Europe is without a doubt the most well-known area for international students to choose to study. One of the most important reasons is that students who enroll at the greatest European institutions may rest assured that they will receive a world-class education.
Europe’s countries and academic institutions are diverse in many ways. they each have their own idiosyncrasies and customs, which can manifest themselves in a variety of ways (including but not limited to language, cost of living, and manner of life).
But that doesn’t change the fact that Europe has been a leader in educational innovation for centuries. Furthermore, Europe is home to the majority of the world’s oldest and most prestigious academic institutions.
We’ve included all you need to know to stay up to date on the best universities in Europe for international students, including descriptions, rankings, and contact data.
Why Study in Europe
- You Can Be Certain of Studying In English
- Discover New Culture & Environment
- Their Education Systems is Renowned
- World-Class Research
1. You Can Be Certain of Studying In English
Next, there are a variety of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees taught in English, and the average level of English proficiency in European countries is rather high. If you are an international student, you can study in Europe without worrying about learning another European language.
2. Discover New Culture & Environment
As an international student, you’ll enjoy a number of advantages of studying in Europe. The ability to travel throughout Europe while you are a student can be used to your advantage and will help you learn more about the region.
In Europe, you could even take a trip across the continent before you’re done with school. Because of the low cost of trains, planes, and other modes of transportation, this is easily within reach.
4. Their Education System is Renowned
Europe’s many nations each have their own unique educational system, but on the whole, European education has been recognized as a model for the rest of the world to follow.
In light of the Bologna revolution, which required universities in Europe for international students to adopt a common curriculum and grading system.
That is to say, every bachelor’s and Master’s degree program in Europe adheres to a standard curriculum.
5. A Place for World-Class Research
The majority of the world’s best international universities for students are found in Europe.
Europe’s innovative research facilities are a direct result of the continent’s widespread student mobility.
As a result, many people now regard Europe to be a major research hub as well.
The List of Best Universities in Europe for International Students
The following is a list and ranking of some of the finest educational institutions in all of Europe.
Information from US. News was used to compile this ranking. The universities were ranked according to their research output and the opinions of other scholars from around the world.
The vast majority of Europe’s universities are consistently ranked among the world’s best.
1. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is widely recognized as one of the continent’s finest educational institutions. Although its precise establishment date is unknown, the University of Oxford can be traced back to at least the year 1096.
The university is situated in a rural area around 60 miles north-northwest of London, United Kingdom. It’s worth noting that 45 percent of the school’s total enrollment is made up of graduate students.
In light of the fact that most UK schools have shut down and exams will no longer be administered, Oxford is waiting to hear from the government about how it plans to handle the awarding of qualifications (such as A-Levels).
As soon as possible, more details will be made accessible to offerees in the United States and around the world.
The institution is still reviewing graduate application submissions; if you have any questions, you can use the online inquiry form available on the university’s website.
The university is currently setting a deadline of the UK summer for those who need to take an English language test.
The institution will provide more instructions on what to do if test centers throughout the world do not reopen on time.
2. Cambridge University
The origins of Cambridge University may be dated back to the year 1209.
Approximately 19,000 students are enrolled, with approximately 35% pursuing graduate degrees.
This institution, however, has more than a dozen distinct schools and institutes.
The University of Cambridge is a public, coeducational research university with over 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all corners of the globe, and it is located in the heart of Cambridge, an ancient city about 50 miles north of London.
Many of the university’s older buildings may be found along the banks of the illustrious River Cam, and it is organized into 31 separate colleges.
Colleges, rather than the institution as a whole, are contacted directly when an applicant is interested in enrolling.
You can both live and learn within your college, in what is called “college supervision” for small groups of students.
The university’s colleges are home to six academic schools: arts and humanities, biology and medicine, humanities and social sciences, physics and technology, and medicine and health.
3. University College London
UCL, short for University College London, is a prestigious British university. The university was founded in 1826 and is the third public university in England, following Oxford and Cambridge.
UCL’s main campus is in Central London, although the university also has locations in Qatar and Australia, among others.
