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Tuition fees at European Universities

Looking for a top class university with accessible study fees? Then, Europe is the place for you. The European university system is mostly based on public funding, that is why European universities can provide excellent quality for very low or even no tuition fees at all!

Hospitality and engaging social life.

In total Europe offers almost 30,000 international study programmes that you can apply for. International students in Europe enjoy great living standards, cities full of culture and an intense social life. In most of the cities, universities and student organizations involve international students in diverse social activities making them feel like home. Check out why Europe is so popular among international students.

Differences between EU and Non-EU students

In general EU students should have the same rights when they move to another EU country. Therefore EU citizens are automatically entitled to study in other EU member states: they should not be paying higher tuition fees and they should be able to receive a residence permit (in order to obtain financial sustain as any other national student). The same works generally for EEA and Swiss students too, although some conditions regarding public student loans and residence permit might differ for them.

For non-EU students this works differently. European High Education welcomes non-EU students in Europe: although they are required to pay for tuition fees (on behalf of Norway and Finland), almost everywhere they can apply for scholarships or funding. Did you know that in Europe there are in total 16 billion euros worth of Scholarship available every year? Have a look at ScholarshipPortal.eu to find the one that matches your requirements best.

Country fee focus. Would you prefer the charming districts of Paris or do you care more about a sound academic environment in Oxford? Whether you are looking for a Bachelor's, a Master's, or a PhD on Studyportals you can choose your destination country and search for a maximum tuition fee.Hereafter we provide information on study fees for international university students in different European countries.

Average tuition fees in Europe

Tuition fees in Europe are generally very low compared to other continents, while many European universities belong to the world top. So it is possible to get top quality education against very reasonable costs. Studying abroad in Europe is therefore very popular nowadays, we also see this in our visitor statistics for example: every month our study choice websites attract more than 1.7 million (!) visits from all over the world.

Of course this differs per country though, and it also depends on if you come from Europe (the European Economic Area) or not. The average tuition fee for an international Master’s programme in Europe is around € 5.100 for students from within the EEA, and € 10.170 for students from outside the EEA. For international Bachelor programmes this is € 4.500 for EEA students and € 8.600 for non-EEA students.

But many students don’t realize that you can study for less than a thousand euro per year, or even for free, in many European countries. There are more than 3.000 Master programmes in Europe with a tuition fee less than one thousand euro.

Tuition fees: An overview per country

Austria

In Austrian universities there are no tuition fees for students from EU-EEA member countries, Switzerland and least developed countries. All the others pay a study fee of EUR 336.36 per semester. All the students are compelled to pay a semester fee of EUR 16.89 to be member of the Austrian Student Union. For more information you can visit the website of the OEAD (Austrianagency for international mobility and cooperation in education, science and research).

Denmark

University education in Denmark is free for students from the EU-EEA and Switzerland. For all others students tuition fees range from EUR 6,000 to EUR 16,000 Euro per year. Scholarship programmes are available both for European and non-European students.

Finland

No tuition fees are charged for Bachelor’s and Doctoral programmes, regardless of your nationality. The same applies to many Master’s programmes for Finnish, EU-EEA and Swiss students. Erasmus Mundus programmes for non-EU students always have a tuition fee, but those students can also apply for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. For other Master’s degree programmes tuition fees payment may apply starting from 2010, 2011or 2012 and depending on the programme chosen.

France

France is one of the most popular countries and has also very affordable tuition fees: they range between EUR 150 and EUR 550 per semester for Bachelor’s and even lower for Master’s programmes and PhDs.

Germany

Germany s another country investing substantial public funds in education. In general tuition fees change depending on the Federal State, but they can vary from a minimum of EUR 50 to a maximum of EUR 500 per semester.

Italy

In the boot of Europe study fees depend on the university chosen and on the income of the student family; the same applies for EU/EEA and Swiss student. In public universities an annual fee ranges between EUR 150 and EUR 3,500, depending (on your family income and) on the university chosen. Private universities can charge up to EUR 16,000 per year. In general in Italian universities there are no (or very low) admission costs.

The Netherlands

In The Netherlands study fees for EU students are EUR 1,771, while they can reach up to EUR 8,000 for non-EU students. EU-EEA/Switzerland students are entitled to receive a public loan. Citizens coming from other countries may apply for a study loan at certain conditions. You can find all information you need about that on the Dutch Ministry for Study, Culture and Science website.

Norway

Higher education in Norway is considered to be free of charge for everyone, although in state universities students have to pay for a small semester fee of NOK 300-600 (EUR 39.00-79.00 approx.). Students are granted a student card that gives them the right to have health care and transport for free, as well as reductions for cultural activities and events. In private universities there are tuition fees to be paid depending on the programme chosen.

Spain

Each regional government sets its own tuition fees for Bachelor’s degrees. In public universities those cost between EUR 535 and EUR 1,280 per academic year. In private universities a Bachelor’s programme could cost between EUR 5,000 and EUR 12,000. Master’s programmes and PhDs study fees are calculated per credit; each credit can cost between EUR 16.50 and EUR 34.00. Therefore a typical Master’s program of 60 ECTS in the academic year 2011-2012 could cost between EUR 990 and EUR 2,040. These fees apply to all international students.

Sweden

The Swedish government has introduced study fees for non-EU and non-EEA/Switzerland citizens starting from the academic year 2011-2012. Those students have to pay an application fee of SEK 900 (EUR 101.00 approx.). Each university sets its own study fee that can range between SEK 80,000-140,000 (EUR 9,000-15,750 approx.) per academic year. These fees apply only to Bachelor and Master’s programmes, while PhDs are tuition-free. At the same time the parliament of Sweden has allocated funds for two scholarship programmes for foreign students: one is directed only to scholars from 12 developing countries (Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia); while the second one has no geographical limitations. Here you can find all the information you need about university admission in Sweden.

Switzerland

For EU-EEA members study fees in Swiss universities range between CHF 1,000 (EUR 831 approx.) and CHF 4,000 (EUR 3,326 approx.). In most cases the same fees apply for foreign students as well; only in five universities foreign students are asked to pay extra taxes. Scholarships are available for EU and eastern European students.

UK

After offering low tuition fees for long time (no tuitions were paid until 1998), the UK government has recently decided to allow universities to raise study fees. It is important to note, that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are independent from this decision and pursue their own strategy on tuition fees. In Scotland for example, Scottish and non-UK EU citizens do not have to pay any tuition fee.

In England there are ‘home’ or ‘oversees’ rate of fee. The first one refers generally to EU residents and EEA/Switzerland students (the latter are subject to some restrictions); in these cases tuition fees range from £ 3,500 (EUR 4,255 approx.) up to a max of £ 9,000 (EUR 10,941 approx.) per year. ‘Oversees’ study fees can range between £ 3,500 (EUR 4,255 approx.) until £ 18,000 (EUR 21,882 approx.) per year. Nonetheless, the United Kingdom still remains one of the favourite destinations for many foreign students worldwide. Thanks to the quality of their teaching (in English) and the facilities offered, United Kingdom’s universities are every year in the top 10 of the Times World University Ranking. For more information about what type of fee (‘home’ or ‘oversees’) you should be paying, you can have a look at the UK Council for International Student Affairs website.

Europe is going for more.

Fight fire with fire, some say. That is why despite financial crisis the European Union is going to invest more money in education. Recently, the European Commission has presented its multi-annual financial framework (2014-2020) that proposes 70% funds increases for training and education: 17 billion euros that will be supporting transnational learning mobility; cooperation between institutions; modernisation of education and implementation of education policies in the Member States.