Every year a huge number of students move abroad for the purpose of higher studies. Among these departing students, a significant percentage are undergraduate students. The prospect of better education, lifestyle, security, and potential career are some of the key drivers for the outbounds.
Even several decades ago students only from financially well-off families could afford the high cost of education abroad. However, in recent years, students from middle and lower-middle-class families are also traveling abroad for higher studies. Scopes like Scholarships, low tuition fees, or tuition-free waivers have opened the door for many students to study in overseas countries.
With that in mind, we focused on the best countries around the world to study bachelor degree. Read along if you’re planning on studying your undergraduate abroad.
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The countries in this list are in no particular order. Each country has its own offerings and requirements. So rather than looking at a countdown, go for the countries that best match your needs and abilities. Almost every country mentioned in this list requires at least 12 years of formal education unless mentioned otherwise.
United States of America
The first country on the list is the land of the free and American Dreams. Currently, about 1 Million international students are studying in the USA. A large share of these students is pursuing their bachelor's in different branches like Business, Data Analytics, Engineering, and other STEM opportunities.
The primary requirement for admission to a bachelor's program in the USA is to clear the SAT. After that, a student can choose their desired stream based on application and offer letters. The average tuition fee per year is $ 45,000 or 45,41,481 BDT (1 USD = 100.98 BDT).
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However, there are a host of scholarships along with campus job opportunities. After graduation, the STEM OPT extension process allows students to get 1 whole year for job searching to settle in the USA.
As a whole, the USA is an excellent destination for higher studies given the cosmopolitan nature of its cities.
United Kingdom
The UK is home to nearly half a million international students and half of them are enrolled in undergraduate courses. By volume, the UK houses 11% of the total international students across the globe in its multitude of colleges and universities.
The country has been flourishing in education for several centuries now. It has always attracted students from all corners of the world because of the quality and global acceptance of a UK degree.
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The average tuition fee in the UK is relatively high compared to other European countries. Expect to pay anywhere between 11,000 euro or 10,70,763 BDT to 67,000 euro or 65,21,920 BDT per year depending on programs and streams.
Living cost is also very high with an average starting at around 1000 euro or 99,340 BDT per month (1 Euro= 99.34 taka).
However, the UK also offers a good number of scholarships at the undergraduate level. There are also ample part-time job opportunities with a secured career track after graduation.
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Australia
There has been a recent surge in Bangladeshi outbounds to Australia, especially at the undergraduate level. There are nearly 850,000 international students studying in Australia. A lion’s share of these students is studying at the bachelor's level.
To apply to an Australian university, students will have to submit required scores at IELTS/TOEFL as proof of English proficiency. The other requirements depend on specific subject bases admission requirements.
Business, science, management, and other STEM streams are popular choices for international students. Average tuition fee ranges from 20,000 to 45,000 AUD which is equivalent to 13,10,078 BDT to 29,47,676 BDT (1 AUD = 65.50 BDT).
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In Australia, the overall living cost is around 20,000 AUD per year which can be managed through part-time work opportunities. After graduation, a student can easily settle in Australia if s/he can manage a full-time job relevant to his/her stream.
Germany
Are you looking for a country where standard education is offered at a low or no tuition fee? If yes, choose Germany. German Universities are known for their engineering stream majors as they are some of the best in the world. In recent years, Germany has become a prospective destination for bachelor's degrees for international students.
The 16 states of Germany eliminated undergraduate tuition costs at all public German institutions in 2014. Therefore, both domestic and foreign undergraduates presently have access to free education at public institutions in Germany, with only a nominal fee per semester to cover administrative and other costs.
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To study for a bachelor's in Germany, a student will need two things besides the standard requirements – IELTS/TOEFL score and German Language B2/C1 clearance.
A bachelor's degree in Germany requires the student to finish at least 1 year of an undergraduate degree in their home country after the usual 12 years of schooling. Besides these, the requirements are international.
Germany also requires a block account for tuition and living cost purposes. Currently, the amount is 10,332 euros (10,26,413 taka) which is subject to change. Every month, a portion of the money will be given back to the students for their living costs. However, students can easily manage part-time jobs once they settle in.
However, private universities in Germany charge tuition fees. The average tuition fee is between 750 to 7500 euros or 74,507 to 74,50,731 BDT per semester (1 Euro= 99.34 taka). The living cost is also around 750 euros per month if you live in the city area. To know more about study opportunities in Germany, check out our detailed review.
Denmark
Those prospective bachelor's students who don’t want to show a lumpsum bank deposit or want to take a spouse with them can choose Denmark. This beautiful Schengen country allows students to reach Denmark by submitting tuition fees for the first semester only.
Study opportunities in Denmark have been on the rise as the country now consistently ranks on top of the best higher study destinations in the world.
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Like Germany, for admission to a bachelor's degree, Denmark requires the student to complete 13 years of education. So, Bangladeshi students must study for at least 1 year for an undergraduate degree in the home country in addition to the standard 12 years of education.
Tuition fee ranges from 6000 euro or 5,84,052 BDT to 12,000 euros or 11,68,105 BDT per year depending on programs.
Denmark has a low living cost between 600 euros (58,405 BDT) to 800 euros (77,873 BDT). There are also scopes for some scholarships for international students. Moreover, students get part-time work opportunities to support their education and living costs.
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To know more about studying in Denmark, check out our comprehensive take on the country.
Spain
Spain is often termed the ever-sunshine country of Europe. The temperate climate, beautiful cities, and rich cultural history make Spain a lucrative destination for many.
Students coming to Spain are mainly concentrated in the Business and Arts stream. But recently, the country is pushing STEM education for international students with generous offers.
The best thing about bachelor's in Spain is the world-class education and relatively cheaper tuition fees. A non-EU student needs to pay about 650 to 2100 euros per year for a bachelor's program depending on the stream. The amount roughly translates to about 63,271 to 2,04,481 BDT (1 EUR = 97.82 BDT).
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The living cost is also moderate. Students can easily get by with around 650 to 800 euros almost anywhere in Spain. Low living costs combined with high minimum wage and work opportunities for students easily make Spain a top choice for a bachelor's abroad.
Italy
The country of Neapolitan pizza and la Dolce Vita, Italy is truly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. From the rivers of Venice to the chapels of Rome, the country exudes culture and heritage unlike any other.
The common streams for foreign students in Italy are mostly concentrated between fine arts and applied sciences. These streams are offered in almost all the universities and also have the most scholarship opportunities.
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The average tuition fee at a government university in Italy is around 1000 euros or 97,820 BDT per year. Combine that with an average 950 euro or 92,475 BDT living cost and you have a pretty sweet deal for yourself.
Part-time jobs are abundant but it is capped at 20 hours per week. Even with that, a student will be easily able to support their living cost in any Italian city. To top it off, there are government and private scholarships at the bachelor's level making Italy another potential outbound destination.
Final Words
Many meritorious student in Bangladesh dream to study at a prestigious university abroad. Compared with master's and Ph.D. programs, there are fewer support and scholarship opportunities for international students in the bachelor's degree programs. However, the situation is now changing as more and more developed countries are offering scholarships and tuition fee waivers to prospective international students.
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The key here is to figure out which country aligns with personal interest as well as study stream. There is also the potential settlement aspect after graduation.
So far, we have discussed the top countries for studying a bachelor's program abroad. All in all, the countries on this list are probably the best bet when it comes to quality education. Hope it helps!