The world of college admissions is ever-changing and for students with top university ambitions, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest developments.This week, a new study by Studyportals reports that students searching for budget-friendly programs are increasingly choosing Europe as a study destination. Check back next week to see what’s new and noteworthy in university admissions!
International students are increasingly looking for budget-friendly study destinations in Europe as they look to “tighten the belt,” according to new data from Studyportals.
Italy is gaining momentum as a more budget-friendly destination, according to senior editor at Studyportals Cara Skikne. “This, together with the high quality of education and good scholarship programs has meant rising student demand,“ she explained.
The interest for university education in Italy has increased by 45% from last year. Portugal is also experiencing a lot of growth with a surge of 29%, followed by Poland at 28%.
“The cost of studying and living in Italy is low, especially in smaller cities – universities are offering support to new students in finding accommodation, giving scholarships, waiving tuition fees, among other measures,” Skikne commented.
With a 55.2% increase in demand, Italy has seen the highest surge of interest in bachelor's programmes, followed by Spain and Belgium with an increase of 41% and 38% respectively. Interest in master's programmes in Italy has also spiked by 42.5%, followed by Poland and Portugal.
Skikne speculates that Italy's efforts to market itself as a budget-friendly option with affordable living costs could be behind the rise in demand.
The biggest shift in demand for Italy comes mostly from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). “Student interest from non-EEA students has surged even more – up by 52%. This strong growth in interest is driven by a surge in students from Iran, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” said Skikne.
The focus on budget-friendly options could also contribute to the increase in interest in education in Portugal and Poland.
Denmark's data, on the other hand, showed a decline in student interest with an almost 7% drop over the past year, with a staggering 20% drop in interest for bachelor’s degrees. “The number of English-taught programs in Denmark has fallen from 518 in 20129 to 353 in 2022 – the government is focusing on reducing the English-taught courses from universities,” Skikne remarked.
In addition, Denmark's cost of living is high, with students needing to make at least 1,200 euros per month to live there, making it one of Europe's most expensive study destinations.
Despite only a 1% increase in demand, Germany remains as the top study destination in Europe, but Skikne suggests keeping an eye on it, given its current demand outlook. “Germany remains the number one destination in Europe, but relative interest is waning,” Skikne shared.