- Originally published
- Last updated on July 24th, 2023 at 12:51 am
Table of Contents
U.S. students are increasingly braving TSA lines for the chance to experience another culture (and often graduate debt-free while they’re at it). But it can be challenging to find programs in your major and get a feel for a school’s reputation and vibe. How do you figure out what the best universities in the world are for international students (especially English-speaking Americans)? We’re here for you.
Going to college abroad is increasingly popular. Since 2018, colleges in the U.K. have seen applications from American students skyrocket 49%. In France, that number is 50%, while the Netherlands comes in with a 16% increase from 2020 to 2021.
It wasn’t the pandemic. In fact, while U.K. applications from Americans were flat in 2020, they held steady while the world held its breath, then continued trending upward.
Why?
For American students, crushing student debt is a big part of it.
Today, a student at Stanford pays $230,772 for their degree in tuition alone. They’ll pay $228,984 at Harvard. That’s more than every one of our top 25 international winners. Both tuition totals are more than 564 out of the 566 non-U.S. schools we analyzed (only the universities of Monash and Newcastle in Australia cost more).
Many students go abroad to help make college worth it: they can distinguish themselves as confident risk-takers, gain global experience, save on tuition, and find quality degrees for less.
Choosing a university is crucial to getting the most out of your student years.
That’s why College Abroad Guides wanted to find the absolute best places to land for American college students looking to find the perfect place to study—and explore—for the next few years.
So what are the best universities in the world for international students?
Our Categories: Good, Cheap, and Happy
Because it’s hard to get anything out of an amazing class when you can’t afford books, and you can’t find a healthcare provider who speaks English, we analyzed foreign universities in multiple categories pertaining not just to academics but to things that make studying abroad easier for international students. We’re particularly focused on American students, but the results work for students from English-speaking countries.
Is it good?
We averaged Times educational rankings and the number of total bachelor’s degrees offered in English (which can help students find study buddies, attend more events, and take more coursework that gels with their specific interests).
Is it cheap?
We looked at whether students enjoyed low rent, a low overall cost of living, and affordable tuition over the number of years a bachelor’s student spends in school.
Is it happy?
We ranked universities by the number of international students (the more diversity, the better), the country’s national happiness quotient, including safety, and overall English proficiency, so you can get out and order a pastry with ease, participate in your community, and have more fun.
We weighed each category equally.
Our Findings
- Keep calm and head to the jolly old United Kingdom. With 8 spots in the top 10, England dominates with many universities bringing years of prestige, multiple programs, and high international diversity.
- Lancaster University is the best university in the world for international students.
- While Lancaster takes the top spot, there’s a new War of the Roses brewing. The University of York wins the #1 academic spot with a #139 global ranking, and diverse English-taught programs from bioarchaeology to computer science with or without cybersecurity, genetics, and theoretical physics.
- Have a great student life outside class at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. You’ll live in an international community full of safe and content people, and bonus—they’re likely to speak your language.
- Looking to save? Head to Istanbul Technical University, where tuition and cost of living are in the bottom 10% globally. Which top-25 school takes the biggest bite out of your wallet? That’s the University of Adelaide, Australia, where the total cost of living is in the top 10%.
Top 25 Best Universities in the World for International Students
- Lancaster University, UK
- University of Aukland, New Zealand
- University of Liverpool, UK
- University of Aberdeen, UK
- University of British Columbia, Canada
- University of East Anglia, UK
- Cardiff University, UK
- Newcastle University, UK
- University of Essex, UK
- University of York, UK
- University of Sussex, UK
- McGill University, Canada
- University of Nottingham, UK
- Imperial College London, UK
- Middlesex University, UK
- University of Kent, UK
- University of Adelaide, Australia
- University of Malaya, Malaysia
- Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
- University of Leister, UK
- University of Maastricht, Netherlands
- Curtin University, Australia
- Durham University, UK
- University of Strathclyde, UK
- University of Groningen, Netherlands
The Big Takeaway: Brittania Rules Just About Everything—Except Cost
Apart from the U.S., the U.K. plays host to more international students than any other country on earth. Pre-COVID, the U.K. saw more than 500,000 international students attend British universities. And even with its high cost of living, the 50,000+ degree options and 3-year-degree cost-cutting bonus made it tough for other universities to compete.
