These are planning estimates, not quotes. Tuition comes from the country files (with their sources); living costs are typical student budgets from 2026 sources and the official visa proof-of-funds minimums. Figures are per academic year in local currency, with a rough euro equivalent (£1 ≈ €1.17, $1 ≈ €0.92, CHF 1 ≈ €1.05; ⚠️ exchange rates move).
1. Summary table (per year, 2026/27 prices)
| Country | Tuition, EU student | Tuition, non-EU student | Living costs (student, per year) | Typical total per year, EU | Typical total per year, non-EU | Bachelor's length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 UK | Mostly international fee (£17k–£35k) unless settled status / Irish; home fee £9,790 (England) | £17,000–£35,000; medicine £45k–£55k+ | London £19k–£34k; elsewhere £12k–£18k | €35k–€60k (international fee) | €35k–€60k | 3 years (Scotland 4) |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | €2,771 (2027/28) | €9,000–€21,000 | €11k–€19k (Amsterdam high) | €14k–€22k | €22k–€40k | 3 years (applied sciences 4) |
| 🇺🇸 US | No EU rate: $31,880 (public, out-of-state average) – $45,000 (private average) – $72,500 (Yale) | same | $20k+ (room, board, books, insurance) | sticker €50k–€90k; net can be far lower with need-based aid | same | 4 years |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | €0 + semester fee €200–€700 | €0 in most states; €3,000/yr Baden-Württemberg; €4,000–€6,000/yr TUM | €11,904 (visa minimum) – €16k (Munich) | €12k–€17k | €12k–€23k | 3 years |
| 🇫🇷 France | €178 + CVEC €105 (public licence) | €2,902 + CVEC (often waived) | €10.5k (visa min. €877.50/month) – €18k (Paris) | €11k–€19k | €14k–€22k (no APL housing benefit) | 3 years (licence) |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | €2,500 student contribution (Free Fees) | €18,500–€30,000; medicine €52k–€60k | €12k–€20k (Dublin high) | €15k–€23k | €30k–€50k | 4 years (honours) |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | CHF 1,460 (ETH/EPFL residents) / CHF 4,380 (foreigners moving to study) | CHF 4,380 | CHF 21,000 (permit benchmark) – CHF 28k (Zurich, Geneva) | €27k–€35k | €27k–€35k | 3 years |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | €760–€2,000 (public, by region) | Same or higher by region (Madrid non-EU non-residents pay much more); private €15k–€30k (IE €26,500) | €8.5k–€12k (most cities) – €11k–€17k (Madrid, Barcelona) | €10k–€19k (public) | €12k–€45k | 4 years (medicine 6) |
Sources: country files (how we check our data) for tuition; living costs below. 🟡
2. Living costs by city (per month, student in a shared flat or residence)
| City | Typical monthly budget | Room | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,600–£2,800 | £1,100–£1,500 | 🟡 [S1] |
| UK outside London | £1,000–£1,500 (visa minimum £1,171; a rise to £1,203 is reported but not yet on GOV.UK) | £550–£900 | 🟡 ⚠️ |
| Amsterdam | €1,300–€1,600 | €900–€1,200 | 🟡 [S2] |
| Other Dutch cities | €900–€1,300 | €400–€700 | 🟡 [S2] |
| Berlin | €950–€1,400 | €450–€750 (WG room) | 🟡 [S3] |
| Munich | €1,200–€1,500 | €600–€900 | ⚠️ |
| Paris | €1,200–€1,800 | €850–€1,500 | 🟡 [S1] |
| Other French cities | €800–€1,100 | €400–€600 (CROUS from ~€250) | ⚠️ |
| Dublin | €1,400–€1,900 | €800–€1,200 | ⚠️ |
| Zurich / Geneva | CHF 2,000–2,500 | CHF 800–1,200 | ⚠️ |
| Lausanne | CHF 1,800–2,200 | CHF 700–1,000 | ⚠️ |
| Madrid | €900–€1,300 (shared flat) | €500–€800 | 🟡 [S4] |
| Barcelona | €850–€1,400 | €400–€750 | 🟡 [S4] |
| Granada / Seville / Valencia | €700–€1,000 | €300–€450 | 🟡 [S4] |
| US campus | $1,700–$2,500 (room and board often billed by the college) | 🟡 |
3. Total cost of a bachelor's degree (example scenarios)
Rough totals for the full degree, tuition + living, for a student not receiving aid:
