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.
The university price index
1 | USA | 100 | 19 | 12264 | 29153 | 63982 | 121890 | 291185 | 171203 | 55722 | 70058 | 245700 | 107286 | 136801 | 75300 | 78645 | 94838 | 114075 | 51591 |
2 | UAE | 87 | 14 | 25496 | 13489 | 46664 | 85946 | 140703 | 107422 | 21454 | 40717 | 71820 | 115135 | 71104 | 48364 | 38287 | 56049 | 32482 | 42141 |
3 | England | 96 | 12 | 3215 | 12273 | 40312 | 71891 | 71500 | 94621 | 41708 | 43787 | 67056 | 77110 | 52563 | 46165 | 41708 | 53907 | 53625 | 39053 |
4 | Wales | 90 | 9 | 2941 | 11659 | 50367 | 89838 | 57973 | 125238 | 40581 | 50330 | 58359 | 98430 | 54494 | 59332 | 40581 | 63401 | 51145 | 46758 |
5 | Israel | 87 | 14 | 4158 | 10161 | 32188 | 61320 | 57077 | 66952 | 36321 | 35262 | 54555 | 51022 | 50139 | 36974 | 31133 | 63487 | 41510 | 32871 |
6 | Scotland | 94 | 10 | 2897 | 10013 | 44247 | 78632 | 11723 | 101855 | 8206 | 49074 | 36033 | 86825 | 34597 | 50706 | 8206 | 55770 | 9379 | 44641 |
7 | Canada | 94 | 8 | 3642 | 9874 | 51474 | 97920 | 112535 | 134758 | 18731 | 59094 | 69243 | 90904 | 51117 | 56853 | 18708 | 65505 | 37695 | 49477 |
8 | Singapore | 96 | 10 | 7730 | 9805 | 46963 | 86312 | 129209 | 110278 | 25899 | 42997 | 60215 | 96488 | 40601 | 56619 | 31213 | 59738 | 20516 | 41670 |
9 | Japan | 92 | 9 | 3470 | 8751 | 40853 | 77553 | 109556 | 105770 | 26504 | 43073 | 40903 | 98081 | 51332 | 34348 | 35874 | 51146 | 33787 | 34289 |
10 | Jamaica | 87 | 28 | 30479 | 8668 | 14258 | 26443 | 28917 | 36401 | 20648 | 15665 | 45010 | 23893 | 44532 | 16159 | 26731 | 18264 | 9384 | 13249 |
11 | Ireland | 90 | 8 | 2455 | 7781 | 44772 | 84232 | 42394 | 132063 | 22112 | 43771 | 31890 | 65706 | 55782 | 50154 | 22515 | 56526 | 20862 | 41748 |
12 | Australia | 95 | 5 | 1490 | 6391 | 54934 | 104277 | 51576 | 139904 | 14670 | 57281 | 13936 | 89579 | 34805 | 70398 | 19839 | 74022 | 22911 | 56999 |
13 | Chile | 83 | 11 | 9004 | 6195 | 26876 | 50168 | 50342 | 67436 | 19843 | 23428 | 31056 | 45664 | 33164 | 34397 | 23644 | 32769 | 16394 | 31137 |
14 | New Zealand | 91 | 5 | 2017 | 5853 | 49516 | 94082 | 55210 | 125530 | 20098 | 52463 | 24175 | 89921 | 30630 | 59348 | 17066 | 65616 | 16507 | 46422 |
15 | Brazil | 86 | 13 | 12406 | 5718 | 19200 | 34595 | 99506 | 48169 | 13866 | 15165 | 33204 | 34412 | 35064 | 25391 | 14834 | 27587 | 15276 | 18578 |
16 | Hong Kong | 94 | 4 | 3629 | 5368 | 53457 | 97908 | 29524 | 126902 | 18788 | 52434 | 26840 | 125072 | 29524 | 53982 | 18788 | 55689 | 26840 | 50883 |
