Canadian universities are increasingly looking towards fees from international students to boost revenues as people abroad pay exorbitant fees to study here.
Since international students are receiving considerable attention in Canada this year, we wanted to examine the costs of Canadians studying abroad.
In BC, for example, at the University of British Columbia, a first-year student getting a Bachelor of Arts, as a domestic student’s tuition, pays about $9,500 per year. However, for international students, that jumps to $50,600. These numbers are based on UBC’s interactive cost calculator.
The exact costs differ by degree, but international students pay approximately five times what domestic students do for education costs. It’s a similar story at universities across Canada.
With that in mind, we’ve reviewed the cost of studying abroad, thanks to information from QS, which is known for ranking universities in over 100 locations around the world.
Based on QS insights, here’s how much it costs for Canadians to study abroad.
United States
StockMediaSeller/Shutterstock
The US is an incredibly popular place to study but a pretty expensive choice. However, if you attend a public university, costs can be lower.
QS shared a post recently looking into the cost of US universities and reported numbers based on the College Board’s published tuition fees for 2018/19.
According to these statistics, state colleges average US$10,230 (C$14,341.59) for state residents and US$26,290 (C$36,856.35) for everyone else.
“This compares to an average of US$35,830 at private non-profit colleges. The cheapest options of all, however, are public-sector two-year colleges – also known as community, technical or city colleges – where average fees for 2018/19 are just $3,660,” QS World Universities reads.
There is definitely funding available for non-US students, but some are only for Americans.
“The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, allocates over $9 million every academic year in funding specifically for undergraduates from outside of the US, Canada and Mexico. According to data collected by US News, Harvard University allocated aid to 594 international undergraduates in 2017/18, with the average grant standing at $64,459, while Columbia University awarded an average of $66,350 to a total of 257 international undergraduates,” the QS World article reads.
Europe
@parisjetaime/Instagram | @italiait/Instagram
Studying abroad in Europe is the dream, but depending on the country, the cost of living and tuition fees can really rack up, QS reports.
Especially if you learn a new language, you can access free or very cheap university courses to study in the local language in many countries.
Finland
Aleksandra Suzi/Shutterstock
In Finland, QS mentioned that European Union (EU)/ European Economic Area (EEA) students and non-EU students who study in Finnish or Swedish can attend university for free.
However, if you study in English, tuition costs an average of €4,000 to €18,000 (~C$5,900 to $26,600) a year.
“Finland is a little more affordable than fellow Nordic countries Norway, Sweden and Denmark in terms of living costs,” QS said. “There are plenty of things to do while you study here, and the country boasts an extremely high quality of life, with considerable (and reasonably equally shared) wealth.”
Norway
mangpor2004/Shutterstock
For university students in Norway, university is free for both local and international students (with a few exceptions in the case of specialized programs). There might be a cost to pay a semester free, but these are usually under C$100, QS added.
The only thing to keep in mind is the cost of living is high.
United Kingdom
Engel Ching/Shutterstock
On average, QS said domestic and EU students are paying around £9,000 to £9,250 (~C$15,995 to $16,440) at the undergraduate level, but international students are paying on average £10,000 (~C$17,770).
“While the UK capital is home to an impressive selection of universities, bear in mind that living expenses in London are much higher than those in the rest of the UK, so you’ll need to budget more to study there. Fees and funding so far remain unchanged for EU students following the UK’s ‘Brexit‘ vote,” QS writes.
“For more affordable options, you may wish to consider universities in Scotland – where EU students (excluding those from England, Wales and Northern Ireland) can study for free at undergraduate level. Tuition fees are also lower in Northern Ireland, with a cap of £4,160 (~€4,700) per year at undergraduate level for EU students.”
Australia
f11photo/Shutterstock
Hundreds of thousands of international students are welcomed to study in Australia despite the country’s high cost.
According to Study Australia, undergraduate international students pay AU$20,000 (~C$18,200) to AU$45,000 (~C$40,980), QS writes.
The amount international students here pay depends on what they are studying and the level they are studying at.
In Australia too domestic students are eligible for a number of government loans but not international students. However, QS mentions that there are international scholarships depending on what country you are a citizen of and which university in Australia you want to study in.
Other
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
Canadians are lucky to have a number of student exchanges they can take advantage of.
While moving to another country can be overwhelming and costly at times, special permission (like a study permit) and amazing scholarship opportunities make the move a little less complicated.
Where would you like to study in the world? Let us know in the comments.