So it's September 1 again, Day of Knowledge; decorated with bows and primer for some and with joyful anticipation of leaving school for others. To each his own; this year's first graders will hear their own last "first bell" oneday. It's still far from now but it is high time for school leavers to think about their further education.
If we take an average Russian employer and have him choose between a Moscow State University and Oxford graduate, whom will he prefer, in your opinion? Judging by recent trends, the advantage is on the latter's side. Given that the costs of education are comparable, graduates of foreign institutions have more chances to get a high-paying job. Besides, they have more options because unlike Russian diplomas, foreign ones are valid all over the world. Thus, we'll talk about where is the best place to receive education. A strange topic for a property portal, you might say, but it's logical: students have to live somewhere and housing costs often exceed the cost of education itself. So we set off on a tour of major (and not) European universities to choose suitable real estate for students.
Germany: first place for the scale
"One man's meat is another man's (German) poison". Relying on that popular wisdom, it figures that the Russian students, who go to Germany for education, end up if not in heaven then in a very comfortable environment, for sure, where the Germans feel good too. The secret is that many German universities have free tuition. And when you consider that there are a little more than 250 universities in the country, you can imagine the breadth of choice. The student has to worry only about living costs including rental. This is one of the main reasons why the largest number of Russian students who decide to study abroad is aimed at Germany, despite the fact that the German language is not so common in Russian schools.
Rental cost will depend on the chosen town, apartment proximity to the center, its area, and many other factors. There are many options. The cost of renting in Berlin, for example, ranges from €150 (one room apartment of 25 sq.m in a residential area) to €350 (one room apartment with a little larger area in the central block). But it's not that simple. Many renting ads contain only "cold" cost and not the "hot" one. This is local feature. "Cold" means only the rent, while "hot" – all maintenance costs. And you'll have to add the agent's commission that is 2.38 of monthly pay. Thus, apartment rental is quite expensive, so without the ability to live on campus you will have to fork out much money. By the way, in other German cities the situation is about the same.
Since any graduate, even a foreigner, is given a year after graduation for job finding in Germany, you should consider buying a real estate. The cost of one-room apartments in Berlin starts from €32,000 in a remote residential area, from €60,000 - near Munich, from €50,000 - in Frankfurt am Main and Bremen. However, in small towns it is easy to find a one-room apartment starting from €9000, that's less than annual rent price in a major city.
Humboldt University of Berlin
The UK: without competition in terms of prestige
British education is prestigious. Oxford, Cambridge, University of London - what else we need to say? Especially when you consider that most of Russian entrants learned laws of English grammar the whole childhood. Renting an apartment in London will cost around €410-470 (£350-450), so when planning a long academic training, you ought to think about purchasing your own housing. In London, prices for apartments start at €180,000 (in a remote area), the cost per square meter ranges from €9,900 to €20,000, and in the vicinity of the capital you can find a property for €6,000 per sq.m. In Oxford you can buy an apartment about 11-15% cheaper than in London. Another student center, Cambridge, will please you with even lower prices - native Britons look slightly down at the Northern counties, not as prestigious as the Southern. Thus, an apartment with area of 86 sq.m and a private garden in a prestigious residential complex will cost €276,000.
Oxford
France: Grand Prix for refinement
Paris, Paris... The city of lovers and students. However, there are not so many Russian students seeking French-speaking countries, but this city is worth the effort spent learning French, and Sorbonne, the most famous university, will provide an opportunity to get classical European education. Why not buy an apartment right in the Latin Quarter? After graduation, it will be possible to lease or sell it to students because in this district of Paris property has high liquidity. The cost of square meter in a small apartment starts from €10,000. You can settle in one of the outlying areas, where the cost of square meter will not exceed €8,500. You get a loan for real estate purchase, French banks are willing to pay up to 50% of the cost of housing with deferred payment of up to 25 years, and the interest rate is only 3.5% per year.
Latin Quarter, Paris
Ireland: People's Choice Award
Mentality, weather and potato- these are the three things that unite our countries. And then there is the Dublin Trinity College, not less prestigious than its British and German counterparts. Education prices here differ depending on the faculty but there are many benefits for students. Renting an apartment in Dublin will cost an average of €5,000 annually. You can also consider buying property. The average price of a roomy apartment in Dublin is €156,000.
Trinity college, Dublin
Cyprus: excellent mark for affordability and comfort
Who would not want to study at the resort, especially if the resort is washed by the Mediterranean Sea and pleases with perfect weather almost throughout the year? – Probably, no one. That's why education in Cyprus is becoming increasingly popular, where you can get tuition in English or Greek. The average cost of tuition is cheaper than in European countries and is equal to €3,000-8,000 per year. Speaking of housing, renting a modest apartment will cost €200-300 per month. It is worth to buy a permanent home, because after graduation it is possible to receive a regular income from the overseas real estate. In order to buy a modest apartment in Cyprus, you'll need at least €31,000, reasonable, isn't it?
Of course, our tour of European universities and their peculiarities is not exhaustive. ee24.com portal deliberately focused on the best options, in our view. But let us not forget about great universities in the Nordic countries, the harsh but close Finland, affordable Malta and hot Portugal. As they say, where there's a will, there is a way.
Text: Nadezhda Degtyareva, exclusively for ee24.com