17 | Spain | 90 | 8 | 2453 | 5254 | 30072 | 54979 | 41133 | 57134 | 17251 | 37822 | 22697 | 50322 | 27256 | 42720 | 22470 | 37305 | 18803 | 31209 |
18 | Northern Ireland | 89 | 4 | 1393 | 4378 | 49663 | 88307 | 29502 | 113297 | 20651 | 53868 | 29502 | 96032 | 21985 | 58492 | 20651 | 66903 | 23601 | 47703 |
19 | South Africa | 89 | 8 | 10038 | 4156 | 23290 | 42247 | 31047 | 64087 | 10973 | 19623 | 21788 | 38837 | 26197 | 29016 | 9738 | 36132 | 11922 | 17983 |
20 | Russia | 87 | 17 | 12588 | 4067 | 10115 | 19025 | 22190 | 18699 | 3007 | 7704 | 20503 | 13854 | 26616 | 18139 | 12098 | 22436 | 18280 | 6753 |
21 | South Korea | 90 | 5 | 1537 | 3933 | 37513 | 68460 | 26631 | 102332 | 11730 | 37851 | 15580 | 71364 | 22783 | 47391 | 12987 | 44216 | 11359 | 32270 |
22 | Malaysia | 84 | 10 | 7901 | 3654 | 16024 | 30504 | 58058 | 37164 | 7906 | 13655 | 18418 | 29665 | 10939 | 19093 | 7082 | 24203 | 10007 | 19429 |
23 | Mexico | 79 | 10 | 13084 | 3620 | 15027 | 28018 | 40787 | 27594 | 13393 | 19746 | 12743 | 29109 | 20311 | 18286 | 13526 | 24399 | 3986 | 13278 |
24 | Italy | 92 | 4 | 1344 | 3049 | 31892 | 58945 | 15139 | 91037 | 12465 | 43938 | 15328 | 50608 | 16616 | 35464 | 12465 | 38901 | 12619 | 26230 |
25 | India | 87 | 16 | 32021 | 3030 | 8365 | 15316 | 45842 | 13331 | 4640 | 11525 | 5771 | 14414 | 29900 | 11333 | 39968 | 14142 | 4099 | 7719 |
26 | France | 92 | 4 | 932 | 2996 | 33567 | 63357 | 9759 | 68756 | 1819 | 40326 | 6542 | 61678 | 8633 | 46938 | 6510 | 45418 | 5840 | 32762 |
27 | Indonesia | 76 | 9 | 12885 | 2492 | 11873 | 22211 | 59326 | 24809 | 3832 | 12891 | 9049 | 25268 | 17553 | 13749 | 7938 | 17517 | 6595 | 10334 |
28 | Netherlands | 94 | 3 | 760 | 2378 | 42726 | 81602 | 13078 | 98017 | 8323 | 47937 | 11889 | 70393 | 13078 | 54096 | 8323 | 61527 | 9512 | 45525 |
29 | Poland | 82 | 4 | 1610 | 1815 | 18164 | 35376 | 49928 | 52921 | 5955 | 15971 | 7335 | 25908 | 4712 | 19488 | 6275 | 31126 | 3404 | 17399 |
30 | Belgium | 93 | 1 | 506 | 1674 | 54506 | 98210 | 8775 | 164545 | 5584 | 51980 | 8212 | 96217 | 9010 | 63311 | 5584 | 60322 | 8212 | 44060 |
31 | Ukraine | 79 | 8 | 4906 | 1524 | 9130 | 16786 | 7607 | 22408 | 2857 | 7959 | 9793 | 17763 | 7309 | 10718 | 4486 | 13279 | 4291 | 7236 |
32 | Switzerland | 95 | 1 | 198 | 1477 | 88001 | 157238 | 8125 | 215435 | 5170 | 87393 | 6648 | 171023 | 6648 | 101801 | 5170 | 114760 | 7386 | 84703 |
33 | Lithuania | 77 | 2 | 982 | 1178 | 23030 | 42461 | 5776 | 49739 | 3319 | 26811 | 5372 | 44895 | 6559 | 21057 | 3355 | 34725 | 5611 | 22832 |
