European countries are one of the most famous destinations for international students for some obvious reasons. Good education options that are affordable, along with great exposure to a fantastic international community, make European universities for international students an ideal option to study abroad. The best part is that some countries in Europe offer free education to international students which cuts down the expenditure of the students to a great extent as tuition fees are the biggest expenditure to the students planning to study abroad. International students can also avail of scholarships to make overseas education even more affordable.
Let’s check out some of the famous countries in Europe that are popular for Indian international students and also find out the popular universities in each of those countries that offer highly reputed courses for foreign students.
| Country | No. of Universities in the Top 500 | No. of Indian Students |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 49 | 55,465 |
| Germany | 30 | 34,864 |
| France | 16 | 10,003 |
| Italy | 14 | 5,897 |
| Spain | 14 | 1383 |
| Netherlands | 13 | 3,200 |
| Switzerland | 9 | 3,980 |
| Sweden | 8 | 2,500 |
| Ireland | 6 | 5,000 |
| Austria | 5 | 350 |
Source: (Based on QS World University Rankings 2024 & Data by Ministry of External Affairs, India-2022)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is home to some of the top universities in Europe. The shorter duration of courses in the UK helps students to finish their studies quickly and find employment opportunities faster compared to other countries in the world. Engineering in the UK is offered as a three-year degree by many universities which is usually offered as a four-year degree in other countries. There are four universities in the list of top 10 universities in the world including the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. There are about 55,000 Indian students studying in the United Kingdom as per the stats released by the Ministry of external affairs in 2022. International students need to obtain a Tier-4 general student visa to study in the United Kingdom.
Popular Universities:
University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, The University of Edinburgh.
Germany
Most public universities in Germany offer education free of cost and this privilege is available even to international students. The quality of education in Germany is recognized across the world and students can expect a prospering career after they finish their studies at German universities. There are around 30 universities from Germany on the list of the top 500 universities in the world. International students need to obtain National Visa Type D to study in Germany if the duration of their stay is of more than three months. If you are someone looking for free education countries for international students, then Germany can be one of the best choices available for you.
Popular Universities:
Technical University of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Universität Heidelberg, Freie Universitaet Berlin, RWTH Aachen University.
France
France is an ideal destination for students who want to study while simultaneously exploring the stunning tourist places in Europe. France is geographically located in such a way that it is conducive for short trips to various tourist spots in Europe. There are more than 10,000 Indian students studying in France as international students. It is considered to be one of the best countries to study in Europe because of the reasonable fee structure and promising career opportunities after graduation. The VLS-TS visa allows students to study in France for a period of 4 months to one year. To study further, students need to apply for a multi-annual residence permit to continue studying in France even after the expiry of the VLS- TS Visa.
Popular Universities:
Université PSL, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Sorbonne University, Université Paris-Saclay.
Italy
There are 14 universities listed in the top 500 universities from Italy and there are more than 5,000 Indian students studying in Italy. Along with fantastic career opportunities after completing education in Italian universities, students get a chance to explore various aesthetic wonders of Italy that are literally visual treats to the eyes of wanderlusts. There are 51 world heritage sites in Italy recognized by UNESCO. So, studying in Italy will not only give students a promising career but also gives them unforgettable memories if they take the time to travel and explore the visual wonders of Italian landscapes.
Foreign students need to apply for a Type-D or national Visa to enter Italy for study purposes and later on, they need to obtain a stay permit to continue studying in Italy.
Popular Universities:
Politecnico di Milano, Sapienza University of Rome, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Università di Padova, Politecnico di Torino.
Spain
Spain offers an education with a fantastic combination of affordable costs and high-quality standards to students from different corners of the world. International students can experience the cultural diversity in this beautiful study-abroad destination and make friends from different parts of the world as this country has a significant footfall of tourists from all over the world. Spain can be considered the best country to study in Europe if students are passionate about exploring visual aesthetics and the cultural diversity of Spain along with their studies. A student Type-D Visa is needed for international students to study in Spain if they intend to stay in Spain for more than six months.
