7 Tips to Choose the Best Universities to Study Bachelor's Degree Abroad

Are you considering where to attend university abroad to earn your bachelor's degree? More Indian students are choosing to enrol at foreign universities to complete their bachelor's degrees as studying abroad is no longer just an option for the ultra-wealthy. But with more options for bachelor's programmes overseas comes more uncertainty.

The most daunting and essential choice you will need to make to guarantee your seamless transition to the institute is choosing the right university. Although everyone is aware of how the process can change a person's life, it may also be fairly intimidating if you are unsure of where or how to begin your search. Even if you may have your heart set on a particular institution, it is usually advisable to be prepared with at least five backup options.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of studying abroad for your bachelor's degree, provide the top 7 tips to choose the best university for a bachelor's abroad and take a look at a handful of the most well-known institutions worldwide that offer undergraduate degrees along with their approx. annual fees.

Why Studying Bachelors Degree Abroad is the Right Choice

What fun is it to simply be in your comfort zone? Studying for a bachelor's degree abroad would not only challenge you to step out of your comfort level but also provide you with unexpected learning and post-graduation career opportunities. Here are some of the other reasons why you should study abroad:

Building a Robust Network: Networking in college continues to be uncontested, especially where the community is diverse. Moreover, universities abroad allow international students to work part-time while studying, enabling them to build their own professional network which further makes finding a job post-graduation easier.

Boost Your CV: There is no doubt that studying abroad will add value to your academic resume or CV. Also, given that a bachelor's is only the first step towards your professional journey, mentioning an international study experience, by itself, can broaden your horizons. In fact, when applying for a job, the common denominator will be that every applicant will have a degree but the skills developed while studying abroad will certainly put you right ahead of the competition.

Improve your Language Skills: Be it in your home country or abroad, today's world of global commerce requires students to know more than one language. Having to use a language in real-life situations and interactions will help you learn many nuanced things such as famous phrases, quotes and so on.

A Truly Global Experience: With more and more universities abroad putting emphasis on creating a diverse campus community, international students get an opportunity to meet peers from all over the world. You will be exposed to different cultures and traditions, which will not just be a great learning experience but will also contribute to making you more considerate towards people from all communities.

See the World: Studying abroad is also an opportunity to explore new places and countries and immerse yourself in the country's culture. It makes a place for personal growth, lasting friendships and connections, new discoveries, which if put together, will surely lead to you changing your outlook on life.

Better Career Prospects: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 report, bachelor's degree-holders in the US earned over USD 500 more per week than high school graduates. A college degree, especially from a foreign renowned university can open the door to better and a wider spectrum of job opportunities with higher salaries.

How to Choose the Best Universities to Study Bachelor's Abroad

Let us now dive right into the top seven tips to choose the best universities to study an undergraduate degree abroad:

Identify your Essential Requirements

The first thing you need to do while choosing a university abroad is to make a list of the key factors that are crucial for your decision. This may include factors such as the following:

• Tuition fees

• Eligibility criteria

• Location/Country

• International student support services

• Diversity

• School size

• Return on investment (ROI)

• Most in-demand courses

• Resources and support systems

• Sports facilities

• Accommodation facilities

• Mode of Learning

• Medium of Teaching, etc.

These factors will help you narrow down your search and pick the universities that meet your own unique set of requirements. Identifying your requirements is particularly important if you want to study a subject that is offered by a wide range of universities such as Mechanical Engineering, MBA, etc.

Select Your Desired Program and Check Course Content

Now this could be a little tricky. Many students have it all figured out about which course to study, but some might find it difficult to settle on one course or subject. In case you are uncertain about which undergraduate course you want to study, you might want to talk to an admissions counsellor who could put your thoughts into perspective and help you make an informed decision. Otherwise, you can sort it out by listing down the top three courses you are interested in and then going about looking at the course curricula set by various universities.

