Europe Colleges and Universities
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Overview
Overview of Europe
Considered the birthplace of western civilization, Europe has been a major influence in many aspects of societies throughout the globe. Democracy, industrialization and higher education are among the many advances that have their roots in Europe. Overall, European nations maintain a high standard of living, great quality of life and stable governments.
Geographically, Europe encompasses the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia and includes 48 countries as well as parts of Russia and Turkey. The countries with the largest populations that are entirely within Europe are Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Despite encompassing only about 11 percent of the world's population and only 6.8 percent of the world's land area, it has the largest economy in the world and its assets represent one-third of the world's wealth.
Most European countries are members of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe. There is also strong representation in NATO, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Higher Education
Europe has a strong tradition of higher education with many of the oldest universities still in operation since the 1500's and some that are several hundred years older than that. The traditions that have been a part of university education in Europe for hundreds of years have provided a foundation for higher education throughout the rest of the world. In 1999 the Bologna Process agreement was signed by 29 European countries and all but two countries have signed since then. This agreement created standards for academic degrees to make them compatible in quality and length across all participating countries.
Although European universities and colleges as a whole provide very good quality education, only a few in the United Kingdom regularly appear near the top of college ranking lists. The University of Cambridge and University College London often appear in the top ten in various rankings while universities in Switzerland, France, Norway and Denmark and Germany typically appear in the top 100 schools. Outside of the United Kingdom, top ranked schools include the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, France's École normale supérieure de Paris (aka ENS), the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the University of Oslo in Norway.
Over a million foreign students from all over the world study in Europe each year with most studying in Western European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France. With many countries offering lower tuition than in the US and an increasing number of programs taught in English, Europe's universities are attracting increasing numbers of students from all over the world.
Resources
European University Association
European Association for International Education