While British universities top the charts, high costs flatten their affordability scores. Our top-25 U.K. winners all score in the bottom 25% for costs. And frankly, the top 25 don’t really cater to anyone who is cost-conscious. Low-cost universities just can’t compete for academic quality when coupled with the quality of life factors in high-income countries.
Where tuition is concerned, no university in the U.K. is a bargain. But #15 Imperial College London takes the cake. With a total tuition of $203,395 (in the top 1% overall) and London’s Shard-high cost of living (4th in the world), it’s the least affordable school on our winner’s list.
Which British university is kindest to your bank account? Look to Middlesex University. With low international course fees of $18,270 annually, you can put those tuition savings straight into your London rent fund. At the end of the day, England seems to dominate just because it saves students an entire year and hence 25% of their total college costs compared to other expensive countries. Something’s better than nothing!
Best of the Best: University of Lancaster
Lancaster Academics
The best overall university in the world for international students is the University of Lancaster.
First, it’s ranked #133 in the world for academics. Second, it has one of the highest scores for the sheer number of undergraduate programs available (280). Students can choose from high-quality courses from politics to social work, sports and exercise science, creative writing, theater, and zoology.
There are combination degrees that help students combine interests for a broader undergraduate experience. Some of the options don’t seem very related, like “French Studies and Computing.” Others, like “Geography and Economics” can help students create a specialization that will serve their graduate applications. Overall, Lancaster shined in academics, ranking our #4 school among all 566 universities we analyzed.
Lancaster Student Life
Lancaster also scores high on quality of life factors. With 29% international students, the university has plenty of resources for new students to get acclimated, find friends, and discuss important cultural discoveries, like why people call breakfast “breaky.” Its student life is helped along by a college system. Choose two different college preferences that will place you in a social and residential group of peers. The system determines where you live as an incoming first-year student.
However, the college system can also help you fit into what may otherwise be a large and impersonal university. It offers a buffet of in-house activities and social events. Hundreds of societies can also connect you to new friends and old hobbies. Try the American football society for a little taste of home (we’re still not sure if you play football, or if you, as Americans, play soccer, but it sounds like fun).
Lancaster Cost
Lancaster’s score is slightly flattened by the high cost of living and tuition in the U.K. Its 3-year degree with annual tuition of $26,156 for a social science degree totals $78,468. In some ways, that degree is a bargain. It’s 47% less than you’ll pay in tuition at #13 Imperial College London.
Overall, this large northern university has plenty going for it. From natural spaces to plenty of degrees, international students can find their home here.
Category Winners
Best University for Academics: Get Smart in York
The city of York’s winding cobblestone streets radiate a distinctive “Diagon Alley” feel, popular with tourists. You can walk atop the city’s Roman walls and explore the site of its well-preserved Viking settlement. That’s enough to make many history buffs head to the University of York. They’re especially interested in highly-ranked programs like archaeology.
However, there’s more to the University of York. It offers 139 total undergraduate programs from social sciences to computer science. University of York students can also take elective modules for a broader perspective than their degree coursework allows. For instance, they can pick up a Climate Change series or Japanese language classes.
While a prestigious university like Oxford is academically ranked higher, it can’t beat large universities for their breadth of study opportunities. Universities like York offer hundreds of more specialized degrees and classes.
Students have another advantage academically. The international student body here has plenty of company—nearly a third of its student body. That has given the university staff a global perspective and spawned multiple student societies for international students. 240 current students hail from the U.S.