Popular Universities:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Complutense University of Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, University of Navarra.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has the reputation for being one of the first countries to start designing courses in English being a non-English speaking country in an attempt to attract students from across the world. There are over 2000 courses curated in the English language which are available for international students. These degrees are internationally recognized and foreign students can have a great time by studying in the Netherlands as they get the opportunity to imbibe themselves in the visual wonders of the Netherlands and can have a great learning experience at the same time.
Popular Universities:
Delft University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Leiden University.
Switzerland
Switzerland is well known not just for its beautiful mountains and waterfalls but also for its stable economy and renowned education system. Many Swiss citizens won Noble Prizes in this century which acts as a testament to the quality standards of the education system in Switzerland. Switzerland is home to some of the best European universities for international students like ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology which secured a spot in the list of the top 10 universities in the world. There are nearly 4,000 Indian students studying in Switzerland and it’s important to remember that the cost of living may not be that conducive for all financial classes to study in Switzerland as it has one of the costliest cities in Europe.
Popular Universities:
ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Zurich, University of Basel, University of Bern.
Sweden
Many international brands like Spotify and H&M have their headquarters located in Stockholm, Sweden. So, by studying in Sweden, students can meet and interact with people who are more inclined towards tech and entrepreneurship and there can be good internship opportunities waiting for students who just finish their studies to gain good hands-on experience. There are around 2,500 Indian students studying in Sweden. Even though the number is not that big, Sweden is still one of the preferred countries for Indian students to study in Europe.
Popular Universities:
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Uppsala University, Stockholm University, Chalmers University of Technology.
Ireland
Ireland is considered to be the best country to study in Europe because of the many post-study work permit opportunities by the Irish government. It’s also believed that Ireland is one of the most cost-effective countries to study in Europe with a good quality of education.
There are nearly 35,000 international students representing over 160 countries out of which nearly 6,000 are Indian students. In the coming time, this number is expected to increase with Irish universities gaining more popularity in recent years.
Popular Universities:
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, University College Dublin, University of Galway, University College Cork.
Austria
Austria being located in the center of Europe, gives international students an opportunity to travel and experience different parts of the European Union while continuing with their studies. This country is relatively cheaper compared to other countries in Europe and can be greatly conducive to students planning to finish their studies within a specified budget. There is not much greater footfall from India to study in Austria but students can also consider this country as well because of affordability and good quality of education.
Popular Universities:
University of Vienna, Technische Universität Wien, Universität Innsbruck, Graz University of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz.
Conclusion:
Europe has been a popular hotspot for many study-abroad aspirants. From popular universities located in the UK, Germany, and France to not-so-popular destinations like Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland there are many countries that offer education at affordable prices with promising career opportunities. We hope this blog helped you find out the best countries to study in Europe and it’s always advised for all the study abroad aspirants to research about the country and the university in which they want to study well in advance to avoid any unnecessary trouble in the future. If you are interested in pursuing UG from the best universities in European countries, feel free to contact our career counselors for all the necessary guidance.
FAQs:
If we consider the financial aspect, European universities can be a better option compared to most US universities. However, it largely depends on the student’s preferences and the course they want to enroll in.
The process of getting a job as a foreigner will never be that easy no matter which country in the world you are trying to get a job. Even in European countries, you may have to apply for jobs patiently to secure a job after finishing your studies.
Norway can be an ideal option if you are looking for the most affordable country in Europe to study abroad. While the public universities in Norway, offer education free of cost to international students, the cost of living is also relatively low when compared to other European countries.
The countries like Iceland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Finland have the least Visa rejection rate. Hence we can consider these countries to obtain a student visa in the quickest time possible.
UK and Ireland have English as their official language. But all across the European Union, you will find English to be the most commonly spoken language along with the native languages of those countries.
It’s the United Kingdom where more than 1.4 million non-residential Indians are living and hence, the UK is the place in Europe where most Indians live.
The United Kingdom is the most preferred stud abroad destination in Europe with a total of 679,970 international students studying over there as per the official stats.