Their research is central to what they do at UCL. According to the most recent Research Excellence Framework, they are the best university in the United Kingdom in terms of the quality of our research (REF 2014).
They encourage their community to work across traditional topic boundaries and provide over 675 postgraduate taught research, and initial teacher education options.
Because of UCL’s research-based approach to education, many of their degrees include research components, and their students regularly publish their own research findings in academic journals.
4. Imperial College London
One of the finest European public universities is Imperial College London.
Once part of the University of London, Imperial separated as its own university in 2007.
The institution, which was established in 1907 and is primarily concerned with scientific study, consists of various campuses spread out across and around London.
Imperial College London is located in South Kensington, a section of London that Prince Albert and Sir Henry Cole envisioned in the 19th century as a place where science and the arts would flourish together.
All of Imperial’s students also graduate from the Royal College of Art and the Royal Albert Hall, two of the world’s foremost artistic institutions that are located nearby.
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, both within a ten-minute walk of campus, provide additional opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Also, getting to and from the region is a breeze, as three different Tube lines and numerous bus routes all stop nearby.
5. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, or ETH Zurich for short, is a public research institution in Switzerland.
The University of Copenhagen dates back to 1854; it is located in Denmark. In fact, of its total enrollment of over 19,000, well than 7,000 are from outside the United States.
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (in English), as the institution is formally known, is home to sixteen academic departments that teach and perform research in fields as diverse as engineering, architecture, chemistry, and physics.
Most degree programs at ETH Zurich are founded on strong mathematical foundations, and education there mixes theory and application.
German is the primary language of instruction at the undergraduate level, whereas English is the language of choice for most graduate and Ph.D. programs.
6. University of Edinburgh
In 1853, the University of Edinburgh was founded. As a public university with more than five locations in Edinburgh, it certainly qualifies.
The institution also features a college of engineering, a college of medicine, a college of veterinary medicine, and a college of science.
Students who are not citizens of the European Union or Scotland pay a higher tuition rate.
The QS World University Rankings for 2023 placed the University of Edinburgh in the top 15 of all universities in Europe for international students worldwide.
This ranking confirms the University of Edinburgh’s status as one of the world’s best universities.
Edinburgh is home to students and faculty from all over the world thanks to its entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary culture.
They give a fun and interesting place to work, study, and teach, with access to first-rate resources.
From Nobel laureates to the next generation of explorers, pioneers, and inventors, they bring together the brightest minds from all over the globe.
7. King’s College London
King’s College London, located in London, is a public research institution focused on education.
Among the university’s overall enrollment of over 27,000 students, more than 12,000 are from outside the United States.
King’s is widely recognized as a global leader in academic excellence.
Taking into consideration both the quality and quantity of research activity, King’s was placed sixth in the country in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF’power’ )’s ranking, and seventh in the quality ranking by Times Higher Education.
The majority of King’s research (84%) has received the highest possible rating of “world-leading” or “internationally exceptional” (3* or 4*).
The institution has an annual income of about £684 million and ranks in the top seven universities in the United Kingdom in terms of research earnings.
8. University of Copenhagen
In 1479, a group of scholars established what would become the University of Copenhagen. Publicly funded and the country’s largest educational institution, it is also among the oldest in Scandinavia.
The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is one of the largest research and educational institutions in the Nordic countries, with over 40,000 students and more than 9,000 workers.
QS World University Rankings 2016 places UCPH as the 20th best university in all of Europe, making it the best in the Nordic countries.
Members of the IARU (Worldwide Alliance of Research Universities) and LERU (Leadership in European Research Universities) are among the many international research alliances to which the University of Copenhagen belongs (League of European Research Universities).
Many commercial businesses, including GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, and VELUX, have formed agreements with the institution.
Skilled scientists work together to disseminate laboratory findings to the public.
In addition, UCPH annually signs around 800 collaboration agreements with commercial and public businesses.
9. University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam University is a public university that first opened its doors in 1932. Given its location in the Netherlands, the university actually consists of several different locations.
Recent years have seen enrollment at the university rise to almost 30,000; nevertheless, tuition is significantly higher for students from outside the European Union.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA), which is among the top 20 institutions in Europe and the top 60 universities in the world, represents limitless curiosity: education, discovery, and the pursuit of a better world.