34 | China | 94 | 1 | 2742 | 1085 | 33065 | 63434 | 4262 | 79134 | 2712 | 47285 | 4804 | 53038 | 5192 | 36277 | 2712 | 39820 | 5192 | 37226 |
35 | Portugal | 87 | 2 | 705 | 1067 | 23726 | 42516 | 4643 | 58668 | 2626 | 22305 | 4343 | 44385 | 4832 | 29405 | 2626 | 31320 | 4483 | 22951 |
36 | Iceland | 90 | 1 | 197 | 989 | 51316 | 109402 | 3187 | 167354 | 2028 | 63162 | 4738 | 108969 | 5181 | 68524 | 3101 | 75678 | 2897 | 49880 |
37 | Romania | 78 | 2 | 852 | 849 | 15442 | 28718 | 9700 | 36371 | 4573 | 15165 | 3919 | 28400 | 3593 | 16339 | 3048 | 25865 | 3190 | 12561 |
38 | Argentina | 71 | 2 | 925 | 592 | 13175 | 23601 | 4421 | 25661 | 1008 | 9451 | 4518 | 35108 | 4082 | 13450 | 2198 | 16421 | 1377 | 13368 |
39 | Germany | 95 | 1 | 166 | 537 | 34362 | 73069 | 2952 | 88335 | 1879 | 38311 | 2684 | 76147 | 2952 | 49816 | 1879 | 57631 | 2684 | 46573 |
40 | Bulgaria | 72 | 1 | 666 | 396 | 15514 | 28218 | 2799 | 37980 | 1387 | 16608 | 2201 | 31244 | 2118 | 15772 | 1733 | 24349 | 1458 | 12621 |
41 | Greece | 86 | 1 | 217 | 335 | 22028 | 39416 | 0 | 52636 | 0 | 22379 | 1938 | 39063 | 1076 | 28277 | 0 | 29788 | 0 | 21414 |
42 | Nigeria | 81 | 1 | 868 | 173 | 14082 | 26644 | 970 | 45733 | 617 | 13455 | 840 | 18588 | 970 | 20081 | 617 | 15512 | 588 | 9344 |
43 | Norway | 91 | 0 | 25 | 134 | 49069 | 104163 | 737 | 135388 | 469 | 58459 | 670 | 105091 | 737 | 77432 | 469 | 74713 | 670 | 57458 |
44 | Austria | 89 | 0 | 15 | 45 | 44761 | 81309 | 245 | 101788 | 156 | 53448 | 223 | 85235 | 245 | 49959 | 156 | 55485 | 223 | 36040 |
45 | Turkey | 84 | 0 | 41 | 26 | 10550 | 19301 | 178 | 23651 | 119 | 6837 | 148 | 23378 | 152 | 11922 | 119 | 15478 | 119 | 10288 |
46 | Czechia | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20590 | 37011 | 0 | 44998 | 0 | 19061 | 0 | 42353 | 0 | 22025 | 0 | 32897 | 0 | 21348 |
47 | Denmark | 92 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56007 | 104623 | 0 | 122612 | 0 | 61336 | 0 | 105014 | 0 | 75124 | 0 | 74830 | 0 | 54973 |
48 | Finland | 91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46402 | 85797 | 0 | 119372 | 0 | 43585 | 0 | 77536 | 0 | 62561 | 0 | 58825 | 0 | 42160 |
49 | Saudi Arabia | 86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34871 | 63895 | 0 | 73024 | 0 | 27933 | 0 | 89469 | 0 | 38927 | 0 | 45373 | 0 | 30527 |
50 | Sweden | 92 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37051 | 70559 | 0 | 82084 | 0 | 34052 | 0 | 66217 | 0 | 48000 | 0 | 57311 | 0 | 41088 |
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.
Student City Livability and Cost of Living
1 | Prague | Czechia | -14 | -33 | -28 | 90 | 96 | 100 | 89 | 100 |
2 | Tokyo | Japan | 16 | 6 | 27 | 89 | 100 | 91 | 87 | 96 |
3 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 80 | 16 | 20 | 88 | 94 | 92 | 96 | 96 |
4 | Madrid | Spain | 1 | -9 | -14 | 85 | 97 | 91 | 89 | 95 |
5 | Reykjavik | Iceland | 65 | 55 | 48 | 100 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 95 |
6 | Berlin | Germany | 3 | -14 | -1 | 82 | 97 | 92 | 92 | 95 |
7 | Edinburgh | Scotland | 32 | 5 | 15 | 86 | 89 | 94 | 90 | 94 |
8 | Tallinn | Estonia | -39 | -20 | -20 | 96 | 88 | 89 | 78 | 94 |
9 | Vienna | Austria | -8 | 6 | -8 | 89 | 85 | 91 | 92 | 93 |
10 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 83 | 45 | 26 | 94 | 84 | 82 | 100 | 93 |
11 | London | England | 173 | 22 | 56 | 79 | 95 | 96 | 92 | 92 |
12 | Barcelona | Spain | 3 | -6 | -10 | 80 | 98 | 84 | 92 | 92 |
13 | Athens | Greece | -50 | -16 | -16 | 78 | 95 | 97 | 77 | 92 |
14 | Paris | France | 43 | 28 | 9 | 77 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 91 |
15 | Singapore | Singapore | 115 | 19 | 27 | 98 | 93 | 77 | 81 | 91 |
16 | Lisbon | Portugal | -10 | -33 | -22 | 85 | 93 | 81 | 87 | 91 |
17 | Vilnius | Lithuania | -40 | -33 | -26 | 91 | 88 | 87 | 77 | 91 |
18 | Riga | Latvia | -49 | -31 | -24 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 86 | 90 |
19 | Helsinki | Finland | 31 | 22 | 15 | 97 | 78 | 82 | 87 | 90 |
20 | Brno | Czechia | -34 | -41 | -32 | 89 | 88 | 75 | 88 | 89 |
21 | Bologna | Italy | -25 | -3 | -9 | 78 | 92 | 90 | 83 | 89 |
22 | Rome | Italy | 17 | 9 | -6 | 77 | 97 | 92 | 77 | 89 |
23 | Valencia | Spain | -29 | -15 | -21 | 86 | 84 | 81 | 89 | 89 |
24 | Florence | Italy | -8 | 2 | -9 | 80 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 88 |
25 | Zurich | Switzerland | 96 | 88 | 71 | 92 | 80 | 81 | 94 | 88 |
26 | Cologne | Germany | -11 | -5 | 0 | 81 | 94 | 81 | 84 | 88 |
27 | Oslo | Norway | 51 | 60 | 43 | 92 | 80 | 84 | 86 | 88 |
28 | Glasgow | Scotland | 4 | -11 | 12 | 82 | 88 | 83 | 87 | 88 |
29 | New York | USA | 216 | 66 | 69 | 77 | 93 | 94 | 84 | 88 |
30 | Dresden | Germany | -40 | -20 | -14 | 84 | 79 | 87 | 87 | 88 |
31 | Dubai | UAE | 70 | 27 | 35 | 97 | 95 | 68 | 79 | 88 |
32 | Milan | Italy | 19 | 9 | -1 | 79 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 88 |
33 | Osaka | Japan | -32 | -12 | 4 | 86 | 89 | 82 | 78 | 88 |
34 | Dublin | Ireland | 87 | 13 | 47 | 86 | 90 | 87 | 76 | 87 |
35 | Toronto | Canada | 77 | 23 | 37 | 85 | 91 | 86 | 78 | 87 |
36 | Stockholm | Sweden | 31 | 17 | 14 | 89 | 78 | 80 | 90 | 87 |
37 | Gothenburg | Sweden | -3 | 7 | 2 | 88 | 82 | 80 | 86 | 87 |
38 | Nantes | France | -37 | 2 | -10 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 86 | 87 |
39 | Bristol | England | 45 | -1 | 14 | 83 | 80 | 83 | 90 | 86 |
40 | Sofia | Bulgaria | -59 | -45 | -43 | 80 | 96 | 78 | 74 | 86 |
41 | Warsaw | Poland | -36 | -47 | -43 | 86 | 90 | 83 | 67 | 86 |
42 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | -50 | -40 | -36 | 72 | 86 | 97 | 73 | 86 |
43 | Hamburg | Germany | 35 | 1 | 15 | 80 | 80 | 87 | 87 | 86 |
44 | Munich | Germany | 38 | 9 | 2 | 88 | 80 | 85 | 78 | 86 |
45 | Montreal | Canada | -8 | 25 | 15 | 88 | 75 | 83 | 83 | 85 |
46 | Raleigh | USA | 32 | 13 | 3 | 81 | 81 | 89 | 80 | 85 |
47 | Cardiff | Wales | -11 | -8 | -8 | 84 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 85 |
48 | Krakow | Poland | -42 | -50 | -44 | 85 | 90 | 81 | 63 | 85 |
49 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | -4 | -3 | 9 | 82 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 85 |
50 | Seoul | South Korea | -4 | 5 | -14 | 88 | 80 | 77 | 81 | 84 |
51 | Ottawa | Canada | 16 | 9 | 20 | 88 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 84 |
52 | Vancouver | Canada | 78 | 44 | 32 | 86 | 77 | 85 | 82 | 84 |
53 | Tel Aviv | Israel | 74 | 43 | 25 | 88 | 87 | 77 | 75 | 84 |
54 | Aachen | Germany | -28 | -13 | -9 | 84 | 69 | 79 | 94 | 84 |
55 | Lyon | France | -7 | 17 | 0 | 78 | 78 | 87 | 84 | 84 |
56 | Brussels | Belgium | 2 | 12 | 6 | 82 | 80 | 82 | 81 | 84 |
57 | Montpellier | France | -19 | 4 | -5 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 83 | 84 |
58 | The Hague | Netherlands | 24 | 11 | -3 | 90 | 68 | 76 | 90 | 83 |
59 | San Francisco | USA | 228 | 61 | 48 | 75 | 91 | 86 | 81 | 83 |
60 | Santiago | Chile | -56 | -29 | -36 | 74 | 90 | 79 | 77 | 83 |
61 | Lviv | Ukraine | -71 | -63 | -63 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 87 | 83 |
62 | Newcastle | England | -6 | -12 | 8 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 86 | 83 |
63 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | -71 | -36 | -45 | 70 | 94 | 85 | 69 | 83 |
64 | Washington | USA | 136 | 45 | 41 | 74 | 94 | 84 | 77 | 83 |
65 | Manchester | England | 28 | -4 | 6 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 91 | 83 |
66 | Beijing | China | -1 | -22 | -7 | 73 | 92 | 73 | 82 | 82 |
67 | Columbus | USA | 15 | 1 | 5 | 78 | 67 | 85 | 91 | 82 |
68 | Los Angeles | USA | 136 | 49 | 37 | 77 | 94 | 88 | 63 | 82 |
69 | Miami | USA | 113 | 40 | 27 | 75 | 92 | 79 | 78 | 82 |
70 | Stuttgart | Germany | 0 | -3 | -8 | 85 | 72 | 81 | 75 | 81 |
71 | Chicago | USA | 86 | 26 | 39 | 70 | 76 | 92 | 82 | 81 |
72 | Sao Paulo | Brazil | -47 | -37 | -20 | 60 | 88 | 92 | 73 | 81 |
73 | Leeds | England | 33 | -12 | 14 | 82 | 76 | 76 | 81 | 80 |
74 | Seattle | USA | 101 | 40 | 36 | 77 | 73 | 85 | 84 | 80 |
75 | Bucharest | Romania | -58 | -41 | -41 | 81 | 85 | 79 | 60 | 80 |
76 | Auckland | New Zealand | 35 | 17 | 49 | 84 | 75 | 82 | 72 | 80 |
77 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 149 | 30 | 19 | 85 | 83 | 67 | 81 | 80 |
78 | Denver | USA | 89 | 38 | 33 | 78 | 75 | 86 | 77 | 80 |
79 | Melbourne | Australia | 41 | 27 | 61 | 80 | 76 | 80 | 76 | 79 |
80 | Boston | USA | 152 | 38 | 34 | 81 | 67 | 84 | 81 | 78 |
81 | Sydney | Australia | 91 | 17 | 71 | 83 | 75 | 81 | 68 | 78 |
82 | Bangkok | Thailand | -45 | -28 | -27 | 67 | 94 | 68 | 73 | 78 |
