Every year, many international students choose Europe as their study destination. Aside from its exciting culture, lifestyle, and places, this continent has a lot to offer, especially in the field of education. Many European universities and colleges are internationally recognized for their performance in various disciplines. That’s one main reason why many foreign students strive to enter a European university.
While Europe offers a fulfilling study experience and educational training, it comes with a price. As an incoming student here, you need to consider the cost of your studies, accommodation, allowance, and a lot more. The financial costs of studying in a European country can burden many aspiring international students.
However, here’s the good news: International students can still find low-cost or tuition-free study options in Europe, depending on the country, university, program, language of instruction, nationality, residence status, and degree level. This continent is known for providing affordable tuition fees without necessarily sacrificing the quality of education. In some European countries, tuition-free higher education is available under specific rules, such as for EU/EEA/Swiss students, for students in certain public programs, or for students studying in the local language.
Now, aside from tuition fees, you should also consider the cost of your stay in Europe. Living costs vary widely by country and city, and students still need to budget for accommodation, food, transportation, health insurance, residence permits, and personal expenses. To help with this, Europe also offers many scholarships, which can be a big help for your studies.
Are you planning to study in Europe for free or at a very low cost? If yes, you need to prepare early. Since many students are applying, you need to make sure that you maximize your resources during your application process. In this article, we’ve compiled some tips on how you can study in Europe for free or reduce your overall study costs. Make sure to read more!
How to Study in Europe for Free
1. Research Your Country and University Options
Europe is large, and country counts vary by definition; the United Nations geographic region of Europe includes 44 countries. Now, if you want to study on this continent, you need to choose a country and a university to enter, and you can do that by doing thorough research. Since your goal is to study in Europe for free or with reduced costs, you need to search for countries and universities that have affordable tuition, tuition waivers, or scholarships.
Narrow down your country options and do your research early. If you narrow down your options, you can more easily choose a university. For example, Germany has no tuition fees for most bachelor’s and many master’s programs at state higher education institutions, although some exceptions apply. In Norway, public universities remain tuition-free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, but most non-EU/EEA degree-seeking students now pay tuition fees. In the Czech Republic, students of all nationalities may study tuition-free in Czech-taught programs at public and state universities, while foreign-language programs usually charge tuition.
Another benefit of researching your country and university options is that you can compute or track your expenses more easily. At the end of the day, you may still need to pay for semester fees, living costs, insurance, visa or residence permit fees, and other expenses, so it’s better to prepare early.
2. Prepare an Impressive Application and Submit Early
Now that you have your chosen European country and university, it’s time to prepare your application. Your application will play a very big role in your acceptance to a university. It’s more than just documents because it will present your achievements, qualifications, and personality.
First, make sure to present outstanding academic performance from your previous educational level and school. Having high grades and academic achievements will highlight your strengths and potential. Your final grades in your major subjects may be reflected in your application, so make sure to do well in these subjects.
You also need to meet language proficiency requirements. This will depend on your program, degree, or university, but many English-taught programs require an English proficiency test result. For European-language programs, the requirement will depend on the medium of instruction. If you need tips regarding this, you can visit the TOEFL Guide or IELTS Guide for more information.
Additionally, you may need to prepare documents for your European student visa or residence permit. Requirements vary by country and nationality, but this can be part of the process, so make sure to prepare your documents early.
Overall, having an impressive application and submitting it early can improve your chances of meeting university, scholarship, and visa or residence permit deadlines.
3. Apply to Affordable European Universities
Europe is home to close to 5,000 higher education institutions. With this, you’ll have a lot of options when choosing a university, especially if you’re considering the financial cost of your studies.
In Europe, many public universities are open to international students, and some offer low-cost tuition or tuition-free options depending on your citizenship, residence status, program, and degree level. There are many cheap universities on the continent that are recognized in their fields. Choosing an affordable university to study at will help you manage your finances and reduce your worries about study costs.
4. Look and Apply for Scholarships
After searching and applying for a university, you can apply for scholarships. As an international student in Europe with a limited budget, you want to maximize your resources, especially if you can get more funds for your studies. Luckily, Europe has many scholarship opportunities. Many European governments, universities, and organizations administer scholarships and awards for foreign students.
If you’re already accepted into an affordable or tuition-free university, it is still highly suggested that you apply for scholarships that can help cover your allowances, accommodation, and other expenses. Even when tuition is low or waived, you still need extra funds for daily living.
