5 Unconventional Destinations to Study Abroad for Indian Students

Off-beat Study Destinations for Indians

Be it high tuition costs, expensive accommodation, lack of scholarships or any other reason, you don't need to give up on your dream to study abroad. You can easily find a country that offers excellent courses without cutthroat competition or very high tuition. Here are some unconventional but excellent countries offering brilliant opportunities to Indian students:

• Ireland

  With English as its medium of instruction, Ireland easily makes a popular choice among Indians thanks to its high-quality education and post-education opportunities. It is also a multicultural country offering a welcoming environment to Indian students.
  Ireland student visa application is considerably easier for Indian students as proof of sufficient funds is usually EUR 10,000. Some of the best universities in Ireland are:

  • Trinity College Dublin
  • University College Dublin
  • Maynooth University

  
  Ireland offers excellent data science, cloud computing, digital marketing, environmental sciences and social sciences courses. Tuition expenses can range from EUR 9,000 to 25,000, while living expenses can range from EUR 7,000 to 15,000.

• Netherlands

  For Indians who wish to research in an excellent environment, this Nordic country offers affordable education that emphasises innovation and research. It also offers a Golden Visa to eligible international students, which lets them stay in the Netherlands for work after their course completion. These are the top universities in the Netherlands for Indian students:

  • Utrecht University
  • University of Groningen
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • University of Amsterdam
  • Delft University of Technology

  
  Bachelor's programmes can cost up to EUR 15,000 annually, while master's range from EUR 8,000 to 20,000 per year. You will need a Dutch study visa once you have been accepted into an institution in the Netherlands.

• Singapore

  When we talk about living standards, Singapore is among the best places to live. However, not many people know that it also has gold standards in education, offering high-quality education through several top-ranked universities. While these Singaporean universities are pretty expensive, several private and government-funded scholarships are available for international students.
  Singapore is very safe and crime-free, with a huge Indian diaspora already living there. These are the top-ranked Singaporean universities:

  • National University of Singapore
  • Singapore Management University
  • Nanyang Technological University

  
  Annual tuition fees range from SGD 11,500 to SGD 50,800 annually. Indians who are offered a full-time course here must get a Student Pass for Singapore. With high tuition and living costs in Singapore, don't forget to buy student travel insurance plan for yourself. It will help you cover any unexpected financial emergencies while you are abroad for your education.

• South Korea

  Another unconventional but excellent study destination in Asia, South Korea offers high-quality education across diverse fields. The tuition fees for international students are also very affordable, especially if eligible for scholarships. Indians can also apply for scholarship programmes like the Global Korea Scholarship or the Korean Council for International Education, which can help cover tuition fees, monthly expenses and even travel costs.
  These are the top-ranked Korean universities for Indian students:

  • KAIST (Korea Advanced Institue of Science and Technology)
  • Seoul National University
  • Yonsei University
  • POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology)

  
  Annual tuition fees for international students in South Korea range anywhere from KRW 12 to KRW 18 million. You can easily get a South Korean visa for students once you gain admission to one of its accredited universities.

• Malaysia

  Malaysia is home to several top-ranking universities offering strong academic programs to international students. These are the best public universities in Malaysia for Indian students:

  • Universiti Malaya
  • Universiti Sains Malaysia
  • Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

  
  For international students, course fees in Malaysia can cost MYR 5,000 to MYR 25,000. Because of its affordability and high-quality education, getting into a public Malaysian university can be competitive. However, sufficient English language proficiency and a qualified CGPA play major roles.