Feature photo by scui3asteveo. Photo above by John Althouse Cohen.
Seven amazing opportunities across the globe for those looking for a higher education.
Sometimes I wonder if my undergraduate degree, which gave me a solid foundation in the History of Science and has led to a lucrative career in international vagabonding, is worth the $10,000 of student loans I am evading by living in Oaxaca, Mexico.
I ponder this, sometimes wallowing in bitterness, as I pore over the websites of American universities in search of graduate programs that won’t leave me forever indebted and doomed to the life of a backpacker on the run.
There are very few such programs—American education is undoubtedly very good, but it is also very expensive.
So, for those of us who love the experience of delving into and becoming part of different places, doesn’t it make sense to look abroad? The world offers some excellent opportunities for graduate school that might actually leave you spare change to, say, eat, and travel.
Thus, what follows: a brief overview of seven countries where you can get a graduate degree at a fraction of the price you’d pay in the U.S.
Photo by Martin Dougiamas.
Spain
At around $2,000 a year, graduate programs in Spain are an incredible deal. The University of Barcelona ranks as one of the three best universities in Ibero-America (the other two being the UNAM of Mexico City and the University of Sao Paolo), and the University of Madrid is not far behind.
Masters degrees are diverse, going way beyond the simple categories of anthropology or sociology—how about an analysis of the history and culture of food? Or the management of cultural heritage? Why not get a degree in women, gender, and citizenship studies? And of course, there are plenty of offerings in the sciences, from an interdisciplinary analysis of water to the study of artificial intelligence and mathematics.
France
I apologize for giving way to cliché, but France, whether you love it or hate it, has an age-old association with intellectual life. Intellectuals have long been the Marilyn Monroes and Tom Cruises of France, and the quality and seriousness of French higher education reflects this cultural preference.
The Ecole Normale Superior de Paris ranks at number 28 in the list of the world’s top universities, and tuition for international graduate students is a whopping 190 Euros a year.
Photo by Riviera Kid.
Sweden
Graduate school is free. The website for Uppsala university announces this nonchalantly, as if the whole world lived in the calm socialist paradise that is Sweden.
Now, keep in mind that you’ll probably be paying about five Euros for a beer and who knows how much for any sort of classy lifestyle, but with free tuition, you can take down two Euro espressos right and left while you hit the books.
Plus, Uppsala offers a whole catalogue of Master’s programs in English, unlike other Swedish universities that require a good working knowledge of Swedish.
Germany
Yet another case in which very solid, well-ranked universities come in at around 100-500 Euros a year for tuition. You’ll have to contend with somewhat exorbitant living costs, particularly in the country’s financial centers, but by living like a good ol’ suffering grad student (think of a steady diet of comforting, hearty pasta) you should come out with a pretty good deal in the end.
German language skills are required for some schools; others, such as the University of Berlin, offer a selection of degrees in English.
Photo by mjmyap.
Singapore
Asian students flock to Singapore by the thousands to take advantage of the (relatively) cheap and high quality education. Singapore National University is ranked at number 30 in the world, and tuition stands at around $4,000 a year for international graduate students.
Potential students with interests in Asian studies can explore a range of Masters degrees, from broader studies of Asian civilization to critical analyzes of Southeast Asia or the Malay Peninsula.
For those deeply embedded in love affairs with Asia and wanting to further them in an academic setting, Singapore offers a melting pot of Asian cultures, a high quality graduate education, and ah, yes, the affordability that allows you to take a much-needed chill weekend from time to time on a Thai beach.
Mexico
With tuition around $1,000 USD a year, the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico offers a tempting alternative to rival schools just North of the border.
And with UNAM ranking as one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities (along with Argentina’s University of Buenos Aires) you are really, let’s say, getting what you do not have to pay for: a top-quality graduate degree.
