services (a few hundred Euros) and low cost of living compared to other surrounding European countries.
Spain being one of the highly rated free education countries for international students is a widely known and coveted location for higher education for international studies due to the reasonable cost for quality education.
7. Austria
For students from EU/EEA member countries, Austria offers free college tuition for two semesters.
After this, the student is expected to pay 363.36 Euros for each semester.
International students who are not from EU/EEA member countries are however required to pay 726.72 euros per semester.
Now, Education in Austria may not be totally tuition free, but a couple hundred Euros as tuition? That’s a good deal!
8. Denmark
In Denmark, tertiary education is free for students who are denizens of the EU/EEA Countries. Students from Switzerland also are eligible for a totally free tuition education.
Also education is free for a student who is participating in an exchange program or a student who has a permanent residency permit. For this reason, Denmark makes the list of the best free education countries for international students to study.
All other international students who do not fall into these categories are required to pay tuition fees.
9. Belgium
Education in Belgium is region based, and many international students chose Belgium universities as a choice for international studies.
Although there are no tuition free universities in Belgium, the tuition fee required is a few hundred to a thousand Euros for a year.
Studie Beurs (Scholarship) are sometimes awarded to students who are unable to fund their education by themselves.
10. Greece
It’s rare to find a country whose government has free education embodied in the constitution. Free education for both citizens and foreigners as well.
Greece therefore makes our list of top rated free education countries for international students as one unique nation.
In the country’s constitution, all Greek citizens and certain specified foreigners who live and work in Greece are entitled to totally free education.
11. Czech Republic
Just like in Greece, constitutionally, international students who study in public and state tertiary institutions at the Czech Republic do so without tuition charges. The only fees which may arise are those for administration and utilities.
In the Czech Republic, higher education is free of charge for Czech citizens citizens of all nationalities.
12. Singapore
In Singapore, tertiary education is free only for local students of Singapore. International students are required to pay tuition fees for their studies.
On the average, the tuition fee required from an international student is a few thousand dollars, this is why Singapore makes it to the list of top ranking free education countries for international students to get their academic degree.
In order to balance out the system, there are multiple scholarships, bursaries and funding opportunities available for international students.
These bursaries include financial initiatives from universities and that of the government.
13. Netherlands
You might have asked, are universities free in the Netherlands?
Well, here is an answer.
Higher education in the Netherlands can not be said to be totally free. It is however partially so.
This is because the government of the Netherlands decided to subsidislze the rate of tuition fees for all students.
The subsidization has made the Netherlands an affordable option for international students who need quality education. You can check this guide to studying in Netherlands.
14. Switzerland
Sometimes you wonder why there are no financial aids for students who study in Switzerland. Surprisingly, this is because public education is free.
This does not mean that the programs are totally without cost. Some costs are incurred for administrative costs and utilities. So in entirety, Universities in Switzerland are not totally free for both local students and international students.
15. Argentina
Argentina is also one of the best free education countries in the world for international students. At public universities in Argentina, there are no tuition fees and once a student has obtained the Argentinian study permit, that student is exempted pay tuition.
The free tuition covers both undergraduate and graduate programs for all international students who have obtained a study permit.
Recommended Reads:
- Tuition Free Universities in the United States
- List of the best Free Online Universities
- 20 Tuition Free Medical Schools
- Free Nursing Schools without Tuition
- How to Get a degree for Free – Updated
- Tuition Free Universities in Canada
- 15 Tuition Free universities in Australia
- Colleges for free online Associates Degree
- Top 10 Free Online Ministry Degrees.
Conclusion
Having explored the top 15 free education countries for international students let us know which we might have missed and what you think in the comment section below.
Checkout the Cheapest Universities in Italy for International Students.
You may also want to explore the cheapest universities in Europe for international students.
