Where tuition is nearly free
Five countries where tuition is free or close to it — and the catch on each.
Germany
No tuition at public universities in almost every state.
Except Baden-Württemberg — €1,500 a semester for non-EU students.
Universities in Germany €200+Italy
Fees scale to family income. Prove a low one and they nearly vanish.
You need an ISEE Parificato certificate, which takes time to get.
Universities in Italy €2,902France
Public universities stay under €4,000 even after the 2026 reform.
Undergraduate teaching is mostly in French.
Universities in France ¥535,800Japan
National universities charge you exactly what they charge Japanese students.
Living costs are the real bill — up to ¥1.5M a year.
Universities in Japan CHF 4,380Switzerland
A world top-10 university for the price of a mid-range one.
Living costs of CHF 21,000–27,000 wipe out the saving.
Universities in SwitzerlandQuestions about what it costs
What is the cost of living for international students?
Between about $8,000 and $30,000 a year depending on the country, and far more on the city than the country. Rent is most of it. Switzerland and Australia are the most expensive to live in; Italy, Japan and Germany the least.
In the cheap-tuition countries, living costs are several times the tuition bill. Budget from the total, never the fee.
What do low cost universities in Italy and Sweden charge?
Low cost universities in Italy for international students are the public ones, where fees scale to family income through the ISEE system and can fall to €200 a year.
Low cost universities in Sweden for international students do not really exist — non-EU students pay SEK 80,000–300,000 depending on subject. Humanities and social sciences sit at the bottom of that band, medicine and design at the top.
How much money do I need to show for a student visa?
This is money you prove you have, not money you spend. Germany asks for €11,904 in a blocked account, Australia AUD 29,710, Canada CAD 20,635 plus tuition, and New Zealand NZD 20,000 per year of study.
You get it back. But no country will issue the visa without it, so it has to exist before you apply.