Academically prestigious, the University of York is part of the “Russell Group” of research-centered U.K. universities. There are 24 self-selected Russell Group universities in the country, which comprises a sort of British Ivy League. To learn more, check out the different types of U.K. universities here.
A strong research presence can show employers back home that your education is first-rate, especially if they don’t recognize the name of your university. And this path to credibility is especially true for York. A strong point of its Times ranking is the number of citations University of York professors earn in new research in their fields. Overall, the University of York’s multiple programs, large international presence, and outstanding research track record make it a solid choice for international scholars, and it takes our top spot for academics, mixing reputation and opportunity.
Best University for Student Life: Live Your Best Life in Maastricht
The birthplace of the EU and the Euro currency, Maastricht is nestled into the southern tip of the country, surrounded by Belgium. It’s much more central in Europe than the rest of the Netherlands. You’ll find Hansel and Gretel’s house here next to a castle.
In other ways, the city mirrors the rest of the Netherlands. For one, residents boast the 5th happiest citizens in the world. With their fairytale atmosphere and quaint college town, who can blame them? Only a few universities with a single English-taught program in the Nordic countries beat the Netherlands for happiness.
International students benefit from sky-high happiness: they’ll study in a clean country with gorgeous scenery. They’ll benefit from high local pay, economic prosperity, generosity, and a low belief in government corruption.
While you’re contentedly biking around enjoying the free elections, notice how the university and its 56% of international students peacefully coexist in this medieval town. The university focuses on “problem-based” learning, where students work out real-world issues together rather than strictly in lecture halls. It’s bound to create a more collaborative atmosphere.
Add that to the tolerant Dutch attitude toward a diverse, global campus community, and what do you get? Happy people—that’s right. Student life here is the best in the world.
Best University for Affordability: Save Cash in Istanbul
Your rent won’t be nearly as cheap as that of the Hagia Sofia cat in Istanbul’s famous blue mosque. But you will find a world-class education here with the lowest costs in the top 25.
Founded during the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul’s Technical University once served military shipbuilders and engineers. However, in recent times, it’s risen to prominence as a global tech giant. Turkish students need to score in the top 1% on national entrance exams to get accepted. And it’s ranked 142nd globally for “engineering and technology” in the QS World Rankings.
Students looking to make a splash for very little cash in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, mineral mining and petroleum engineering, and even environmental sciences get a bargain here.
Turkey is only getting more affordable for students who earn in dollars and spend in lira. However, economic instability can also scare off would-be international students in recent years. Before COVID, Turkey’s internationalization efforts led to its emergence as an international education hub, ranking 10th in the world for the number of international students seeking degrees there. In 2020, that included 310,000 students.
Yet very few were American—just 160 U.S. students choose Turkey for a degree.
Affordability runners-up are the University of Malaya in Malaysia and the Middlesex University.
Continental Top Shelf: Here are the Top Universities in Non-English-Speaking Areas
It’s hard to beat top educational destinations like the U.K. for the number of English-taught programs. When we filtered out English-speaking countries, some underrated gems emerged. Consider these universities for the best experience off the beaten track:
- McGill University*
- University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
- University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands
- University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Semmelweiss University, Budapest, Hungary
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*It feels wrong to put this prominent English-speaking, North American university, flanked by “Dr. Penfield Avenue” and “McTavish Street” atop the “non-English-speaking” category. But McGill is located in Montréal, a predominantly French-speaking city and province. Students here will immerse themselves in a French-speaking community, so brush up!
The Best University in the World for International Students? It Doesn’t Have to Be British!
It’s hard to unseat British dominance in international education. After all, the sun never sets on areas once colonized by the U.K., meaning that many countries today speak English, teach in English, and have cultural ties to England. Does that mean the best universities in the world for international students should always be British? Naw.
Those cultural similarities, along with a wealth of degree programs, are awesome for many American students. They won’t need to learn a new language or navigate an unfamiliar culture. They can study something they love with the world’s prominent experts.
