Students preparing for university this September have a world of factors to consider before they decide where to continue their learning journey.
The academic excellence of their chosen institute is paramount but tuition fees, cost-of-living expenses and future career opportunities also weigh heavily on young minds seeking to broaden their horizons.
Many are flocking to Norway, Germany and France, which provide work visas after graduation, apart from being home to many of the world's top universities.
Malaysia is also a popular port of call as it has low tuition fees and hosts the campuses of a number of internationally renowned universities.
Traditional markets include Canada, the US and the UK, but high fees and competition have led students to look further afield.
“I think price point has become a very important factor especially, with the parents and students fearing an incoming recession,” said Vandana Mahajan, founder of Futures Abroad, an education consultancy in the Emirates.
“They are quite price sensitive and look at options which give them a good, affordable tuition fees and settlement opportunities afterwards.
“One question we get a lot from students is where can I get the [highest] scholarship.”
Erudera, an AI-backed education search platform, has created a list of countries in Europe where higher education is free or comes at a minimal cost.
Countries such as Austria, the Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Malta, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Sweden offer free education for some nationalities.
Here is a list of some of the most affordable countries in terms of tuition and cost of living for international students:
Germany
Many public universities in Germany offer tuition-free education but students at these seats of learning would have to pay a fee ranging from Dh1,160 to Dh1,950 each semester.
The cost of living in the country is about Dh3,500 a month. Students are eligible for a post-graduation work visa of up to 18 months.
Ms Mahajan said Germany was on top of students' list in terms of affordability because there was no tuition fee at many universities.
“It is a very attractive option and we do get a lot of queries on a daily basis,” she said.
France
Students from the EU have to pay about Dh1,470 a year while those from non-EU countries pay about Dh10,900 for a bachelor's degree annually and Dh14,800 for a master's degree.
Living costs go up to Dh3,500 a month.
Ms Mahajan said there has been massive interest from students interested in studying in France due to the lower tuition fees and the opportunity to secure a work visa of up to a year after graduation.
Poland
English-speaking universities in Poland, the Netherlands and Georgia are increasingly attracting students from the UAE, education consultants told The National last year.
International non-EU students pay about Dh7,500 to Dh23,000 a year on average for their degrees at Polish universities while living costs are between Dh1,500 and Dh2,300 a month. Students can secure a work visa of up to nine months after graduation.
“We get a lot of interest for Poland as it is quite affordable. Lots of students look at Poland for medicine-related programmes because of the ease of admissions and affordability,” said Ms Mahajan.
Norway
Norway is very popular with students in the EU and globally as its public universities offer tuition-free education, with a few exceptions.
However, the country is considering asking international students from outside the EU or the European Economic Area to pay for tuition from the autumn of 2023.
Tuition fees for non-Europeans may go up to Dh47,747 ($13,000) for some programmes.
The cost of living in Norway ranges from Dh2,700 to Dh3,500 a month.
International students in Norway can work for up to 20 hours a week during their studies and secure a one-year work visa after graduating.
Mexico
In Mexico, public universities can charge international students between Dh1,500 and Dh3,000 a year.
At the country's private universities, tuition fees for international students are between Dh5,800 and Dh58,800 per academic year.
The cost of living for an international student in Mexico is about Dh3,700 a month.
India
The number of overseas students coming to India for studies surged by about 42 per cent in less than a decade, Indian media reported last year.
Tuition fees depend on the course and university but average between Dh4,000 and Dh20,000 a year.
Living costs usually come up to Dh1,000 to Dh1,500 a month.
Argentina
Argentina offers a range of grants and scholarships to international students while tuition at public universities is free of charge.
Fees at most private universities are between Dh18,000 and Dh55,000, while living costs are about Dh1,300 a month.
Taiwan
Universities in Taiwan are considered very competitive and average tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses range between Dh5,900 and Dh17,000 a year.
Accommodation costs about Dh920 a month.
Malaysia
Malaysia is considered an education centre and is home to more than 120,000 international students.
Ms Mahajan said Malaysia was extremely popular with international students because of very low tuition fees and the fact that it was home to several branch campuses of academic institutions such as Monash University or the University of Nottingham.
She said students took it as a pathway to study for two years in Malaysia and then transfer, for example, to two years to Canada or the UK.
Estimated tuition fees for a bachelor's programme are about Dh15,000 a year.
South Africa
More than 40,000 international students attend South African universities each year, with its multicultural environment proving a big draw.
Tuition fees come to an average of Dh22,000 for international undergraduates at the University of Cape Town.
Living costs go up to Dh2,785 a month.
What else must students consider?
While the price point is an essential factor, students also take into consideration the institution's reputation, the quality of the academic programmes, the availability of financial aid and scholarships, the institute's location, the potential for internships, job placements and opportunities after graduation.
“One of the biggest factors students look at, after affordability, is which country is giving them a settlement opportunity and [whether] there is a prospect of getting a postgraduate work permit and of getting a job,” said Ms Mahajan.
Donjeta Pllana, analyst at Erudera said students should not be guided only be affordability.
“In the decision-making process to pursue education in foreign countries, while price is a major consideration, it is not the determining factor,” she said.
“Students must carefully balance the financial costs with other important factors such as cultural integration, academic progress [and] professional growth when deciding to pursue higher education abroad.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Spec%20sheet
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UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision