• Standard

    A graphic close-up of the front of a silver N26 Debit Mastercard.
    Bank for free

    Smart

    A graphic close-up of the front of a pink N26 Mastercard.
    Bank with more control

    Go

    A graphic close-up of the front of a teal N26 Mastercard.
    Bank at home or on the go

    Metal

    A graphic close-up of the front of a black N26 Metal Mastercard.
    Make a statement
    Compare personal plans

    Business Standard

    A graphic close-up of the front of a silver N26 Business Standard card.
    Freelancers bank for free

    Business Smart

    A graphic close-up of the front of a pink N26 Business card.
    Manage your business with more control

    Business Go

    A graphic close-up of the front of a teal N26 Business card.
    Manage your business on the go

    Business Metal

    A graphic close-up of the front of a black N26 Business Metal card.
    Premium banking with cashback for your business
    Compare business plans
  • Highlights
    CRST-18128_PulseSoft_Banking_Nav-highlight_140x140.
    Banking featuresYour money made simple
    CRST-14299 Cards for Kids Nav-highlight-140x140 V1.
    For under 18sCards for teens and children, with parents looped in
    Features
    Joint accountMastercardDigital walletsAdding money
  • Highlights
    A man smiles while leaning over a box to unpack vinyl records in a bright room.
    Instant SavingsEarn interest flexibly
    Features
    Spaces Guide to interest rates
  • Highlights
    A hand holds a smartphone displaying the N26 investment screen listing popular stocks.
    All investment optionsYour portfolio, your way
    A woman wearing a baseball cap smiles while holding up her smartphone outdoors.
    Stocks and ETFsTrade from €1
    A man wearing a white sweatshirt and a black cap is sitting outdoors in a sunny field.
    CryptoBuy and sell 300+ coins
    A man wearing a white sweatshirt and a black cap is sitting outdoors in a sunny field.
    Ready-made fundsFunds managed by pros
     
    CRST-25202_MMF_Expansion_LP_Thumbnail_140x140.
    Flexible Cash FundMake your money work harder
    Features
    Savings plansAnalyzing stocksGuide to ETFsGuide to stocksInvesting for beginners
  • Highlights
    A hand holds a smartphone on a beach, displaying a digital pink N26 Mastercard on the screen.
    Travel benefits Borderless banking
    A smiling man sits on the floor next to a backpack and looks at his smartphone.
    Travel Insurance Coverage for the unexpected
    A woman with a backpack holds a smartphone while standing on a mountain trail overlooking a city and a peak.
    Travel eSIMData in 100+ countries
    Features
    Exchanging currencyForeign transaction feesUsing your card abroad
Log in
Log in
Open bank account

Company

  • About us

  • Leadership Team

  • Investor Relations

  • Sustainability

  • Careers

  • Press

  • Affiliate program

  • Suppliers

Help

  • Customer Support

  • Sitemap

  • Financial crime policies

LEARN

  • Blog

  • Banking basics

  • Trading glossary

  • Crypto glossary

  • Studies and research

MONEY TOOLS

  • Financial calculators

  • Budget calculator

  • 50-30-20 calculator

  • Interest calculator

  • Inflation calculator

  • Moving cost calculator

  • Festive budget calculator

More

  • Student bank account

  • Salary account

  • Security

  • Refer a friend

  • Expats

  • International money transfers

© N26 SE 2026
Legal DocumentsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyImprintUpdate cookie settings

The Education Price Index 2022

A Study by N26
A group of three MBA students point to a laptop in a library while laughing.
To help students make informed financial decisions, The Mobile Bank N26 analyzed the cost of higher education in 50 countries around the world—including the cost of studying to become a Doctor, Nurse, Lawyer, Civil Engineer, Software Developer, or Teacher. Plus, the study features the typical local salaries for graduates of each degree and ranks 100 popular student cities for their livability and cost of living.
Three students watching the sunset.

With classes disrupted and remote learning as the new norm, we all saw major changes in the world of higher education over the last few years. As pandemic restrictions loosen and the next generation of students prepares to start university, we’ve put together The Education Price Index: an in-depth analysis of how higher education costs differ around the world. It’s all to help students make smart financial choices when planning their futures. The study also compares data on the cost of living, tuition fees, levels of student debt, and graduate salaries, with a focus on six globally comparable degree subjects.

