Which universities are free for international students? It may surprise you to learn that there are over 50 universities around the world with 0 tuition for international students, no matter which country you are from.
All of the universities on this list have $0 tuition fee–no scholarship necessary. If you can get into these universities, you will automatically pay no tuition.
How can universities be free?
Universities around the world are able to offer $0 tuition for a variety of reasons. Some of them have government or private funding, such as socialized or subsidized universities. Others have $0 tuition for ethical, religious, or moral reasons, and some require students to work on campus in order to earn money and save costs on hiring outside workers.
…Is it all really free?
In all of the universities in this list, tuition costs are automatically FREE for international students.
You may have to pay addition fees, including…
- Application fee
- Accommodation
- Food
- Transportation
- Textbooks
- Insurance
- Semester fee
However, without the burden of tuition fees, the university experience is much more affordable. The other fees are usually quite manageable.
Can you still apply for scholarships at these schools?
Some of these universities may offer you the option to apply for additional scholarships or use outside scholarship money to cover additional costs like room and board. However, since you won’t have to pay tuition, you should not depend fully on the scholarships.
If you want to attend a university not on this list, then you have the options of applying for full-tuition scholarships. These scholarships are available for international students and they can fully pay for the tuition for you, but you have to earn them. It is not automatic.
There are also scholarships available that cover tuition, flights, accommodation, textbooks, etc. These scholarships are much more competitive. Check them out at this link:
Read More: Global Scholarship Guide
Study Abroad for Free: 50+ Universities with No Tuition
Free education for all international students, regardless of country of origin, can be found here:
Study Abroad for Free in North America
1. Barclay College (KS), United States
Students at this private Christian college in Kansas attend tuition-free if they live on campus.
2. Berea College (KY), United States
At Kentucky’s Berea College, no student pays tuition. The scholarship amounts to nearly $200,000 over four years. Students must work at least 10 hours per week on campus.
3. College of the Ozarks (MO), United States
Full-time students at the College of the Ozarks in Missouri pay no tuition, but part-time students shell out $310 per credit hour. For those attending full time, the tuition waiver requires they work 15 hours a week, plus two 40-hour weeks during the academic year.
4. Curtis Institute of Music (PA), United States
Prospective students must audition for enrollment into Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, which has offered full-tuition scholarships to all of its undergraduate and graduate students since 1928.
5. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, United States
NYU Grossman School of Medicine awards all students enrolled in the MD degree program Full-Tuition Scholarships as part of a tuition-free initiative, so that any student can pursue the dream of becoming a physician without the burden of overwhelming student debt. *It is only open to international students who have completed their undergrad in the USA.
Click here to find programs in the US/Canada:
Study Abroad for Free in South/Central America
South America is one of the best destinations for free universities, as public universities are mostly free or very cheap for international students. The only downside is the courses are mostly offered in Spanish or Portuguese. If you want to attend a free university in this region, you will need to have some proficiency in one or both of these languages.
6. Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Undergraduate courses are free and last from four to six years. It is worth remembering that most of USP activities are carried out in Portuguese.
7. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil
There is no tuition fee for credit-awarding courses. There is tuition for Extension classes and pre-sessional Portuguese classes. The language of instruction is Portuguese.
8. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
9. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
10. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) Brazil
UFSC offers free tuition to local and international students, but this university is very competitive to get into.
11. São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil
12. University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
13. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Argentina
14. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina
15. Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, Argentina
16. Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama
17. Universidad de Panamá, Panama
18. Universidad Autonoma de Chiriqui, Panama
19. Universidad Especializada de Las Americas, Panama
Click here to find and apply for programs in South/Central America for free:
Study Abroad for Free in Europe
Europe is also a top destination for students to study abroad for free, as many universities are subsidized by the government. Students can study in English for free in Norway and Germany. EU and EEA students are generally able to get free tuition at any university in the EU, but only Norway and Germany offer free tuition for students from any country.
20. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $68 every semester.
21. Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $55 every semester.
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $85 every semester.
23. Østfold University/College, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $70 every semester.
24. University of Agder, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $83 every semester.
25. Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $83 every semester.
26. The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $73 every semester.
27. University of Bergen, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $65 every semester.
28. University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $65 every semester.
29. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Foreign students are required to pay an annual fee of $1168.
30. University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Norway
Foreign students are required to pay a semester fee of $125 every semester.
31. Gjøvik University/College, Norway (Branch of Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
32. Harstad University/College, Norway (a branch of The Arctic University of Norway)
33. Technical University of Munich, Germany
34. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
35. Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
36. University of Hamburg, Germany
37. Free University of Berlin, Germany
38. RWTH Aachen University, Germany
39. University of Mannheim, Germany
40. University of Cologne, Germany
41. University of Bonn, Germany
43. FAU Erlangen Nurnberg, Germany
44. University of Munster, Germany
45. Hamburg University of Technology, Germany
46. SRH University of Heidelberg, Germany
47. University of Applied Sciences Wurzburg Schweinfurt, Germany
48. Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Germany
49. Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland), Iceland
50. Háskólinn á Akureyri (University of Akureyri), Iceland
51. Bifröst University, Iceland
52. Iceland Academy of Arts, Iceland
53. Holar University College, Iceland
Click here to find and apply for programs in Europe, for free:
Study Abroad for Free in Africa
Several countries in Africa, like Egypt and Morocco, offer tuition-free university to local students. There are no universities in Africa that are tuition-free for any international student regardless of country.
You can still apply to scholarships to study on the continent.
We are adding new universities to our platform every day. If you want to request to apply for a program at an African university, fill out this form.
Study Abroad for Free in Asia + Oceania + Middle East
Malaysia offers tuition-free university to its own citizens. There are very few universities in Asia/Oceania that are tuition-free for any international student regardless of country.
You can still apply to scholarships to study in Asia/Oceania.
54. SUSTech, China
This university offers full scholarship to any student who meets its high entry requirements.
55. The Yenching Academy of Peking University, Beijing, China
56. Schwarzman Scholarship program of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Click here to find programs in Asia/Oceania/The Middle East and apply:
Want to study in China? Click here to go to our sister site, China Admissions.