Best Countries to Study Abroad 2025

Students can expand their learning horizons by studying outside of the classroom. In fact, many students take learning a step further by venturing far outside of the classroom and traveling to another country. Studying abroad is a popular option for high school and college students that want to learn and expand their skills while also traveling the world. Not only will students take academics beyond a traditional classroom, but they’ll learn about different cultures, societies, and political structures in the world around them.

Some countries are considered some of the best in the world for studying abroad. However, a great experience for one person may not be as great for the next. While there is no comprehensive list of the best countries for studying abroad, there have been studies and surveys performed that give an overall ranking of the best countries for students that want to explore the world while learning.

One of the best lists to consider is the one compiled by U.S. News & World Report. Data from the 2019 Best Countries rankings – compiled from nearly 7,000 surveys by adults under age 35 – was used to determine the best countries for studying abroad.

Based on this list, Malaysia is the top nation for studying abroad. More than 100,000 international students traveled to this nation to study in 2017. Malaysia is home to the University of Malaya, which is ranked as one of the top global universities in Asia and one of the best global universities for engineering.

In second place is the United Arab Emirates, which hosted over 77,000 international students in 2017. United Arab Emirates University – one of the top universities in the Arab region – is a popular site for local and international students.

India is another top country for studying abroad. India hosted over 44,000 international students in 2017 and has 29 global universities.

Argentina also makes the cut with over 75,000 international students in 2017. A total of eight global universities are located here, including the University of Buenos Aires – one of the top universities in Latin America.

Turkey hosted over 87,000 students in 2017 and is home to highly-ranked universities like Middle East Technical University. There are 27 total global universities located in Turkey.

If budget is a concern, there are also many countries where studying abroad is very affordable. Many of these nations have low tuition fees – while some don’t have any at all. Some of the most popular countries that offer budget-friendly programs include Taiwan, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Argentina, and Malaysia.