The higher education landscape

Around 40% of people globally now go on to higher education after finishing secondary school—the highest level ever. A university education can open doors to greater career opportunities and better remuneration, but it can also come at a significant financial cost. In some countries, university students receive free tuition or only pay admin costs, while in others they pay tuition fees that vary depending on whether the university is public or private. Add living costs and other expenses, and the price of getting a degree can rack up quickly.We looked at the cost of higher education in 50 countries, which we chose because of their renowned universities and comparable education data. Our research included looking at tuition fees as well as living costs and livability in different locations around the world.

The research process

To compare the cost of higher education in each country, we analyzed the tuition fees of six common degree subjects: medicine, nursing, law, civil engineering, software development, and teaching. For each subject, we researched the annual tuition fees and calculated the total cost of completing the necessary degree(s). We also wanted to gauge the financial implications of studying different subjects, so we determined graduates’ typical salary prospects.Since financial accessibility is a key topic in higher education around the world, we assessed the affordability of a university education in each country. We calculated how long it takes for someone on an average income to pay back their tuition fees, as well as for someone earning minimum wage.With high inflation affecting people’s spending power, we also evaluated student living costs in 100 prominent university cities around the world—an important consideration for students across the globe. We analyzed the cost of student housing, food, and other expenses in each city, to find out where it’s most and least affordable to maintain a typical student lifestyle.And because we know that a student’s university experience is about more than just studying, we also ranked the livability of each city for students. We considered factors like student safety, the quality of cultural attractions and nightlife, and the level of smart mobility.The final results compare the higher education landscape in countries and cities around the world.The full methodology explaining how we calculated each factor can be found at the bottom of the page.

The university price index

The table below compares the quality of universities in each country, as well as degree tuition costs, affordability, and the salaries that graduates usually earn after university. The icons indicate whether each column is presented as a score (all scores are out of 100, with 100 being the highest and 50 the lowest possible score); a metric of time (years or hours); or cost (£).Click on the top of each column to sort from highest to lowest.Legend image for table: The university price index.

1USA10019122642263749680946452260991329364326754398190781833051062235846961066736408857740059
2UAE8714254961047436233667351092538341116659316165576789400552113755329729435212522132722
3England9612321595303130155822555187347132385339995206759874408143584732385418584163830324
4Wales909294190533910969758450159724431510390804531576429423144607031510492293971336307
5Israel8714415878902499347613443195198728203273804236139618389322870924174492963223225524
6Scotland941028977775343576105691037908863723810527979674182686439372637243304728234663
7Canada9483642766739968760338738110463614544458855376670585396924414514526508632926938418
8Singapore96107730761336466670201003288562920110333864675674921315264396324236463851593132356
9Japan929347067953172160218850688212820580334453176076158398582667127855397142623526624
10Jamaica8728304796731110712053222454282641603312164349491855234578125472075614181728610287
11Ireland9082455604234765654043291810254417170339872476251019433133894317483438911619932417
12Australia9551490496342655809694004710863211391444771082169556270265466315405574771779044259
13Chile8311900448102086838954390905236315408181912411535457257512670818359254441273024177
14New Zealand915201745453844873052428699747115606407361877269822237844608213252509491281836046
15Brazil86131240644401490826862772643740310767117752578226720272261971511518214211186114426
16Hong Kong944362941684150876023229259853614588407142084197115229254191614588432412084139510
17Spain908245340802335042690319394436313395293681762439074211643317217448289661460024233
18Northern Ireland894139334003856268569229078797316035418282290774567170714541816035519491832637040
19South Africa8981003832271808432804241084976285201523716918301562034122530756128056925713964
20Russia871712588315878541477217230145202335598215920107572066714085939417421141945243
21South Korea9051537305429128531582067879459910829391120985541217690367981008434333882025057
22Malaysia841079012837124432368645081288576138106031430123035849414825549918793777115086
23Mexico791013084281011668217553167021426103991533298942260215771141991050318946309510310
24Italy924134423682476345770117557068896793411711902392961290227537967930206979820367
25India8716320212353649611893355951035136038949448111192232178800310341098131835994
26France92493223272606449195757753388141331313508047891670436446505535266453525439
27Indonesia7691288519359219172474606619264297510009702619620136291067661641360151218024
28Netherlands9437601846331766336210155761086462372229232546581015542004646247774738635349
29Poland8241610140914104274693876841092462412401569520117365815132487324168264313510
30Belgium931506130042323762586814127766433640361637674710699649160433646839637634212
31Ukraine79849061183708913034590717399221961807604137925676832234841031133325619
32Switzerland95119811476833112209263091672814015678595162132796516279046401589109573565770
33Lithuania7729829151788332970448538621257720818417134860509316350260526963435717729
34China94127428422567449255330961446210636715373141183403128168210630919403128905
35Portugal8727058281842333013360545554203917319337234464375222833203924319348117821
36Iceland90119776839846849482474129947157549044367984612402353207240858762224938731
37Romania782852659119912229975322824135501177530432205227901268723672008424779754
38Argentina71292546010230183263433199257837338350827260317010444170712751106910380
39Germany9511664172668156736229268590145929747208459126229238681145944749208436163
40Bulgaria721666307120462191021742949110771289617092426016451224613461890611329800
41Greece861217260171043060604087101737715053033183621957023130016628
42Nigeria811868134109352068975335511479104486521443375315593479120454567256
43Norway9102510438101808815721051263644539352081601572601243645801352044615
44Austria89015353475663135190790361214150117366183190387921214308317327984
45Turkey8404120819214987138183649253091151815311892579212018927989
46Czechia840001598828738034940014800032887017102025544016577
47Denmark920004348881238095205047626081541058332058104042685
48Finland910003603066620092690033843060205048577045677032736
49Saudi Arabia860002707749613056702021690069471030226035232023704
50Sweden920002877054788063736026441051416037271044501031904

City livability

The table below compares the cost of living and livability of cities around the world for students. The ‘Cost of Living’ columns are presented as a deviation from the dataset median. A lower deviation from the median indicates a cheaper price, while a higher deviation from the median indicates a higher price.The ‘Livability’ columns are presented as a score (all scores are out of 100, with 100 being the highest and 50 the lowest possible score).Click on the top of each column to sort from highest to lowest.Legend image for table: City livability.

Student City Livability and Cost of Living

1PragueCzechia-14-33-28909610089100
2TokyoJapan1662789100918796
3AmsterdamNetherlands8016208894929696
4MadridSpain1-9-148597918995
5ReykjavikIceland65554810083919195
6BerlinGermany3-14-18297929295
7EdinburghScotland325158689949094
8TallinnEstonia-39-20-209688897894
9ViennaAustria-86-88985919293
10CopenhagenDenmark83452694848210093
11LondonEngland17322567995969292
12BarcelonaSpain3-6-108098849292
13AthensGreece-50-16-167895977792
14ParisFrance432897794938991
15SingaporeSingapore11519279893778191
16LisbonPortugal-10-33-228593818791
17VilniusLithuania-40-33-269188877791
18RigaLatvia-49-31-248588858690
19HelsinkiFinland3122159778828790
20BrnoCzechia-34-41-328988758889
21BolognaItaly-25-3-97892908389
22RomeItaly179-67797927789
23ValenciaSpain-29-15-218684818989
24FlorenceItaly-82-98088888588
25ZurichSwitzerland9688719280819488
26CologneGermany-11-508194818488
27OsloNorway5160439280848688
28GlasgowScotland4-11128288838788
29New YorkUSA21666697793948488
30DresdenGermany-40-20-148479878788
31DubaiUAE7027359795687988
32MilanItaly199-17986878888
33OsakaJapan-32-1248689827888
34DublinIreland8713478690877687
35TorontoCanada7723378591867887
36StockholmSweden3117148978809087
37GothenburgSweden-3728882808687
38NantesFrance-372-107389878687
39BristolEngland45-1148380839086
40SofiaBulgaria-59-45-438096787486
41WarsawPoland-36-47-438690836786
42Saint PetersburgRussia-50-40-367286977386
43HamburgGermany351158080878786
44MunichGermany38928880857886
45MontrealCanada-825158875838385
46RaleighUSA321338181898085
47CardiffWales-11-8-88479818385
48KrakowPoland-42-50-448590816385
49BelfastNorthern Ireland-4-398281838085
50SeoulSouth Korea-45-148880778184
51OttawaCanada169208874828484
52VancouverCanada7844328677858284
53Tel AvivIsrael7443258887777584
54AachenGermany-28-13-98469799484
55LyonFrance-71707878878484
56BrusselsBelgium21268280828184
57MontpellierFrance-194-57680848384
58The HagueNetherlands2411-39068769083
59San FranciscoUSA22861487591868183
60SantiagoChile-56-29-367490797783
61LvivUkraine-71-63-637678788783
62NewcastleEngland-6-1288078808683
63Buenos AiresArgentina-71-36-457094856983
64WashingtonUSA13645417494847783
65ManchesterEngland28-467778789183
66BeijingChina-1-22-77392738282
67ColumbusUSA15157867859182
68Los AngelesUSA13649377794886382
69MiamiUSA11340277592797882
70StuttgartGermany0-3-88572817581
71ChicagoUSA8626397076928281
72Sao PauloBrazil-47-37-206088927381
73LeedsEngland33-12148276768180
74SeattleUSA10140367773858480
75BucharestRomania-58-41-418185796080
76AucklandNew Zealand3517498475827280
77Hong KongHong Kong14930198583678180
78DenverUSA8938337875867780
79MelbourneAustralia4127618076807679
80BostonUSA15238348167848178
81SydneyAustralia9117718375816878
82BangkokThailand-45-28-276794687378
83PhiladelphiaUSA4332297269868078
84AtlantaUSA608207269848177
85IstanbulTurkey-69-55-567171876777
86Kuala LumpurMalaysia-50-41-417392636476
87KingstonJamaica-59-18-247661688473
88ShanghaiChina0-1-107366688273
89DetroitUSA0696862827672
90San JoseCosta Rica-43-32-247662707271
91BogotaColombia-63-58-515780756671
92Mexico CityMexico-42-35-355774756869
93ChennaiIndia-79-54-636359687767
94NanjingChina-51-35-407855528167
95Cape TownSouth Africa-31-40-325469667465
96CairoEgypt-80-60-577160566965
97RiyadhSaudi Arabia-27-3977950508165
98JakartaIndonesia-59-42-406856626563
99New DelhiIndia-76-53-565658556858
100LagosNigeria-6-46-415055555050

Methodology

The Education Price Index 2022 reveals the cost of a university education in countries around the world, with a special focus on six common degree subjects: medicine, nursing, law, civil engineering, software development, and teaching. It also analyzes the livability for students of 100 cities in the countries under consideration.
  • The countries in the study were chosen as a result of their renowned universities and comparable price information. Every continent is represented in the selection.
  • University fees for specialist degrees were collected for six career paths: Medical doctors, Nurses, Lawyers, Civil Engineers, Software Developers and Teachers. For all specialist degrees:
    • The fees were collected for citizens of the country; in the case of the USA the fees were collected for residents of the state in which the universities are located;
    • Only tuition fees and university administrative fees were collected, and do not include dormitory fees or other costs of living.
    • Additional training costs (e.g. training at a hospital or law firm) were not taken into account.
    For each country considered, the country's tertiary education system was classified as either:
    • Nationally regulated university fees
    • Fees set by each institution, primarily public universities
    • Fees set by each institution, mixed public and private universities
    For countries with nationally regulated university fees, the fees for each specialist degree was established through review of the guidance provided by the responsible national educational bodies and by the universities themselves. For countries where fees are set by each institution, a sample of up to six universities were selected from internationally competitive universities. Internationally competitive universities were identified through well-established university ranking directories Times Higher Education and QS Top Universities. For countries with primarily public universities, the sample of universities was selected from public universities. For countries with a mix of public and private universities–defined as a country where more than 20% of students are enrolled with private universities–an additional sample of up to six private universities was selected and typical university fees were separately established for public and private universities. A full list of universities and educational bodies used as sources can be provided on request. To calculate the overall education cost of each career path, the typical length of study for each country was provided by the World Higher Education Database (UNESCO/International Association of Universities). The overall costs assume that students graduate without repeats or extensions.
  • Typical salaries were collected for six professions: Medical doctors, Nurses, Lawyers, Civil Engineers, Software Developers and Teachers. Official data on wages were collected from:
    • USA: BLS (US. Bureau of Labour Statistics)
    • Europe: Eurostat
    • Other OECD countries: OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
    • Other countries: ILO (International Labour Organization)
    The industry and professional definitions used for each profession are outlined below in the per-factor notes. From the broad official data on wages, granular estimates of specific professions, as well as junior/senior wage differences, were developed using aggregate estimates from salary comparison websites Glassdoor, Payscale, SalaryExplorer, SalaryExpert, Teleport, Gehalt.de and Salary.com. Junior Salaries are defined and calculated as a weighted average of the salaries after 0-2 years of experience (80% weight) and 2-5 years of experience (20% weight). Senior Salaries are defined and calculated as a weighted average of the salaries after 10-15 years of experience (25% weight), 15-20 years of experience (50% weight) and 20+ years of experience (25% weight). For each profession, Junior and Senior salary coefficients were calculated from the ratio of Junior and Senior salaries against average salaries presented on salary comparison websites. The final Junior and Senior salary estimates were calculated by applying the coefficients against the average salaries of each profession. Overall Junior Salary Levels: an aggregate of Junior salaries was constructed as the average of the Junior salaries of the six professions. Overall Senior Salary Levels: an aggregate of Senior salaries was constructed as the average of the Junior salaries of the six professions.
  • A score that reflects the presence of top-ranked universities in each country. A higher score means the country has a greater presence of top-ranked universities. The score is constructed from three underlying indicators:
    1. The highest scoring university present in each country;
    2. The total score of high scoring universities in each country;
    3. The average score of high scoring universities in each country, adjusted for the number of enrolled students.
    Sources: Times Higher Education; QS Top Universities; World Bank Education Statistics.
  • The typical cost of tuition and administrative fees for one academic year. The results show the representative cost of studying for one year, and is the mean of the six degree subjects covered in the study. The factor is computed according to the following formula: Cost of one year at Uni - Formula (EN,DE,FR,IT,ES). The Cost of Education for each Specialist Degree is estimated using the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
  • The number of years it takes a graduate to pay back the full university tuition fee, as an indicator of the Burden of Student Debt. The calculation assumes a student earns a typical Junior level salary and allocates 5% of their post-graduate income to paying off tuition fee debt. The factor is computed according to the following formula: Years to Pay Off Tuition Formula (EN,DE,FR,IT,ES). The Cost of one year at university is defined above; typical course length of each career path is collected using the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
  • The number of hours a person earning the minimum wage must work to be able to pay for a full university degree. The indicator imagines that a student’s parent, and family’s sole breadwinner, works to finance the tuition and administrative fees of their child’s university education. The factor is computed according to the following formula: Minimum Wage Hours to Afford a Degree Formula (EN,DE,FR,IT,ES). The Cost of one year at university is defined above; typical course length of each career path is collected using the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students” Hourly Minimum Wage for each country was collected from ILO. For countries that do not have a legally mandated minimum wage, the salary of an entry level services profession such as cleaners or fast food cashiers were used instead. A full list of estimated minimum wage for countries without legally mandated minimum wage can be provided on request.
  • - Junior Salary Level: The aggregate of Junior Salaries of all professions considered; overall Junior Salary Levels are estimated using the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession". - Senior Salary Level: The aggregate of Senior Salaries of all professions considered; overall Senior Salary Levels are estimated using the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession".
  • - Cost of Becoming a Doctor: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for medical doctors were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • A typical degree in many countries is a 5.5 year Bachelor of Science degree such as “Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery” (e.g. MBBS, MB ChB, MB BCh).
    • For some countries with different degree formats, adjustments were made accordingly (in the case of the US, 4 years for a Bachelor’s degree and 4 years for a degree titled medical doctor).
    - Salary of a Doctor: The typical salary of a doctor was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using professional category 29-1210-Physicians.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category Q86-Human health activities.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 7-Health and welfare.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category Q.-Human health and social work activities
  • - Cost of Becoming a Nurse: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for Nurse were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • A typical degree in many countries is a 5.5 year Bachelor of Science degree such as “Bachelor of Nursing”.
    - Salary of a Nurse: The typical salary of a Nurse was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using professional category 29-1141-Registered Nurses.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category Q86-Human health activities.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 7-Health and welfare.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category Q.-Human health and social work activities.
  • - Cost of Becoming a Lawyer: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for Lawyers were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • A typical degree in many countries is a 3.5 year Bachelor of Arts degree like “Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)” and a consecutive 1.5 year Master of Arts degree like “Master of Arts (LL.M)”.
    • For some countries with different degree formats, adjustments were made accordingly.
    - Salary of a Lawyer: The typical salary of a Lawyer was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using professional category 23-1011-Lawyers.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category M69-Legal and accounting activities.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 3-Social sciences, business and law.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category M.-Professional, scientific and technical activities.
  • - Cost of Becoming a Civil Engineer: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for Civil Engineer were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • In many countries, there are several ways of becoming an engineer: This study typically takes into account a 4 years Bachelor of Science degree such as “Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering” and a Master of Science degree such as “Master of Civil Engineering” (1.5 years).
    • For some countries with different degree formats, adjustments were made accordingly.
    - Salary of a Civil Engineer: The typical salary of a Civil Engineer was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using professional category 17-2051-Civil Engineers.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category F42-Civil Engineering.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 5-Engineering, manufacturing and construction.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category F.-Construction
  • - Cost of Becoming a Software Developer: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for Software Developers were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • A typical degree in many countries is a 3.5 year Bachelor of Science degree such as “Computer Science”.
