USA or Europe? Which One is a Good Study Abroad Destination?
I want to study abroad but I don’t know the particular country to apply for my studies. should I apply to US universities or European Universities?
If you don’t know the country you should choose between USA and Europe, then, there are some factors that will help you to know which to apply for your studies.
These factors will be discussed in this article, and it will help to put you through.
USA or Europe? Which One is Good for Studying
These are the factors that will determine your choice of a study country:
- Quality of education
- Cost of education/Fees
- Cultural experience
- Language
- Admission process
- Period of studies
- Types of degrees offered
- Transportation networks
Quality of education
If you are considering pursuing a career with a University that has quality education, you have got both countries to be very good.
Both America and Europe offer quality education in their institutions. So how will you choose between the both?
Harvard, MIT, and Stanford are a few of the most popular and standard Universities that you can think of in the US, and in the same vein, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are outstanding institutions in Europe.
In the aspect of quality education, both are competing favorably, so anyone can go.
Cost of education/Fees
Most people have what they consider before they choose a particular University and the location of the institution, so if you want to attend a University that is not too expensive, then I recommend that you apply to Europe.
The reason is that the tuition fees of students in Europe are very cheap compared to that of American Universities.
In Europe, the government set a fee limit for all tertiary institutions, which means institutions will have to fix their fees within that stipulated fee.
On the contrary, American universities are very expensive compared to Europe. So choose Europe if you are considering financial factors.
This is the controversy that you need to understand between these big two, Tuition fees are less expensive in Europe but the cost of living is high, while in America, tuition fee is high and the cost of living is low.
Cultural experience
When you are studying abroad, it does not end in just pursuing a career, it also demands that you get new cultural experience of the country you are residing in.
Studying in Europe will offer you the opportunity to enjoy the rich culture of Europe, which can go a long way to give you more knowledge of the people’s way of life.
The same thing goes to the American society. If you choose a University in America, it will also offer you an opportunity to learn about their traditions, history, and pop culture.
Language
Language is very paramount in the life of any student, who chooses to study whether in Europe or America.
In both countries, you have to be fluent in speaking their language, before you can apply for a study there, but if you apply for a study and cannot flow well with their language, then you will have to take a language class.
English Language is the general language used in both European and American universities. But in most cases, the Europeans may like to use their local languages.
Admission process
This one is not a matter of the country involved, it is about the University in question. Why do I say so?
Different Universities within Europe or American society have different processes of offering admission to their students, so for this one, you have to go into deeper research about the University that you will finally choose.
That means, if you want to study in the United States, and you choose to study at Michigan University, what you have to do, is to study the admission process of Michigan University, because what is accepted there, may not be what is accepted in Harved University.
Period of Studies
Studies in Europe, take less time or periods than in the US. if you start a program at the same time with your friend in the same year and the same course, you will graduate before him or her.
You would like to ask why. The thing is that it takes a shorter time to complete a course in Europe than in America.
In Europe, it takes 3 years to complete an undergraduate program, 1 year to complete a postgraduate program, and 3 years to complete a PhD program, but the time frame is not the same as above, in the US.
The reason is that in Europe, the coursework is more focused and involving than in the US. In the US, you take 4 years for undergraduate, 2 years for postgraduate, and 5 – 7 years for PhD.
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Types of degrees offered
More degree programs are offered in European Universities than those of their counterparts in the US.
For example, Universities in Europe will offer you the following degrees: Higher National Diploma,
- Certificate of Higher Education,
- Diploma of Higher Education,
- Foundation Degree,
- Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D.
- Professional and vocational degrees
American universities, on the other hand, offer the following degrees:
- Associates degrees
- Bachelors degrees
- Masters degrees
- Ph.D., vocational & professional degrees.
NOTE:
The Postgraduate degrees offered in Europe have two divisions, they are divided into taught and research degrees.
Public Transportation networks
Europe has a very good public transportation network. They have well-connected airways, railways, and railways, that aid the smooth traveling of people and students across Europe.
That is why even if students stay off-campus, they don’t find it difficult to access their campuses because of the availability of transportation networks, within and outside the country. You can take buses or trains, whichever is your choice.
Whereas, in the US, the transportation network is not as compared to what is seen in Europe.
There is not much public transport, so student depends much on their personal means of transport such as bicycles, and cars.
Because of the system of transport, students choose to stay in apartments that are pretty close to the school campus and to stay in the school campus as well.
Conclusion
These and many other reasons you have to consider as you are planning to choose a University for your studies. However, you must check for what is your highest priority and consider that as your primary factor before you choose any country, because they both are good in their own different ways.