83 | Philadelphia | USA | 43 | 32 | 29 | 72 | 69 | 86 | 80 | 78 |
84 | Atlanta | USA | 60 | 8 | 20 | 72 | 69 | 84 | 81 | 77 |
85 | Istanbul | Turkey | -69 | -55 | -56 | 71 | 71 | 87 | 67 | 77 |
86 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | -50 | -41 | -41 | 73 | 92 | 63 | 64 | 76 |
87 | Kingston | Jamaica | -59 | -18 | -24 | 76 | 61 | 68 | 84 | 73 |
88 | Shanghai | China | 0 | -1 | -10 | 73 | 66 | 68 | 82 | 73 |
89 | Detroit | USA | 0 | 6 | 9 | 68 | 62 | 82 | 76 | 72 |
90 | San Jose | Costa Rica | -43 | -32 | -24 | 76 | 62 | 70 | 72 | 71 |
91 | Bogota | Colombia | -63 | -58 | -51 | 57 | 80 | 75 | 66 | 71 |
92 | Mexico City | Mexico | -42 | -35 | -35 | 57 | 74 | 75 | 68 | 69 |
93 | Chennai | India | -79 | -54 | -63 | 63 | 59 | 68 | 77 | 67 |
94 | Nanjing | China | -51 | -35 | -40 | 78 | 55 | 52 | 81 | 67 |
95 | Cape Town | South Africa | -31 | -40 | -32 | 54 | 69 | 66 | 74 | 65 |
96 | Cairo | Egypt | -80 | -60 | -57 | 71 | 60 | 56 | 69 | 65 |
97 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | -27 | -39 | 7 | 79 | 50 | 50 | 81 | 65 |
98 | Jakarta | Indonesia | -59 | -42 | -40 | 68 | 56 | 62 | 65 | 63 |
99 | New Delhi | India | -76 | -53 | -56 | 56 | 58 | 55 | 68 | 58 |
100 | Lagos | Nigeria | -6 | -46 | -41 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 50 |
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 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.
- Nationally regulated university fees
- Fees set by each institution, primarily public universities
- Fees set by each institution, mixed public and private universities
- 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 highest scoring university present in each country;
- The total score of high scoring universities in each country;
- The average score of high scoring universities in each country, adjusted for the number of enrolled 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).
- 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
- A typical degree in many countries is a 5.5 year Bachelor of Science degree such as “Bachelor of Nursing”.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- A typical degree in many countries is a 3.5 year Bachelor of Science degree such as “Computer Science”.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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:
Typical salaries were collected for six professions: Medical doctors, Nurses, Lawyers, Civil Engineers, Software Developers and Teachers. Official data on wages were collected from:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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”.
- 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”.
- 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”.
- 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”.
- 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”.
- 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”.
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.