So, with a combination of affordable tuition fees and a scholarship that covers other study-related expenses, you can significantly reduce your costs and may be able to study in Europe for free or nearly free. For one example, take a look at some of the best scholarships for international students in Denmark. Danish Government Scholarships are available through Danish universities for highly qualified full-degree students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and they may be offered as full or partial tuition waivers and/or grants toward living costs. The Danish Government scholarship is administered by individual Danish universities, so students should check the rules at the institution of their choice.
You can apply for more than one scholarship in a particular country if the scholarship rules allow it. This can increase your chances of getting financial support. Please be resourceful in searching for scholarships and make sure to prepare an impressive scholarship application.
Tuition-free Options for Bachelor’s Studies in Europe
More than tuition and program fees, kindly consider your living costs in your chosen European country. Living expenses vary widely across Europe, so make sure to prepare your funds. One way to do that is to get scholarships. Now, if you’re an incoming undergraduate student in Europe, you can consider the following European universities and scholarship options.
Going to the Netherlands, Utrecht University is one of the oldest universities in the country, founded in 1636. Utrecht University, the Dutch government, and other organizations list scholarships and grants for international students, but the exact awards and eligible programs can change each year. One national option in the Netherlands is the NL Scholarship, formerly known as the Holland Scholarship. It is for non-EEA students applying to full-time bachelor’s or master’s programs at participating Dutch higher education institutions, including Utrecht University for the 2026-2027 academic year. The scholarship amount is €5,000 in the first year and is not a full-tuition scholarship.
The University of Twente also lists scholarships. The University of Twente participates in the NL Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year. It also offers the University Twente Scholarship for excellent non-EU/EEA students applying for eligible master’s programs, with awards of €3,000 to €22,000 for one year. Students should always check whether a scholarship is available for their specific degree level and program before applying.
On the other hand, if you’re going to Denmark, the University of Copenhagen follows Denmark’s tuition rules. Higher education in Denmark is generally free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and non-EU/EEA applicants may be exempt from tuition at the University of Copenhagen if they hold a qualifying Danish permanent residence permit or certain temporary residence permits that allow tuition-free study. Other non-EU/EEA students usually pay tuition fees.
Tuition-free Options for Master’s Studies in Europe
Having a master’s degree in your profession can strengthen your knowledge and expertise in the field. It can also open many opportunities. However, it can be expensive, especially if you choose to study for your master’s degree in Europe. To help you with this, here are some universities and scholarships that you can check.
Flying to Central Europe, the University of Zurich in Switzerland lists the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships as a funding option for international postgraduate researchers. These scholarships are mainly intended for talented early-career researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree. Research scholarships and PhD scholarships are available for postgraduate researchers, while art scholarships are available for students from a limited number of countries who wish to pursue a first master’s degree in an artistic field in Switzerland.
The University of Manchester in England lists several scholarships for international master’s students. The GREAT Scholarships are country-specific and can change by application cycle; for the 2026 cycle, Manchester offered GREAT awards to eligible students from Bangladesh, Ghana, and Pakistan for one-year master’s programs. Another scholarship is the Equity and Merit Scholarships for eligible applicants from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. These scholarships cover full tuition fees, and for students studying in Manchester, they also include return international airfares, living expenses, and visas.
Lastly, if you want to study in Finland, the University of Helsinki provides scholarship options for excellent tuition fee-liable students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who want to complete a master’s program at the university. The University of Helsinki’s scholarship program consists of 50% or 100% tuition fee waivers, but it does not cover living expenses.
Tuition-free Options for Ph.D. Studies in Europe
If you’re eyeing a doctorate degree in a European country with a limited budget, you can try checking these universities and the scholarships they offer.
The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom provides the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarships for outstanding PhD students. These fully funded scholarships are available to talented PhD applicants from the UK and around the world, across disciplines, but they are competitive and are not automatically available to all international doctorate students.
On the other hand, the University of Zurich lists several funding options for PhD researchers, including Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships. The Swiss Government Excellence PhD Scholarship provides CHF 2,450 per month to cover basic living expenses for one person. It is awarded for 12 months and may be renewable twice, up to 36 months, subject to academic progress. However, the Federal Excellence Scholarship does not cover tuition or semester fees, so scholarship holders may still need to cover these costs themselves.
We hope that this article on how to study in Europe for free was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