A wide variety of disciplines, from media and psychology to business and AI, are taught to our 41,000 students from over 100 countries.
They have one of the most extensive lists of degree programs available in Europe that are taught in English, and they even have a few that aren’t found anywhere else.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA), a leading research institution that dates back to 1632, is located in the middle of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a vibrant European capital city that can be traversed by bike in about an hour.
10. Sorbonne University
Sorbonne University was established in 2018 as a result of the merger between Paris-Sorbonne University and Pierre et Marie Curie University.
With over 43,000 total students and over 8,000 studying abroad, Sorbonne Universite is the largest public institution in Paris.
The University’s 53,400 students can choose from a wide variety of single-, double-, and multi-disciplinary courses designed to help them achieve their academic and professional goals.
Ten thousand of its students come from other countries, and four thousand of those are in the university’s Ph.D. programs.
There is a wide range of chances in many fields, thanks to the institution’s three primary faculties.
More than 3,400 professor-researchers work in the labs at Sorbonne University, and the university collaborates with important French research organizations.
The institution is home to the European Marine Biological Research Centre and boasts a number of outstanding interdisciplinary institutes.
11. University of Granada
One of Spain’s most attractive and lively cities is Granada, which stretches out at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Streets lined with pubs, student dives, and tasty bohemian cafés stocked with tapas make for the ideal setting for a university, and the city itself is packed with ancient architectural landmarks.
In its 500 years of existence, the Universidad de Granada has grown to become a preeminent academic institution in southern Spain.
Those interested in learning more about the Spanish language and culture can do so at the school’s Modern Language Center, which attracts students from all around the world.
Plus, it’s in a beautiful setting, what with the nearby mountains and the proximity to the sea.
12. Florence University of the Arts
The University of the Arts in Florence is your ticket to the study abroad experience of a lifetime in Italy.
This university, founded in 1997, may be found in the heart of Florence, one of the most beautiful and often visited towns in all of Italy.
Florence is a hub for world-class art, and FUA will teach you all about it.
The city is famous for its amazing architecture, which will charm you at every turn.
FUA is widely regarded as one of the top international institutions in Europe for students interested in pursuing a liberal arts degree due to its emphasis on a student-centered learning environment.
13. Maastricht University
The next in our list of the best universities in Europe for international students to consider is a university in the Netherlands- Maastricht University, a public institution in the country’s southeastern corner that was founded in 1967 and is thus the second youngest in the country’s thirteen universities.
It’s also the nation’s most international institution and offers academic programs in a number of subjects.
The majority of courses in Maastricht are taught in English and have a strong international or European focus, making them accessible to students from all over the world; this is especially important given that half of Maastricht’s student population is made up of international students.
14. HEC Paris School of Management
For 2019, the QS Masters in Management Rankings have awarded first place to HEC Paris School of Management, which is a school dedicated to management teaching and research as its name suggests.
It provides a wide variety of specialized courses for aspiring leaders, such as master’s degrees, MBAs, doctorates, the HEC Executive MBA, the TRIUM Global Executive MBA, and open-enrollment and individualized Executive Education courses.
HEC Paris has about 4,400 students and does well in terms of diversity; for example, in 2017, international students made up 65% of its master’s in management class population, apparently representing a total of 17 various nationalities.
15. Ecole des Ponts ParisTech
Founded in 1747 under the name École Royale des Ponts et Chaussées, the institution is today known as Ecole des Ponts ParisTech.
Ecole des Ponts is a graduate institution focused on developing the intellectual and professional potential of future engineers, but it also provides training in many other fields, including computer science, finance, and economics.
As of right now, the school has linkages to 56 other schools in 32 other countries, with 43% of its students earning a double degree thanks to their time spent studying abroad.
It also has a very international student body, with over 500 students from 48 different nations studying there.
Conclusion
Europe is home to the vast majority of the world’s finest educational institutions.
As a result, any European country is a good option for a student seeking a high-quality education that can compete on a global scale.
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