Europe is known to have excellent universities in a wide variety of fields. Many prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, and ETH Zurich are located on this continent. Universities in Europe are prestigious and degrees deferred by these universities hold more weight than those from other continents.

The main problem that international students have in studying in Europe is finance. The good news is that many European universities have affordable tuition or free tuition for international students. Many universities in Germany do not charge any tuition even for international students and only charge small semester contributions. International students who have financial difficulty should definitely look at this list of cheap universities in Europe.

Although the tuition is affordable, there are many costs that are associated with studying in Europe such as food and accommodation. International students should definitely secure additional funds such as external scholarships or must have sufficient money from their own pockets.

Affordable Schools in Europe for International Students

1. University of Würzburg

Founded in 1402, the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. It is a public research university located in the city of Würzburg and is a member of the U15 and the Coimbra Group. The faculty of this university is one of the best in the world, and many distinguished scholarships including 14 Nobel Laureates have been part of the faculty at this university. International students can study at this excellent and cheap university in Europe, but they need to be very qualified.

2. Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg)

The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It is considered one of the most comprehensive and extensive universities in Germany. HAW Hamburg has produced Nobel Prize Winners in Physics, Physiology, and Medicine.

3. University of Bremen

The University of Bremen is a public university in Bremen, Germany. It is one of the few institutions of higher learning to receive a commendation in “Institutional Strategies”, “Graduate Schools”, and “Clusters of Excellence” initiatives of the Excellence Initiative that was launched in 2012 by the Federal Government and the Federal States. The University of Bremen is also an affordable European university for international students because it doesn’t charge any tuition fees to all students.

4. University of Cologne

The University of Cologne is a public university located in the city of Cologne in Germany. Founded in 1388, it was one of the first universities to be established in Central Europe. As a German Excellence University, it is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany and in the world.

5. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, formerly the University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Center, is a public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. It is one of the world’s most renowned institutions of higher learning in the fields of engineering, computer science, and natural sciences and is a German Excellence University.

6. Humboldt University of Berlin

The Humboldt University of Berlin is the oldest university in Berlin, Germany. It is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, especially renowned in the fields of arts, humanities, and natural sciences. The Humboldt University of Berlin was home to some of the world’s greatest thinkers including Albert Einstein. You can study at this affordable European university by applying to one of its internationally recognized programs!

7. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, established in 1472, is the sixth oldest university in Germany. It is a public research university that has the second-largest student population in the country. In 2006, the German Universities Excellence Initiative conferred the title of “elite university” to Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

8. University of Siena

The University of Siena, founded in 1240 and formerly known as Studium Senese, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. Its Schools of Law, Medicine, and Economics, and Management are most renowned. The University of Siena is home to more than 20,000 students and is a member of the Coimbra Group. These students pay one of the most affordable tuition in Europe.

9. University of Turin

The University of Turin, established in 1404, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is a public university located in Turin, Italy with more than 60,000 students. The University of Turin is one of the top institutions of higher learning in Italy, ranking third in research activities.

10. University of Padova

The University of Padova, also known as the University of Padua, is a public university in Padua, Italy. Founded in 1222, it is one of the oldest universities in Italy and was one of the most prominent institutions of higher learning in early modern Europe. The University of Padova is a member of the Coimbra Group.

11. ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich, also known as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is a public university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is a university focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning in those fields, ranked in the top 5. Although it is ranked very high in global rankings, it charges affordable tuition to both domestic and international students.

12. University of Basel

The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is the oldest university in Switzerland. Its library, the University Library of Basel, is the largest in the country. The University of Basel has been home to many notable people such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Gustav Jung, and Nobel laureate Paul Hermann Müller.

5 Cheap Universities in Europe for International Students

If you want to study at a European university by paying affordable tuition, you definitely should look at these universities and their application procedures.

We hope this article on Europe’s affordable universities was informative. To know more about studying abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hi! I am Hyun, and I am the founder at Global Scholarships. I've received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College and a $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for my undergraduate degree and was offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. You can read more about my scholarship journey here. If you are interested, you can follow me on Linkedin where I regularly write about scholarships. I also provide consulting services as well, and you can check the consulting services page for more information.

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8 Comments

  1. Bello May 26, 2024 11:30 pm - Reply

    Please what university offer cheap MBBS in Switzerland for international students please

    • Hyun Lee June 4, 2024 11:09 am - Reply

      Hello, the public universities such as University of Zurich only charges a semester fee of around 100 – 300 CHF per semester. However, as noted on their medicine admissions page, the spots for foreigners are very limited and they are taught in German

  2. Agadioma Ebikipa July 10, 2024 3:25 pm - Reply

    Hello good day, my name is Agadioma Ebikipa, I sent an email earlier to this platform to enquire if an international student that just got admitted to the university of Malta could be considered for your scholarship, but I got no replies.

    • Hyun Lee July 10, 2024 4:13 pm - Reply

      Hello, if you’ve already been admitted to the University of Malta, and the University of Malta didn’t give you any scholarship, your only options are either external scholarships or government scholarships in your own country. For external scholarships, it’s not much, but you can see them at external scholarships category

  3. Cherry Pie Padilla July 12, 2024 1:08 pm - Reply

    Hi what University offers a full scholarship for a pre-medicine course? Thanks

    • Hyun Lee July 16, 2024 12:34 pm - Reply

      Hello, for Europe, there’s no “pre-medicine” course; medicine is a bachelor’s program. If you mean “full tuition” by “full funding,” Germany is free for international students although you do have to speak German. Also, another good place to look is Easiest Countries to Study Medicine.

  4. Anonymous July 17, 2024 11:11 pm - Reply

    I have a first degree in Social Work with Linguistics can you link me to a scholarship in Europe, America or Canada

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