Why You Should Stop Obsessing Over US, UK And Canada

Many students obsess over countries like the US, UK, Canada and so on. These countries are brutally known for their strict immigration policies, their high visa rejection rates, crazy cost of living, high travel expenses, neck wrecking requirements, and sometimes social hostility. There are five countries where you can actually study that is much more easier, less competitive, better and much more cheaper.

Japan

The first country on my list is Japan. Japan is grossly underrated and the first university we’ll be exploring is the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

This school requires no tuition fee. On top of that, you get an annual stipend that’s tax-free. It’s only available for postgraduate studies, and everything is taught in English. They also cover your accommodation, and there’s solid support in place for international students.

University of Tokyo

The next university from Japan we’ll be exploring is the University of Tokyo. It’s one of the most highly rated universities in the world. It’s not entirely free, but international students get a subsidized rate. In this case, you’d pay around $4,500 as your annual school fee. It’s similar to Okinawa in that it’s also postgraduate studies only, and they have a solid support system for international students. But not all the programs are taught in English, so you’ll want to check whether your specific course is taught in English before applying. There are also scholarships available, like the MEXT scholarship. These two universities are definitely worth considering if you’re looking at Japan. Less stress, less expense, easy and smooth.

Switzerland

The next country on my list is Switzerland. Not many people know this, but almost all the public universities in Switzerland are free for international students, which means no tuition fee is required, although you’re required to pay a registration fee and faculty fee here and there. In this case, that amounts to about $600 to $2,000 at most, spanning your entire years of study. They accommodate all study levels too. Whether you’re going for a bachelor’s, master’s, or even a PhD, you’re welcome. They teach in English and French, and depending on whether you’re from an Anglophone or Francophone country, you’ll need to take an English or French proficiency test as part of your application.

ETH Zurich

The next university we’ll be exploring from Switzerland is ETH Zurich. It’s not expensive: it reportedly costs about $2,700 per semester, not per year, and you can pay it in two or three installments instead of all at once. It’s available for all study levels, from bachelor’s to PhD. There are scholarships available too, like the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, which can cover your studies here for free. Switzerland is popularly known for its comfort, accommodating people, and friendly environment, making it another great place to study. It’s less competitive, safer, and welcoming.

Iceland

The next country on my list is Iceland. Just like Switzerland, some public universities in Iceland are also free for international students, which means no tuition fee is required. It only covers tuition though. There’s no stipend, accommodation, or feeding allowance included. It’s available for all study levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate. In this case, about 400 programs are taught in English, though not all of them are. They also have a strong support system for international students. Public universities in Iceland are opportunities you don’t want to miss.

University of Akureyri

The next university on our list in Iceland is the University of Akureyri. This university is also completely free. You’d need proficiency in English to study in this country, along with a strong academic background to get into this particular university. It’s pretty similar to the University of Iceland in that it also offers only postgraduate studies, with courses like nursing, law, natural sciences, and social sciences. These are other universities and countries you can explore instead of going to countries that are very competitive and difficult to travel to.

South Korea

The fourth country we will be exploring today is South Korea. It’s another underrated country when it comes to studying.

SET (SE University of Science and Technology)

In South Korea we have the SET (SE University of Science and Technology). It focuses particularly on STEM courses: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It’s available for all levels, and in this case a tuition fee of about $3,000 to $5,000 per semester is required, depending on the course of study. If the price feels like a lot, there’s a scholarship available too, the ST Alliance scholarship for postgraduate students. English proficiency and a solid academic background are required to be considered as an international student. They also have a strong community for international students from all over the world, so you don’t need to worry about meeting people and fitting into the environment. Courses are taught in English, so you’re good to go.

Germany

We’ve gotten to the final country on my list, Germany. Although many people go to Germany to study but there are some underexplored universities to study in Germany. In case you do not know public universities in Germany are mostly free although you might be required to pay some registration fee here and there like the University of Hamburg.

University of Hamburg

University of Hamburg is free. They offer courses like law, economics, natural sciences and even social science courses as well. It is available for all study level. Not all the courses are taught in English language. But when you are applying look for those courses that fit your potential that are taught in English language. There’s no much required. It is easy. There’s less travel restriction and Germany is also friendly towards international students.

University of Cologne

For the last university that I’ll be exploring in Germany is the University of Cologne. It’s very similar to the University of Hamburg in that it’s accommodating and offers a range of courses, but for international students it’s restricted to postgraduate studies, and all the courses are taught in English. You have no worries. English proficiency is also required for the University of Cologne. Germany is accommodating, less travel expenses, less immigration restriction, and altogether it’s just a beautiful place to study. Convenient, nice people, nice environment.

Final Thoughts

That brings us to the end of the list. Maybe it’s time to leave the US, UK, and Canada alone and give these countries a real look instead.