For those interested in Latin American studies and history, the program recently initiated here is one of the best in the world. And if Mexico City seems to you like an experience in pure chaos, try Puebla, Monterrey, or one of the CIESAS research institutes located throughout the country, all of which offer quality graduate degrees at prices comparable to that of UNAM.
Photo by DanieVDM.
South Africa
The country in and of itself is an education, and provides a seething, transforming, highly charged backdrop to academic study.
Universities have taken advantage of the country’s post-apartheid opening up to promote academic and personal freedom, as well as the study of many disciplines banned or marginalized in the past. Cape Town and Johannesburg contain the most well recognized universities, each of which charges around $4,000 a year in tuition for international graduate students.
Add to this the fact that the cost of living in South Africa affords grad students a much greater degree of luxury than they would experience in Europe or the U.S., and voila, you have the tantalizing prospect of plowing away at a doctorate without having to survive on heaping bowls of spaghetti.
Keep in mind this list is only the beginning. Start doing research online: the aptly named International Graduate Schools website has plenty of listings of specific schools and programs, but in my opinion the Top Grad School site is even better, with rankings, statistics, and programs listed for most major schools in dozens of countries.
Good luck, and may you save as much as you learn!
COMMUNITY CONNECTION:
Still aren’t convinced that study abroad is right for you? Read Tanya Brothen’s article, Study Abroad: What Are You Waiting For?”.
Have you done grad work abroad? Share your experiences and insights below!
About the Author
More By This Author
Related Posts
102 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Definitely a good point–I remember talking to some of my friends in the PhD program at Madison in the History of Science, and they strongly discouraged me from getting a Master's in Latin American Studies at the UNAM and then returning to the U.S to do a PhD program. They warned me that it would be harder to get accepted to a PhD program with a degree from abroad. Then again, I think most schools prefer that you follow through the entire program–from Masters to PhD–with their department, and are less likely to admit candidates that have done a Masters at a separate school. And yes, I definitely think it's much harder to get an academic post in the U.S if you've studied outside the U.S. Which is something I'm trying to consider before beginning the application process–whether I'm dead set on academia or not.
↵ -
Actually the title of this article is meaningless. The "fraction" could be 1/10 (10% of the cost in the US), it could be 1/1 (same as the cost in the US) or it could be 10/1 (10 times the cost in the US). Why have some meaningless cliche that incorporates math? Just say "7 Countries Where Graduate School costs LESS than in the US".
↵ -
Bishop, Concordia and McGill are three good universities located in Quebec, Canada and it usually cost around 1,300$ per semester. So you can have a Bachaloréat (is that a degree?) for less then 10,000. Université Laval also offer a less-than-10,000$ diploma, but I THINK (maybe you could get inform if interested) it's only available in french!
↵ -
I agree, we all have to pay for schooling either directly through fees or by taxes. You just dont want to pay – "the $10,000 of student loans I am evading by living in Oaxaca, Mexico". Why should I pay for you and get no benefit from it, do you understand the meaning of social responsibility. Oh sorry you American, so no then. All for one and all for me.
↵ -
I'm an American studying grad school in Taiwan right now (MFA in acting). Granted, my program is in Chinese, but there are many grad programs in Taiwan, especially Taipei, geared toward international students that are run in English (particularly MBA stuff, but also health management & others). Also, studying Chinese in Taiwan is a pretty good deal. Both cost of living and tuition is pretty cheap (ok, not cheap like China, but meals generally cost me around $1.50-$3US), and the government has GREAT scholarships for both language students and grad students if you can get them. The grad student scholarships are easier to get than the language course ones, and some of them cover the entire cost of living & studying in Taiwan. You could even make a little profit off the monthly stipend if you budgeted yourself. Taiwan's schools are not super-famous, but it's safe, modern, a great place to stay if you're interested in learning more about Taiwan. And it does have some decent schools, National Taiwan University being foremost among them. My personal experience here has been good so far. I probably won't be heading back to the states after getting my degree, so I'm not too worried about whether or not I'll be able to apply for a PhD program there, but that might be something to think about if you're planning on furthering your academic career in your home country.