| Scenario | Years | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| EU student, public university in Germany (Berlin or Leipzig), German-taught | 3 | €36k–€50k |
| EU student, Spain public (Valencia/Granada) | 4 | €38k–€55k |
| EU student, France public licence outside Paris | 3 | €33k–€45k |
| EU student, Netherlands (Groningen / Utrecht), English-taught | 3 | €42k–€65k |
| EU student, Ireland (Galway / Cork; Dublin higher) | 4 | €60k–€90k |
| Student moving to Switzerland (ETH / EPFL) | 3 | €80k–€105k |
| EU or international student, UK (outside London) | 3 | €105k–€160k |
| International student, UK (London, e.g. LSE / Imperial / UCL) | 3 | €140k–€200k |
| Spain private (IE University, Madrid/Segovia) | 4 | €150k–€175k |
| US private college, sticker price (e.g. ~$92k–$98k a year at Harvard/Yale) | 4 | €340k–€360k sticker; €0–€100k+ after aid at need-blind, full-need colleges for middle-income families |
| Medicine, international, UK | 5–6 | €300k–€400k |
| Medicine, EU student, Germany / Spain / France public | 6 | €70k–€110k (mostly living costs) |
⚠️ Estimates: add inflation (3–5% a year for tuition at many universities) and one-off costs.
4. One-off and hidden costs
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Applications | UCAS £34.50; CAO €35–€65; uni-assist €75 + €30; US $50–$90 per college + CSS Profile $25 + $16 each; Campus France fees (by country) |
| Tests | SAT ~$68+; UCAT, LNAT, TMUA/ESAT ~£70–£130 each; TMS, HPAT, PCE (fees apply) ⚠️ |
| Language certificates | IELTS / TOEFL ~€220–€270; TestDaF ~€215; DELF/DALF €100–€200; DELE €100–€200 ⚠️ |
| Visas (non-EU) | UK £558 + £776/yr health surcharge; US $535–$785 + SEVIS $350 (included); Germany ~€75 + permit ~€100; France ~€50 + €60 stamp; Ireland ~€300/yr registration; Spain ~€80 ⚠️ |
| Blocked / proof-of-funds money | Germany €11,904 blocked; UK 9 months of costs held 28 days; Switzerland ~CHF 21,000 |
| Deposits and first month | Rent deposit (1–3 months), furniture, travel: €2,000–€4,000 in the first month |
| Health insurance | Compulsory in CH (~CHF 100+/month), US (school plans $2k–$4k/yr), DE public (~€120–€140/month for non-EU); EU students often use the EHIC |
5. How to reduce the cost
- Choose by fee status: an EU citizen pays almost nothing in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands (€2,771) and Ireland (€2,500), but international fees in the UK.
- Look at cheaper cities: Leipzig, Dresden, Granada, Valencia, Lyon, Toulouse, Groningen, Galway: same degrees, 30–50% lower living costs.
- US need-blind, full-need colleges (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Amherst, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Brown, Notre Dame) can be cheaper than the UK for middle-income families. Run each college's net price calculator.
- Use home-country funding abroad: German Auslands-BAföG, Luxembourg, Nordic grants and others follow the student. ⚠️ Covered in later country files.
- Work during studies: allowed for EU students everywhere; non-EU limits: UK 20 h/week, NL limited, DE 140 days/yr, FR 964 h/yr, IE 20 h/week, CH ~15 h/week, ES 30 h/week, US on-campus 20 h/week.
- Shorter degrees: 3-year bachelor's (UK, NL, DE, FR, CH) vs 4 years (US, IE, ES, Scotland).
Sources
All checked on 2026-10-19. Tuition figures: see each country file's sources.
| Ref | Source | URL | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Blueground: student housing costs 2026 (London, Paris, Berlin) | theblueground.com | secondary |
| S2 | College Council: cost of living for students in the Netherlands | college-council.com | secondary |
| S3 | Uniplaces: cost of living in Berlin 2026 | uniplaces.com | secondary |
| S4 | Uniplaces: Madrid and Barcelona 2026; Migaku: Granada 2026 | uniplaces.com | secondary |