Where Can You Study Abroad in English?

If you want to study in English, you will naturally first think of the usual English-speaking study destinations – the UK, the US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Many of these popular English-speaking study destinations err towards the expensive side though, particularly for international students. If you’re concerned about costs, or simply like the idea of studying somewhere different, read on for a selection of alternative destinations where you can study abroad in English and maybe save some money at the same time…

Europe is fast becoming a top region for finding study programs in English, even in countries where English is not the local language. If you’re an EU citizen, you can obtain a free university education – with all your lectures taught in English – in around half of all European countries, including Denmark, Austria, Norway and Greece. Fees tend to be higher for non-EU students, but are still comparatively lower than you’ll find in other popular study destinations. English-taught courses were few and far between as recently as 2009, particularly at bachelor’s level, but there has since been a fifty-fold increase in the number of English-taught bachelor’s degrees available. 

You can now easily search from over 900 English-taught courses through our helpful matching tool, which finds your perfect course in just a few steps.

Germany 

Around 56 percent of Germany’s population speaks English (particularly amongst the younger generation), and there are many programs available to study in English, particularly at postgraduate level. If you want to study at undergraduate level, English-taught courses are harder to find.

There are no tuition fees for undergraduate degrees at public universities in Germany, with the exception of universities in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where non-EU students now need to pay fees of €3,000 (~US$3,360) per year. Master’s degrees are also free if you have gained your undergraduate degree in Germany, while PhD courses are also often either free or very low-cost. Private universities in Germany will charge tuition fees, but these are often still less than the international average.

Find out more about studying in Germany in English and the costs of studying in Germany.

The Netherlands 

If you want to study in English in the Netherlands, you won’t struggle to communicate with the locals – 90 percent of Dutch residents are English speakers. There’s also no shortage of English-taught courses – more than 2,000 are available, the majority of which are master’s degrees. The government agency Study in Holland has a Study Finder, which will help you find your perfect English-taught course at any level of study.

Although tuition is not free in the Netherlands, fees are much less than the average for English-speaking countries, particularly if you’re from the EEA/Switzerland/Surinam, as you will pay €2,087 per year for most courses in 2019/20. If you’re not from these locations you will pay at least €6,000 (~US$6,700) per year, depending on your subject and study level.

Austria 

Teaching in Austria is mostly conducted in the country’s official language, German, but there are around 260 programs available in English at various study levels – the Studienwahl website has a search tool to help you find a course taught partially or fully in English. This is another country with a high percentage (73 percent) of English speakers. Higher education is free for Austrian nationals and students from the EU. Students from non-EU countries can expect to pay €726.72 (~US$815) per semester.

Greece 

Around half of Greece’s citizens can speak English. While teaching at universities is mainly in Greek, specialized study programs are also available in English at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Again, tuition fees are free for domestic and EU students at undergraduate level in public universities, while students from non-EU countries will pay around €1,500 (~US$1,700) per year, often including course textbooks.

Scotland 

If you’re an EU national keen to study in the UK but not so keen on the high tuition fees, you may like to consider Scotland, as there are no tuition fees for students from Scotland or elsewhere in the EU (excluding students from the rest of the UK). Although Brexit may affect this, it has been confirmed that EU students starting a degree in Scotland from 2019/20 will be able to study for free for the duration of their course. Scotland is primarily English-speaking, but also has two recognized regional languages, Scottish Gaelic and the Scots language.

Explore the top universities in Scotland.

Russia

Russia is another country offering a wider range of English-taught programs, as well as 15,000 government scholarships, both of which aim to attract more international students. However, the number of English speakers is much lower here at around five percent of the population (though it will vary by region, with cities like Moscow and St Petersburg having a higher proportion of English speakers), so it’s a good idea to learn some basic Russian to help you get by.

Read more about studying in Russia in English.

Denmark 

Although most teaching in universities in Denmark is conducted in Danish, there are more than 700 internationally recognized programs taught in English, and 86 percent of the country’s residents can speak English. You can find study programs in English via the study in Denmark website. Universities in Denmark are free to attend, at all levels, for all EU/EEA/Swiss students. If you are from outside the EU/EEA, you will be required to pay fees, which on average cost €6,000-16,000 per year (US$6,750-18,000).

Sweden

Another country with a large number of English speakers, over 860 programs are taught in English at Swedish universities. University is free for Swedish citizens and citizens of EU countries. However, non-EU students pay fees. These are set by each university; you can expect to pay somewhere between SEK80,000 and SEK190,000 (around US$8,600-20,500) per year depending on your subject and degree level.

Finland 

Finland is another destination worth considering to study abroad in English. Finnish institutions provide over 400 courses in English, and there are no tuition fees for EU students. Non-EU students pay tuition fees of approximately €5,000-20,000 (~US$5,900-23,550) per year.

Again, there are many English language speakers among the nationals of this country (70%). English language courses are more common at universities of applied sciences and polytechnics, and only a small number of English-taught courses at bachelor’s degree level are available at general universities. A database of English courses can be found on the Studyinfo.fi website.

Norway

The only Nordic country continuing to offer free tuition to all students (regardless of nationality), Norway offers a good range of English-taught programs, mainly at master’s level, and the vast majority of residents know English. At the University of Oslo (the country’s highest ranked university in the QS World University Rankings® 2019 at 135^th) there are a wide range of English-taught programs at all study levels. You will still need to pay a student welfare organization fee each semester, which is typically no more than NOK600 (~US$70).