↵ -
Surprised India isn't on your list. India has some of the best business schools in the world in its IIMs. Perhaps some of the most competitive business schools. I doubt it would cost more than $2000.
↵ -
Yes, you might want to update your post – free university for foreigners in Sweden ends in 2010. And counter to one of these comments, Denmark ended in 2004 or 2005. There are two other countries that still have this – I think one is Norway? – the other, Finland or Iceland.
↵ -
The comment about social responsibility and Americans is completely out of left field and unjustified. Sweeping generalizations like this, with absolutely zero support or explanation whatsoever, do not give any credibility to your comments. Also, I'm surprised to see that someone who has created an account on a site like Matador could demonstrate the belief that all people of a particular nationality are the same. However, I do apologize if my flippant remark about evading student loans gives the impression that I am somehow a "thief" or am "ducking out" on loans. I have previously deferred loans, which is perfectly common and legal and does not imply that anyone else is footing the bill for my education. My point in discussing my experience was that undergraduate education in the United States is extremely, sometimes prohibitively expensive. I will be paying off my loans for the next decade. I think that it is entirely reasonable, and logical, to look for places where higher education is not going to leave one indebted for years. This is not the same thing as looking for a free ride. Also, if you will notice the article title and read about the majority of places I have listed, you will notice that this article is not about getting an entirely free education. It is about getting an affordable education, and being able to study without having to be either wealthy or indebted for years.
↵ -
a great post in a good moment! i was just thinking earlier what I was going to do finishing this year. Are there any experiences on science masters? Most of what has been said is about linguistics programs.
↵ -
i get paid $26,345 to go to grad school
also, taxes in those countries are astonomical
↵ -
University of the West Indies offers a limited range of graduate degrees, but guarantees TA positions which cover your tution. I supervised a three hour lab and marked 10 to 15 papers/reports once a week with one or two other grad students, and that is about average. Campuses in Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica are worth a look if you want a good school relatively close to the US in English speaking countries. Some research would be necessary to find the place most suited to your lifestyle though.
↵ -
in France, the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris is technically not considered a University, it's an Ecole which is very different to a University since the cost isn't the usual french University price of 190€ but is a lot more similar to other universities such as in the UK.
↵ -
Hi Naomi, I must have gotten the wrong information, then, because the website below identified the tuition for international graduate students as 190 Euros. Do you have an idea of what the tuition actually is? Also, could you explain a bit more about the difference between ecoles and universities? ” target=”_blank”>http://www.topuniversities.com/gradschool/schools...
↵ -
Or just go to an American graduate school in the sciences, and have your tuition paid plus a stipend. Now that's cheap.
↵ -
They actually have more than 1350 Masters level programmas in English. Have a look here: ” target=”_blank”>http://www.studyin.nl
↵ -
All it took was 54 words for me to fall in love with you. Let me come to Mexico to spoil you rotten. (that'd be your bio, scout. and yes, i mean it <3)
↵ -
Almost every country in the world has cheaper education than the US or the Uk … but Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Yale,UCLA, U of Chicago etc … are better, in some cases MUCH better than other options mentioned. There isn´t one single Uni in Spain that is ranked in the 100 first according to the Shanghai Jiao Tong university ranking. Obviously if you want to study french studies, well maybe the best option will be France. From all the suggestions above, Singapore, France, Netherlands and Germany are truly great opportunities to study in one great uni … not one of the best (top 20). If you suggest Bermuda and Jamaica why not coming to South America, come to Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile … all unis are much more cheaper than US unis … and for the living expenses don´t worry, you could achieve a great life quality … but then forget of working in a six figure job … It all goes down to what do you want to achieve in life …. and Uni isn´t the only thing tha affects your life, but it sure is one important thing.
