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Places to study

Every kind of place you can study, worldwide, with the official register check on top wherever a government publishes one.

Choose a kind

Places to study, by kind

Each one explained before the list, because “what is a polytechnic” is a real question and nobody else answers it.

Universities

13,962 listed Degree-awarding institutions. In the four countries with a public register, we check daily that each one is still licensed to enrol international students.

Colleges

8,245 listed Community, further education and junior colleges. Often cheaper, often a route into a degree - and a category where licences change more often than at universities.

Research institutes and doctoral schools

2,384 listed Doctoral and post-doctoral research. Funding and supervision matter more than rankings.

Vocational and technical institutes

1,863 listed Trade, VET and TAFE providers. This is where register removals concentrate, so the check matters most here.

Schools and boarding schools

1,399 listed International and boarding schools taking students under 18. In the UK these need a child student sponsor licence, which is a separate list.

Medical and health schools

1,160 listed Medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary. Check professional-body recognition too - a degree that does not let you register to practise is an expensive souvenir.

Polytechnics and universities of applied sciences

1,006 listed Applied and technical higher education. Strong on employment outcomes, and usually cheaper than a research university.

Specialist academies

705 listed Aviation, maritime, hospitality, culinary and sport. Industry licensing usually sits alongside the education licence.

Business schools

200 listed MBA and management-focused institutions. Check the accreditation as well as the register - AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA mean something different from a government licence.

Seminaries and religious institutions

198 listed Theological and religious education. Often licensed, often not recognised for secular professional purposes - check both.

Conservatoires and art schools

128 listed Music, drama, dance, art and design. Auditions and portfolios matter more than test scores here.

Language schools

99 listed English and other language courses. The highest-risk category for students: short courses, quick enrolments, and the category regulators watch closest.

Pathway and foundation providers

13 listed Foundation years and pre-masters courses that lead into a degree. Check what the pathway actually guarantees, in writing.

31,362 listings. No account needed.

Listings

Isra University

University · Hyderābād · Pakistan
Managed by the institution

Link Campus University

University · Rome · Italy

PREPARING LEADERS FOR EVOLVING WORLDS

Managed by the institution

University of Food Technology

University · Bulgaria

Premier Southeastern European centre for food science, engineering and biotechnology taught in English and Bulgarian

Managed by the institution

Abbotsleigh

School · Wahroonga, NSW · Australia
Open the profile →

Where to study: the ten destinations students compare most (2026/27)

Of the ten destinations students compare most, a first year (public tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee) starts lowest in Italy and Germany. The money a visa asks you to see is a separate test, paid up front.

CountryFirst year fromMoney to showVisa feeWork in termStay after graduatingSource and date
United KingdomCost calculator · VisaEUR 41,900EUR 12,600EUR 66920 h a week2 yearsGOV.UK Student visa: money
checked 24 Sep 2026
United StatesCost calculator · VisaEUR 29,900No fixed sumEUR 16620 h a week1 yearchecked 24 Sep 2026
CanadaCost calculator · VisaEUR 25,300EUR 14,900EUR 9524 h a week3 yearscanada.ca: Proof of financial support
checked 24 Sep 2026
AustraliaCost calculator · VisaEUR 32,600EUR 18,300EUR 1,54024 h a week2 yearschecked 24 Sep 2026
GermanyCost calculator · VisaEUR 9,900EUR 11,900EUR 7520 h a week18 monthsMake it in Germany: Federal Government
checked 24 Sep 2026
FranceCost calculator · VisaEUR 11,400EUR 10,500EUR 9920 h a week1 yearchecked 24 Sep 2026
IrelandCost calculator · VisaEUR 32,900EUR 10,000EUR 6020 h a week1 yearchecked 24 Sep 2026
NetherlandsCost calculator · VisaEUR 21,300EUR 13,600EUR 25416 h a week1 yearchecked 24 Sep 2026
ItalyCost calculator · VisaEUR 8,800EUR 10,200EUR 5020 h a weekNonechecked 24 Sep 2026
SpainCost calculator · VisaEUR 10,000EUR 7,200EUR 8030 h a week2 yearschecked 24 Sep 2026

Last checked: 24 Sep 2026. Figures in EUR at 2026-11-08 rates (Rates by Exchange Rate API), rounded. First year = the lowest public tuition for an international student, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee, from each country's official sources. United Kingdom: the money to show rises on 30 November 2026 and the Graduate Route falls to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027. Always confirm on the official page before you apply.

Work out your own first yearCompare two countriesFind scholarships for your nationalityFree and low tuitionAll 75 countries

What to do next

  1. Shortlist three countries by cost: every country with a full first-year figure.
  2. See the cheapest in Europe: ranked by first-year cost, with the visa money.
  3. Compare your top two: side by side, from the official figures.
  4. Read the visa rules for each: money to show, work hours, stay after graduating.
  5. Check deadlines for your intake: January and spring 2027 starts.