How to choose your destination

Studying in another country can offer a new perspective and motivation to complete your degree program. Maybe it will inspire you to change directions, change your major, or even change your career goals.
As they say in real estate, it’s always location, location, location. Where you study abroad can make or break your study abroad experience, so how do you decide? Here are a few pointers to help you hone in on where to study abroad.

steps to figure out where to study abroad

You need to start by asking yourself some very real questions. Get down to the root of why you want to study abroad and where.

1. Write Out the Pros and Cons of Each

These can range from serious ("better academics") to slightly more lighthearted ("tastier street food"). All is game and nothing should be discounted—write out a length pros and cons list to give yourself a baseline of where your heart is, let alone where your study abroad heart is.

2. Get a Handle on Projected Costs

Research Programs and Typical Fees in Each If you're considering studying in England AND Japan AND Costa Rica, it would be helpful to have a ballpark estimate of what the average program fees are for each individual destination. You don't need to go full-on into research mode, but having some numbers to work with—and some knowledge of how much you can afford—can knock out some options and whittle your list.
Here are some study abroad program types to consider that could affect overall finances:
Direct enrollment in a foreign university. What if your university doesn’t have a study abroad office? That’s okay! Find one that does and will accept students from other institutions. If that’s not an option, consider direct enrollment—this is when you can enroll directly with a uni abroad as an exchange student. This can mean at cost tuition fees without the markup of a middle man, but also less overall support or community building. Study abroad with a third party organization (aka Program Provider). On the other hand, if that’s too much of a hassle, or not quite what you’re looking for, find an affiliate program or third party provider to do all the work for you. Many study abroad alumni just love programs like IES Abroad, API Study Abroad, and CIEE. Programs like these operate in hundreds of countries, for a myriad of durations (think: summer, winter, 1-2 weeks, whole semesters, etc.) and oftentimes have relationships with universities that make transferring credits a cinch. Study abroad through YOUR university. This can be financially viable because you can usually score financial aid for study abroad, plus the transfer of credits can be easy-peesy. Still confused? No worries! Here’s a great article that breaks down the difference between direct enrollment and affiliate programs for studying abroad. If you'd like one-on-one advice to help you match with your perfect program, don't hesitate to reach out to our Online Advisor.

Research Anticipated Costs of Living Abroad in Each Okay, so maybe the program fees are relatively the same in each. What about your day to day cost of living? Is taking the transport in Copenhagen once the same as a bus pass in Lima? Will rent in Bangkok wipe out your savings versus a homestay option in Cape Town? Pairing your anticipated costs of living with your program fees will give you more financial knowledge about your life abroad, and help you answer that question of where to study abroad.
Research Study Abroad Scholarships for Each There are dozens—maybe even hundreds—of study abroad scholarships out there. BUT, sometimes, there are additional scholarships that are location-specific. Research the education government bodies in your preferred destinations to see if they offer awards or grants to international students considering study in their country. Browse the internet to find any special scholarships for students with specific destination intentions. You never know what you might uncover.

3. Check You Can Take Courses that Count Towards Your Degree

This probably could be done a little earlier in the process (like before or during your cost research), but you also want to make sure that whatever classes you're going to take abroad, whether in France, Spain, Mexico, or otherwise, will count towards your degree if you need them to. Check out your university’s international or study abroad office to learn which universities does your home college partner with abroad, or which external organizations they have set up partnerships with. Will the credits you earn abroad be transferable? Have a chat with your collegiate advisors to ensure that every course you need to count while abroad will.

4. Narrow Down Your Choices

You should have at most two strong contenders by this time. This is a great point to take a step back and get some external feedback on your final choices. Talk to your parents, study abroad advisors, mentors, professors—anyone whose got your back and can give you meaningful feedback and ideas for you to consider as you weigh your final two options. Be sure to also ask yourself: Where will I thrive? Looking back in 20 years, where will I be most excited that I studied abroad in? How will or *could* the location potentially impact my future career or post-college choices? What is gut saying?

5. Pick Your Country! And Then Your City

Once you’ve chosen your host country, next you have to decide between the city, town, or countryside? The great thing about cities is that they’re usually so accessible. Many urban centers have great transportation hubs and networks to get around the nooks and crannies of the rest of the country. Others, like London, Paris, and Tokyo, make the whole world your oyster with planes, trains, and automobiles heading to your dream destinations. City life. What city would you like to study in? Better yet, ask yourself: what are the world's best cities to study abroad in? How does hitting up El Prado and other museums and sampling churros in Madrid sound? Does the distinct Catalan culture of Barcelona float your boat? Maybe you dream of learning italiano over a cup of espresso in the Eternal City, Rome, or walking in the footsteps of Leonardo Da Vinci in always photogenic Florence? What about learning business in the alpha global city, London or reading L’Etranger on the banks of the river Seine in Paris? Country life. On the other hand, don’t think that studying abroad means you have to study in a city. Maybe you already live in a city and want to get away from it all: the crowds, the traffic, the hussle, the pollution. Are you all about wide open spaces? Does studying in a charming hamlet or small town appeal to you? Popular destinations for study abroad canada australia us uk europe