US tops list of costliest countries for Indian students abroad, followed by Australia and UK

The dream of studying abroad is growing more popular among Indian students by the day. Lakhs of students go overseas every year in search of a better future, but not every family finds it easy to bear the cost. Several countries in the world are considered very expensive for study.

The common perception is that only the fees for professional courses such as medicine or engineering run into crores. In reality, in these countries Indian students have to pay lakhs of rupees every year in tuition fees and living expenses for a BA or any other degree.

The United States is considered the most expensive country in the world for study abroad. The fee structure of both its public and private universities is quite high. International students have to spend an average of 20,000 to 45,000 US dollars a year on tuition alone. In Indian rupees, this works out to roughly Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh a year.

A graduation course in the US lasts four years, so the total cost of completing a BA alone reaches Rs 80 lakh to Rs 2 crore. In addition, living and food costs in big cities such as New York or Los Angeles range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh a month.

Australia comes second and the United Kingdom third on the list of expensive countries. Annual tuition fees for international students in Australia are 20,000 to 45,000 Australian dollars. In Indian currency, the college fee comes to Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh a year.

A three-year BA there requires a budget of Rs 45 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. In the UK, fees for graduation courses range between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. In cities such as London, if living costs are added to the cost of study, the total expense for one year easily crosses Rs 30 lakh.

Countries such as Canada and New Zealand come fourth and fifth. Canada offers some relief compared with the US, but international students there still have to pay Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh a year in tuition fees. Changes in the rules relating to living expenses have also made it costlier for students to live there.

In New Zealand too, study and health insurance together cost Rs 16 lakh to Rs 25 lakh a year. This can become a heavy financial burden for a middle-class family.