Overview of World Regions for Studying Abroad
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the diversity of choices which students have to consider when deciding where to study abroad. With locations in Africa, the Far East and South America becoming more open to international students, the options are more varied than ever. Understanding higher education in various regions of the world will help students narrow down their choices. This article may be most helpful for students considering direct admissions to higher education institutions in the regions that are the most commonly chosen by study abroad students. For further information about higher education in individual countries, visit BrainTrack's colleges by country section.
Western Europe
Home to centuries-old universities and a long, well-respected history of higher education, Western Europe has remained the most popular region for students to pursue international studies. Well over a million students from around the world leave home to study in a Western European country each year. Many of these students are European Union residents who can now enroll in any other EU country's university and pay local tuition rates. Another bonus for EU students is that the Bologna Agreement of 1999 standardized degrees so that all degrees are comparable among the signatory countries, making it easier to attend graduate school and find jobs after graduation.
Admission to the highest ranking universities in Western Europe can be very intense as they are some of the best in the world. In some cases, students will need to have completed some higher education before being admitted. Quotas that limit the number of non-EU international students that can study in a country exist in a number of countries. Each country has its own admissions policies and within each country, institutions often have their own admissions policies as well. Students typically need to prove their fluency in the foreign language that classes are taught in and are typically required to possess health insurance.
Universities and colleges in Western Europe are primarily public and are heavily funded by government. Tuition charged to non-EU foreigners in most of Western Europe is generally a fraction of the cost of typical US schools but varies considerably by country. At the high-end, schools in the United Kingdom often charge non-EU students tuition that is similar to what is charged in the US while in Germany and many other countries, they may pay under a $1000 (US) a semester in tuition and fees. In general, it is expected that tuition charged to international students will increase over time.
North America
North America is a very popular region for study-abroad students given its reputation for high quality universities and colleges. The United States hosts over 600,000 foreign students a year while Canada hosts over 130,000 students annually. Admissions to North American universities are governed by each institution individually but they almost universally require submission of results from standardized tests, either the SAT® or ACT®. Fluency in speaking English is required except in some Canadian schools where fluency in French is needed instead. Tuition in the US tends to be among the highest in the world so international students who study independently in the US need to take this into consideration.
Latin America
Various countries in Central America and South America are seeing increasing enrollment by international students with Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile hosting the most students. Many students study abroad in a Latin American country to become immersed in the culture and language of the region, often through an exchange program or independent study-abroad program. Some countries have restrictions such as residency requirements or limited spaces which make it fairly difficult to study as a direct admission degree student there.
The quality of higher education in this region is variable – Mexico hosts the highly ranked National Autonomous University and Brazil has three schools considered to be in the top 500 schools in the world but many other countries have no schools that rank in the top 500 in world rankings. Quality is improving in countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Chile and more emphasis is being placed on encouraging international students to attend, making it easier for foreigners to study there in the future.
Far East Asia
Study in Far East Asia is becoming more popular as its economies become more global and the quality of higher education increases. Japan, China, Korea and Hong Kong all have significant numbers of foreign students, mostly from other Asian and Pacific countries but with increasing numbers from outside Asia. In an effort to increase the number of foreign students, there are a growing number of programs taught in English. For western students, direct enrollment is rare since the language and cultural differences can be challenging for a student to manage on their own. Hong Kong and India are exceptions since courses are taught in English and in Hong Kong, the culture is fairly westernized.
Admission to public universities in countries such as Japan and Korea is very competitive so only the brightest foreign students are admitted as direct enrollees. Tuition in Asian countries varies with China having very low tuition and Japan charging similar rates to the US and UK.
Australasia
Australia and New Zealand are appealing locations for English speakers to study abroad, offering high-quality education and a familiar culture for US and UK students. In recent years, about 20 percent of higher education students in Australia were from abroad - the highest percentage in the world. Since these countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, their school year runs from late January through early December. Students from the Northern Hemisphere need to plan carefully when scheduling a short-term study abroad experience into their regular school schedule. Tuition for international students is only slightly lower than what they may pay at a school in the US.
Other Popular Locales
A few individual countries outside of these regions stand out as attracting high numbers of international students. South Africa hosts over 60,000 international students a year, representing about seven percent of its students. Singapore is attracting foreign schools that are opening campuses there while hosting a fast-growing international student population of over 80,000 a year. About seven percent, or 28,000 students, study in the Czech Republic are from outside of the country, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe.
Study Abroad by Region
The 2010 UNESCO Global Education report shows the following numbers of students studying abroad in each region of the world:
| Western Europe | 1,148,939 | North America | 692,994 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 559,236 |
| Central & Eastern Europe | 228,753 |
| Latin America | 19,723 |
Resources
Institute of International Education
The Official Bologna Process Website 2010-2012
QS World University Rankings UNESCO Global Education Digest 2010Online Course Finder
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