Also, what many forget to do before applying to a college or university abroad is look at the course content. This often ends up causing a lot of problems given that universities abroad usually have a completely different way of delivering courses. However, if you get confused in the process, choose a university that allows you enough flexibility or freedom to experiment with different subjects. Some countries will give you more leeway than others. For example, in the US, you would be asked to choose your major only during the second year or later.

Use the Best Search Engines

Given how huge a decision choosing the perfect university is, instead of following a lengthy process, you can simply use search engines that could make the process easier, faster and more accurate. You may categorically browse through exhaustive lists of top-ranked and popular universities in different countries by clicking on the links below:

• Best Universities for Bachelors in the US

• Best Universities for Bachelors in the UK

• Best Universities for Bachelors in Canada

• Best Universities for Bachelors in the UAE

• Best Universities for Bachelors in New Zealand

• Best Universities for Bachelors in Australia

Check the International University Rankings

While curating your list of top universities, always make sure to look at the top global rankings such as the QS World University Rankings, World University Rankings by Times Higher Education, Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Ranking, US News Best Colleges Ranking and more. The rankings can further be filtered on the basis of subjects, location, and international student ratio among others.

The top ten spots of almost all major rankings include universities in the US, UK and Switzerland like Harvard University, Oxford University, MIT, Stanford University, ETH Zurich, etc. According to the 2022 edition of QS World University Rankings, the US continues to host the highest number of ranked universities among a total of 1,300 universities.

While these are the top-ranked universities, underrated universities should not be ignored given the competition in admissions. College reputation can be examined on a smaller scale as any given university may be better known for your course. Universities such as the University of Dayton, Suffolk University, and DePaul University, among others, continue to host a huge number of international students every year.

Research the Most Affordable Degrees/Finances

Arranging your finances, while it might be a critical thing to do, is one of the decisive factors when planning on studying abroad. Though loans, grants and scholarships help ease the financial burden, checking out affordable universities or degrees is the best way to ensure that you are studying on your budget.

You can also check out affordable countries which include Norway, Taiwan, Germany, France, and Mexico, among others, according to QS Top Grad School Guide 2016-17. It might also help you find affordable options based on your minority status, family background, program of study or home country. Further, some colleges offer quite generous financial aid packages that meet 100% of financial needs, meaning eligible students might not have to apply for education loans.

Speak to Former and Current Students

After you have had a look at college rankings and shortlisted the universities you wish to apply to, the next step is to speak to their former and current students to learn about their personal college experiences. It is even better if you speak to university alumni from your home country, who could also tell you about the number of students from the country or how diverse the university on the whole is.

While administration and campus tour guides would most likely try to sell the university, former students would always tell you the truth. Among the questions, you may ask the university, the most informative and relevant ones could be based on reasons to attend the college, quality of the faculty and department, campus experience, financial aid opportunities, post-graduation employment opportunities and so forth.

Attend University Fairs and Open Days

Virtual open days usually include video virtual tours, online seminars, chats with existing lectures or students, live webinars, student support sessions and more, which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. University fairs and open days also let students interact with other potential students to find out more about the university culture, which in turn makes the entire transition relatively easy.

To make the most out of open days, you may make a list of all the scheduled university fairs, open days, online chats, open evenings and tours.

The process of choosing the ideal university does not end here though. You would also have to pick the right university after you get acceptance letters from more than one university. Nevertheless, you might have to follow the same tips, as mentioned above.

Popular Universities to Pursue Bachelor Degree Abroad

Listed below are some of the top universities across the globe to study bachelor's degree abroad:

Enrolling in universities abroad for a bachelor's degree is an impactful decision that shapes your future life. Hence, it is extremely important that you take steps in the right direction and be careful about your choices. From the above-mentioned prerequisites for choosing the best universities for bachelors, you can make a checklist and start your study abroad journey right away.

In case you have any doubts about choosing the best universities to study bachelors abroad, please reach out to us at abroad@collegedekho.com. Our team will guide you through the admission process to leading foreign universities.