    - Salary of a Software Developer: The typical salary of a Software Developer was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using the professional category 15-1252-Software Developers.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category J62-Computer programming.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 4-Science.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category J.-Information and communication and P.-Education.
  • - Cost of Becoming a Teacher: The tuition fees plus university administrative fees for specialist degrees for Teachers were collected according to the methodology described above under “Typical University Fees for Domestic Students”.
    • A typical degree in many countries is a 3.5 year Bachelor of Arts degree like “Bachelor of Education” and a consecutive 1.5 year Master of Arts degree like “Master of Education”.
    • For some countries with different degree formats, adjustments were made accordingly.
    - Salary of a Teacher: The typical salary of a Teacher was estimated according to the methodology described above under “Salary levels per profession”.
    • For the USA, official numbers were provided by BLS using the professional category 25-0000-Educational Instruction and Library Occupations.
    • For European countries, industry level wages were provided by Eurostat, using the industrial NASCE category P85-Education.
    • For other OECD countries, industry level wages were provided by OECD, using the industrial ISCED-2011 category 1-Education.
    • For all other countries, the industry level wages were provided by ILO, using the industrial ISIC-Rev.4 category P.-Education
  • City Selection The cities in the study were chosen because they are home to prominent universities, based on university rankings. Each city has a minimum population of 250,000 people. Scoring Procedure Multiple indicators were used as contributing components when factors are presented as a “Score”. The underlying indicators were first standardized using a Z-Score [z = (x-μ)/σ; μ=indicator mean; σ=indicator standard deviation] normalization procedure. The final score was computed as a weighted average of the component Z-Scores, and the resulting score normalized to a scale of 50 to 100 using min-max normalization [(value - min)/(max-min)*50+50]. The floor of 50 for the scale was chosen to emphasize that the locations presented in the final dataset represent the highest ranking locations chosen from a shortlist of high-ranking locations.
  • - Cost of Student Housing: A percentage that reflects the cost of student housing in each city. The cost is displayed as a deviation from the dataset median, the midpoint of the dataset. A higher percentage indicates more expensive student housing. A negative percentage indicates the cost is cheaper than the median price. Source: Magmatic Research. - Cost of a Student Food Basket: A percentage that reflects the cost of a student food basket in each city. The cost is composed of the typical prices of groceries and restaurants. It is displayed as a deviation from the dataset median, the midpoint of the dataset. A higher percentage indicates a more expensive food basket. A negative percentage indicates the cost is cheaper than the median price. Source: Magmatic Research. - Cost of Other Student Expenses: A percentage that reflects the cost of other student living expenses in each city. The cost is composed of living expenses such as utilities, hygiene products, public transport, and personal care. It is displayed as a deviation from the dataset median, the midpoint of the dataset. A higher percentage indicates more expensive student expenses. A negative percentage indicates that the cost is cheaper than the median price. Source: Magmatic Research.
  • - Student Safety: A score that reflects the level of safety and security that students have in each city. The score is composed of data on crime, climate risks, infrastructure risks, perceptions of security, domestic stability, transport risks, and natural disaster risks. A higher score indicates a safer environment. Sources: Germanwatch; Hudson's Investment Migration Consultancy; Igarape Institute; The Economist; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; World Health Organization. - Nightlife: A score that reflects the nighttime entertainment available to students in each city. The score is composed of data on the number of bars, pubs and nightclubs in absolute terms and per 100k inhabitants. A higher score indicates more nighttime entertainment. Sources: Google local listings, TripAdvisor - Culture: A score that reflects the cultural infrastructure available to students in each city. The score is composed of data on the number of museums and theaters in absolute terms and per 100k inhabitants. A higher score indicates more cultural offerings for students. Sources: UNESCO; UNWTO; Google local listings; OpenStreetMap - Smart Mobility: A score that reflects the quality of the mobility infrastructure available to students in each city. The score is composed of data related to congestion levels, commute times, government technology adoption, electrical mobility and public transport infrastructure. A higher score reflects a greater degree of mobility for students in the city, characterized by greater density, efficiency and digitalisation of public transport services, and greater adoption of e-government practices. Sources: International Energy Agency; Institute for Management Development; OpenStreetMap; TomTom; United Nations.

Press Media Enquire

Press Media Enquire

For any questions regarding the methodology behind this project, please reach out to press@n26.com.