New study reveals: UK students can find cheaper undergraduate degrees in any EU country

• All 27 EU countries offer undergraduate degrees for lower tuition fees than the UK, depending on the course.
• On average UK university tuition fees are the 4th most expensive compared to EU countries.
• The most expensive country to study in the EU is the Netherlands, with average tuition fees of £9,748. 
• Germany is the cheapest place to study for UK nationals in the EU, with no tuition fees and estimated administration fees of £431 per year. 
• Due to Brexit, UK nationals are missing out on studying for free in 9 EU countries.

Personal finance website finder.com compared the average cost of an undergraduate degree in the UK and EU and found that every country in the EU offers a cheaper alternative to studying domestically for British nationals, despite Brexit.  

On average, the UK has the 4th most expensive undergraduate fees, with every public university in the UK charging £9,250 per year for British students to attend. However, Welsh students pay £9,000, Northern Irish students pay £4,710 and Scottish students have access to free tuition when studying in their respective countries. 

The Netherlands comes in 1st place, with an estimated average cost of £9,748 per year. Tied for 2nd place are Denmark and Finland, with estimated average tuition fees equalling £9,490 per year. Closely followed by Sweden in 3rd place, with estimated average tuition fees of £9,474 per year. 

However, unlike the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark offer some courses at much lower fees than the above-stated average, with some courses starting at £5,164. This means that Brits could save over £4,000 on their student fees in these countries, depending on the course they select. Likewise, Finland and Sweden offer cheaper courses too, with some institutions offering undergraduate qualification starting at £3,442.80 and £5,916.40 a year respectively. This means that UK nationals could save money on their undergraduate degree regardless of where they study in the EU, as the UK’s tuition of £9,250 per year is fixed for all public universities.

Despite these savings, leaving the common market has reduced the advantages of studying in the EU for British nationals. Currently the following 10 countries offer free tuition to EU nationals: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

Studying in these countries is not free anymore for British nationals, except for Germany, where universities are still free even for non-EU students. However, in some of these countries an administrative fee may be charged to process applications and enrollment. 

The full list of average tuition fee by country can be found below: