How Much Does It Cost to Study Abroad?

Wonder how much does it cost to study abroad? The cost of education abroad is an important factor for any student to make his/her decision to study abroad. The cost includes the cost of tution fees, accommodation, travel food etc. Uniguru  has conducted a study on the cost of education across six popular study destinations - Australia, New Zealand, UK, US, Singapore and Malaysia; then factored in a selection of day-to-day living and student wage figures. The results can help you weigh up the overall costs of a degree in each of these popular study destinations.

The overall cost of a degree is also dependent on how much students can earn while studying. It's reassuring to see that the high cost of living in Australia is supported by the highest minimum hourly wage, at an impressive Rs 704. Students can also balance the higher cost of a degree in the UK, NZ and USA with part-time earnings; these three all offer the chance to earn over Rs 329 an hour. Asian countries perform poorly in the wage category; with a majority of Indian students dependent on wage-earnings from part-time jobs for supplementary income, this could go against Asian countries being chosen as preferred destinations. Malaysia only offers an average hourly wage of Rs 75, with Singapore slightly higher at Rs 179.

Asia and Australasia are clearly the cheapest options for the overall annual cost of tuition fees. Australia fares well in this comparison, as the comparatively high cost of living in Australia is balanced by lower course fees than some of its Western counterparts and by opportunities for students to earn a good hourly part-time wage.

Mike Elms, founder of Hotcourses, had this to say about the comparison: 'Quality and cost are always the two most important factors mentioned by Indian students when selecting a destination to study abroad. The UK and USA have always done well in terms of perceived education quality; however Asia is proving powerful competition offering degrees taught in English at a fraction of the overall cost. China this year aims to recruit 300,000 international students into universities, which is approximately the same as the UK - the East-West student migration may not last forever, particularly with the UK's very strict immigration policy under the current government.'