↵ -
Seriously? My wife is paying $860 for a 3 credit graduate class in Florida. This is insane.
↵ -
Have you look how they rank those universities? Link: ” target=”_blank”>http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008Methodology(... It more or less give big universities that focus on Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics/Mathematics a big advantage. I am not saying that the universities that you have listed are not good, they probably are with the reputation they have. But you can get very good education form other universities around the world also.
↵ -
Yes, but that is one class, right? One three credit class that costs the equivalent of a year's tuition for a PhD program in many places. I'm wondering how much an entire two year Master's program or seven year PhD program would cost? At the schools I'm looking at, tuition (for out of state students) comes in at well over $10,000, and often well over $20,000, a year.
↵ -
Definitely a good point–but I can't list all of them in one article! I did a lot of research and it was really difficult to narrow it down, but I tried to choose schools with pretty solid reputations and with affordable tuition. I also tried to search for programs in English, since I know there are not many people who are so proficient in a foreign language as to be able to do a PhD program in it.
↵ -
Note that Universidad Autónoma de México is totally diferent to Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. It's like if you said: Harvard (MIT).
↵ -
Thank you, my bad! I absolutely should've checked that out. UAM is a completely separate university. Sorry for the slip up!
↵ -
So you're at Oaxaca, Mexico. Maybe you could tell us about the academic crisis in Oaxaca where teachers are in strike (seems like all the time). It's just an idea =)
↵ -
seven amazing opportunities across the globe those who looking higher education.Great articles on other education! Quality education for reasonable prices…it's up to you if you want to try this
↵ -
maybe you can write a continuation article to make up to those foreign countries feeling left out and give me some more options! also, what about applying to these places, what are their entrance exams, how hard is it to get into these countries to study, etc…? regardless, i was just starting to look into this topic, so thank you so much for the catalyst!
↵ -
Hey Sarah! Did you happen to see any information about Universities, for Masters programs in the Middle East. I'm interested in obtaining a masters within the International Affairs sector, but also interested in studying Arabic. I think it would be a great combo. I'm at the beginning stages of my research. If you have any cool pointers I'd really appreciate it and forever like you:) anyone with info feel free to reply.thanks
↵ -
I wish you would pony up and pay your student loans. It took me 10 years to pay off my 17K of student loans – I did it, and so should you. The money you pay back is cycled into the system to offer to new students. You used the money…you need to pay it back. I'm just saying. Did you think you were getting the money for free? No….the mandatory meetings that students have to attend before signing up for loans make that clear. If you made a decision that your education was worth getting into debt for, you need to pay off that debt.
↵ -
Oh…didn't realize you were being 'flippant'. So that means you do intend to pay off your student loans…good!
↵ -
Hey Sarah! Did you happen to see any information about Universities, for Masters programs in the Middle East. I'm interested in obtaining a masters within the International Affairs sector, but also interested in studying Arabic. I think it would be a great combo. I'm at the beginning stages of my research. If you have any cool pointers I'd really appreciate it and forever like you:) anyone with info feel free to reply.thanks
↵ -
Hey Fata–off the top of my head I can't identify any particular programs in the Middle East, but if you check out the sites I linked to at the end of the article, they should help you out! They give a listing of schools by region and describe the programs offered by each school.
↵ -
While I agree with all of the above locations, why was finland left out? considering that taking a masters degree here is nearly free, even for foreigners ( i know, I am one
). We have a huge amount of foreigners here and the schooling system is well on par with germany, which i really don't like (I am german). Otherwise very good resource well written…
↵ -
Gooday,i would like to find out what the level grade is for masters programme in political science and international studies in south africa and in sweden,please email me the information thankyou.
↵ -
too late for me, but it's nice to know there are places in the world where you can go to grad school without spending those years subsisting on Ramen noodles and off-label bags of cheese puffs.
↵ -
You forgot to mention India. Our institutes of Science, Technology and Management are one of the best in the world.