The dominance of England, however, speaks to an overall problem in which only rich nations can develop world-class education. We found that high-income countries with high costs have more educational richness, with multiple world-class universities and diverse programs (not to mention higher overall happiness).
It was a challenge to overcome these advantages in our ratings. While our lists of “cheapest” and “best” universities were almost opposites, we also found it tough to tease out high-ranking universities that balance quality and affordability.
But for individual students, the balance is possible.
Consider looking for more affordable universities that offer just a few English-speaking programs. Some students may even prefer an education in this style, thriving in close-knit departments and bonding with students in their program. You’ll have fewer resources outside your program. But you might save a bundle and cultivate plenty of close friendships.
Our rankings privilege having a bigger library full of English books, a deeper pool of diverse opinions at the pub, and a broader academic community.
If that’s not your personal balance, these universities won’t be your British cup of tea. Find your own mix of academics, cost, and happiness, and you may find the best university in the world for international students is the one you choose for yourself.
Methodology
How did we find the best universities in the world for international students?
We merged the almost 10,000 international, English-speaking bachelor’s programs with the 2,165 world universities in the Times Higher Education international rankings. That left 566 schools in 76 countries and 385 unique world cities. American Universities abroad typically don’t make the rankings, and were not included. We included private universities, but just one—Curtin in Australia—made the final top 25. Because of the research emphasis of public universities and the legality of private universities across the globe, public universities dominate rankings.
Voila! The best universities in the world for international students.
However, students should know that research universities were better positioned to make the Times rankings. Small public or private teaching-oriented colleges and universities can be outstanding choices for undergraduate American students looking for both personal attention and high-quality education. They’re often better positioned to help students get to where they need to go than large, “lost in the crowd” schools with rockstar professors you’ll never see.
We firmly believe that some of these gems weren’t even on the radar of our 566 international universities, but should be top contenders for the best universities in the world for international students. We’re committed to finding new data sources that assess their strengths better in future analyses.
A note on rankings: We included international rankings because it can be a preliminary method of evaluating universities in countries other than their own, affirming their academic reputation outside of any other way to evaluate global schools against one another. However, rankings are just one of many factors students should consider in their search—and they can be particularly misleading for students with priorities that differ from the ranking institution’s criteria. Rankings can undervalue really important criteria like teaching prowess, inclusivity, or cost.
Our methodology meant that native English-speaking schools were overrepresented. However, 388 of our 566 universities were in countries where English is not the predominant language of instruction.
From there, we ranked schools according to three categories: academics, quality of life, and cost.
Academics:
- University Ranking from the Times, which focuses highly on research. 60% of the ranking is research and citations, 30% teaching, 7.5% international factors, and 2.5% knowledge transfer. Learn more about the factors that comprise their categories.
- Number of Programs Available in English
Acclimation:
- Country’s Happiness Index
- Country’s English proficiency level
- Percentage of international students
Cost:
- The cost of an entire degree for an international, U.S. (non-EU) student given the number of years to degree
- The local cost of living index
- The local rent index
The final ranking of the best universities in the world for international students weighs all factors within each category, and all three categories themselves equally. Universities with missing information were eliminated, as were “degree” programs billed as a single-year certificate. We also eliminated degrees offered in cities other than the university’s main campus (for example, a British university offering a degree in Dubai. Keep in mind, however, that this can be a great way to reconcile a university’s reputation with the local cost of living in your own search).
Another important note is that tuition fees were calculated in U.S. dollars in April 2023. With recent fluctuations in the Turkish lira and British pound, consider cost calculations a snapshot of general costs and check with your favorite universities for updated tuition and cost of living expenses.
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Jessica Share
Jessica is the writer, Ph.D., and mom-of-an-abroad-student-in-the-UK at the helm of College Abroad Guides. When she's not asking college students where the coolest place to hang out in their city is, she's figuring out how she can make $60 imported Greek oregano potato chips and £50 British bacon potato chips appear on her doorstep for the cost of a local bag of Lay's.
