The cost of education is an important consideration, while choosing a destination. In many cases, the parents will not be able to foot the bill for foreign studies. Students will have to find other sources of funding in form of scholarships grants, work-study, or educational loans. The fees would differ substantially among various universities. Usually the-fees in the ‘State’ (or Public) universities in the US would be less than those in other universities. Look for names like California State University, Portland State University, and Florida State University.
State universities usually have enrolments of tens of thousands of students. It would therefore be easier for international students to find on-campus jobs or teaching assistantship jobs, or research assistantships in government-funded projects. Further, teaching and research assistant students may get the benefit of full tuition fee waiver.
Private universities, on the other hand, are supported by tuition fees from students, investment income, research contracts, and private donations. Tuition fees are naturally higher in private universities compared to those in the state universities. The prospects for research assistantships in government-funded projects are limited in private universities.
You may also remember that several Universities in countries like Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden do not charge any tuition fee. But such universities are limited in number. The cost of higher education is high in the US, UK, and Australia. The US tops the list. In Canada, France, Italy, and Japan, the rates are comparatively lower. There are private universities in the US that charge US $30,000 or more. If the higher rates of fees also reflect academic excellence and placement with higher remuneration, you would be able to plunge into a brighter career and pay back your educational loans in a short time.
Tuition fee is not the only element to be kept in mind. Living cost varies from country to country. The cost of accommodation, food, travel, and medical treatment are vital components of the overall cost of overseas education. These should be assessed while computing your total expenses, along with the prospects of securing scholarships.