↵ -
you forgot Brazil. most of the best universities of the country are free.
↵ -
There are no tuition fees in Scottish unis. Unless you’re English.
↵ -
College in France is VERY different than it is in the U.S., at least for now. Universities run on a five or six year schedule of courses, the first 3 being comparable to our undergrad, while continuing on is like going to grad school here, only you can stop at four years and it would still count as something. You don’t really graduate university, you just finish the year and that counts, for example you could write bac + 2 if you completed high school, the baccalaureat plus two years at university. Ecoles are a totally different beast. The Grands Ecoles as they are known are kind of like super Ivy league schools here. You usually have to have a year of prep before you can apply and it is extremely difficult to win a place. Almost all of France’s presidents went to the Ecole Administratif, for example. Saying to readers then that you can feasibly go to this Ecole is probably not great unless they are brilliant and want to prepare for a year ahead of time, you should recommend other univerisities in France, I went to Universite Montpellier III (a liberal arts university, while I and II are more for law and sciences) and there was only a registration fee of a few hundred euros and no books can legally be required of you to buy at French universities.
↵ -
i’m planning to do my masters degree in advertising. The best schools either lie in the US or UK. these are unbelivably expensive. could anyone suggest a more affordable country? The medium of my instruction has been english, so that automatically rules out France, Sweden, Germany, and many other countries where language is a barrier, and the medium is generally the national language.
↵ -
McGill and Concordia both offer graduate programs in English – and Montreal is notoriously inexpensive as far as living expenses go. Apartments are frequently on $350/month. Ranked among the top Universities in the world, going to McGill offers an American a great education in an inexpensive city with highly reduced travel expenses – Amtrak lines and frequent buses make getting home a breeze.
AND you have an opportunity to hone your French skills… but Montreal is very bilingual and nothing to be afraid of.↵ -
Thanks so much for the great resource! Although there are straight to the point websites out there, your blog is a great tap of reassurance. Im tired of paying for education in the US, I have been out of school for 6 years and am still only paying my interest back at $200 per month. Contrary to what people may think…its very hard to get into the top 100 schools here and incredibly expensive. Most of us do not end up going to a top 100 and still pay more than $40,000 for a program. Going to Spain or Sweden, you get a better education for a fraction of the cost, so its a much better value when you consider the academics. Now that there are no jobs here in the US and unemployment only keeps rising, its time for us to go abroad and receive a more well-rounded and global experience.
On education in Sweden, I’ve read that they have extended free education for another year, is this true that you know of? Also, what are the requirements like to get into some of these schools? Thats one thing Im finding tough to research…I just want to know if Im a good candidate before I waste my time on applications, etc. I’ve tried emailing the schools directly with my questions but they must be on break as I have not heard back. What are some of you experiences on admissions or perhaps those of other posters? Any info would be really helpful. Thanks.
↵ -
I must say thank you for this wonderful post but what I really would like to say is for all the people who keep saying just pay off your loans its not so bad. I would like to comment on the person who said it took you 10 years to pay off your 17k dollar loans and it was not such a big deal. Well I have to pay back 125k dollars + interest. That would take you over a lifetime to pay dear sir. Is that not a big deal? unfortunately the problem with the educational system in the USA is that most people do not really get what they pay for. If you can get a good education for next to nothing in Europe or Asia, there is absolutely no reason why it should cost $20,000 for the same exact education in the USA. Another thing that I would like to say is to the people that think that the money just gets put back into the system for others to use. If there was no profit in giving student loans then believe me there would not be any student loans. These loans are made for profits more than anything else.
↵ -
Fuck student loans avoid them for ever if you can, they are designed to screw the working classes.
↵ -
Fantastic article! Thanks for all the great information, Sarah.
↵ -
US student loans are a terrible, terrible scam that are destroying the morale of whole generations of young Americans. Our federal government, which according to the constitution is supposed to lookout for the “general welfare” of the people of this country, instead allows banks to screw the middle class out of existence. Student loans for nearly worthless degrees at insanely inflated prices when there are no jobs (or slave jobs)? Credit cards for students with no income and massive student loan debt? Home loans with no down payment, no income verification, no credit check, etc.? ALL SCAMS! They KNOW people can’t pay these loans, and they DON’T CARE, because if/when you default on your student loan the federal government pays the bank immediately; if you default on your credit cards, they know your parents are likely to help you out “to save your credit”; if/when you default on your home loan, they just take your house and sell it. In all cases, you will have “bad credit” for at least the next 7-10 years. AND THAT’S GOOD FOR THE BANKS, because then they can charge you MUCH HIGHER INTEREST RATES if you need another loan!
Horrible. This kind of thing just didn’t happen to American citizens 50 years ago. Back then college was cheap or free (yeah, yeah – I know – it was subsidized by taxes – but for good cause!). Credit cards were extremely hard to get. Home loans required a good job, good credit, and at least 20% down payment.
Personal responsibility? NONSENSE! How ’bout the banks take some responsibility for making bad loans? They have no risk! Risk-free profits! This is capitalism? I don’t think so! This is gangsterism. If students were allowed to discharge student loans in bankruptcy, banks would have to be more responsible in who they give student loans to, and for what purpose (engineering/nursing, etc. or liberal arts/basket weaving? Good school or bad? Good student or bad? Good job prospects or bad?) For them, it’s win-win – for us, it’s lose-lose. Banks make HUGE profits regardless of whether we pay our loans. If we can’t pay, the government pays the banks and then raises taxes (and inflation) on us. The great American middle class is slaving away at horrible jobs trying to dutifully pay back these fraudulent loans while big bankers pay themselves HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR in salary and bonuses. Oh, that leaves plenty of money to bribe their cronies in congress to keep the horrible laws that let them screw us like this.
↵ -
What about Russia? Grad school for foreigners there costs $2000-6000 per year depending on the city and school. Universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other large cities have excellent programs in many areas. The Soviet education system was (mostly) excellent.
Same is true to a large degree of Ukraine.
↵ -
Does anyone know about how health insurance works for American graduate students studying abroad? Especially if you attend a school in UK or France? Are things like dental and vision covered as a graduate student? Also would it cost an arm and leg to get braces in the UK or France as a 28 year old grad student from the US?
↵ -
Maybe they just need to teach cost benefit analysis in High School. If the Grad degree doesn’t put you in a position to earn enough to pay back the loan, they you shouldn’t get that degree, and you probably shouldn’t go into that field if it pays that poorly. A real career in the first world makes $10k an easily managed debt.
PS: You do realize that by dodging that debt, you pass the cost on to taxpaying American citizens right? You’re welcome. Please pay it forward.
↵ -
Great article Sarah. I spent most of last year researching grad school, first PhDs in Anthro/Middle Eastern Studies. I finally realized with the overproduction of PhDs and competition for academic jobs it wasn’t really worth living on a student budget for another 10 years. Then I looked into Master’s programs in journalism, and finally realized that a journalism degree is a red flag for several countries I’d like to live in the future, and that I may be refused a visa or work permit if I am labelled as a journalist. Then I looked in MFAs and found that acceptance rates for many of the best programs are a low as, or even lower than, Harvard’s graduate school. Aside from that the application process is time consuming, and the program I was most interested in offered little to no funding and I’d be $40k in the hole.
After months of obsessive research, I decided to go with an MA in English at a local state college. My husband is studying in the area, and I had three years to work with, so I figured I’d move up on the teaching pay scale and get a solid background in the field.
As for PhD programs, if people want to teach at university level in the you pretty much need to do a US or UK program and go for a top 20 program. Tenure track positions are decreasing and job competition is fierce, so I decided a PhD was too much of a gamble.
↵
