Options Abroad

Explore international opportunities in Europe and further.

Study Abroad

Studying abroad is the simplest and most common way for young people to explore the world. All universities and most ‘higher vocational schools’ are happy to have foreign students join them. In Europe, there are also a lot of systems to make it easier for students to apply and to get settled.

NB! This site is mainly for students who want to study abroad for their entire degree. There is also the simpler option: going to university here in Spain and doing 1-2 semesters abroad as an Erasmus exchange student.

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE

Study Level

The first thing to consider is what type of institution you’re interested in. Universities offer general academic programs that usually last 3-4 years, 5 years for some engineering degrees and even more for medicine. Universities of applied sciences take the same time, but they have a more practical approach and often focus on technical skills. Higher vocational schools usually focus on specific trades and last 2-4 years.

The Country

Europe has a lot of nations to offer and while they have quite a lot in common, it’s also useful to think (and look for info) about the local cultural, language, customs, climate and overall safety.

The tuition

Higher education costs vary a lot between different countries. Tuition in some countries is 5000€ per year, in some it’s 0€. In some countries there are extra fees, in others you can recieve benefits and grants. Scholarships exist everywhere but getting them can be very easy or nearly impossible.

Study language

Spanish isn’t really an option, you need to find degrees in English – meaning you’ll have a lot of choice in countries like Ireland and Malta, but very little to choose from in Belgium and Greece. If you have a good level in another language, you can also look for opportunities in other countries (e.g. French is spoken in France, Belgium and Switzerland).

Institution

Once you have a general idea of the location and study level, it’s good to look up specific universities/schools and learn more about their background. Institutions with a very good reputation will be well recognized, but can be demanding to study in. Institutions that have a lot of international students will be used to dealing with any issues you might have.

Personal finance

Be sure to consider your expenses abroad. Some cities will be pretty cheap but others can be more than twice as expensive as Málaga (price of rent, food and transportation). If you plan to work during your studies, be sure to consider the job opportunities available.

The City

Finally, for a moment it’s worth considering the city you’d be living in – are there options to spend free time? to socialise? culture and sport facilities? These aren’t huge considerations but can have an impact on your mental health and ultimately make the experience better/worse.

Education by Country

What to do next?

There are a lot of institutions in many countries. Once you know more or less what you want, be sure to do some research and contact us if you need help with it. If making a choice from so many options gets a bit too overwhelming, you can also see one of our partner institutions – these are schools we know and have sent students to before.
 

SOME LINKS TO HELP YOU 

– Comparing universities: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2021 (a useful guide but don’t take this too seriously)

– Comparing cost of living: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/ (also good for comparing crime, health care and environment)

– Finding institutions in a specific country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_universities_and_colleges_by_country#Europe (to have an overview of how many there are, the wiki articles also have links to homepages)

– Finding your degree in a specific country: almost all countries have national databases – open a search engine (e.g. Google), type “study in” and the country you like: it should be in the first few results. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not interested? That’s okay, studying abroad isn’t for everyone. But maybe volunteering, working or short-term options will fit you better.

Contact us

Contact our career counsellor in Santa María:

Rafael Quesada rafaelquesada@santamariadelosangeles.es

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