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I'm curious to hear about the cost of higher education around the world. Not all too long ago, I read an article about the Finnish education system which stated that not only is higher education (note: I'm referring to university level) free for all who apply, but that students are actually given a stipend; and this is at the undergraduate level. I know that Finland is not the only country to provide free, or even paid, higher education. To an American like me, it's a hard thing to wrap my head around, much as the stratospheric cost of college education in the U.S. is difficult for others to understand.
So, I was curious to hear from those of you who have gone to school outside of the U.S., know someone who has or simply are aware of the costs of doing such in another country, what are the rough costs of a university education. I'd just like to see how things stack up. For example, in the U.S. a four-year college (the norm) is considered a "good" deal if after four year you have spent under $30,000. The norm however for public colleges is considerably higher and some private schools, when the cost of tuition, books, room and board and food is added up, cost $30,000 for one single year. And this is just at the undergraduate level, saying nothing for graduate school, law school or medical school. A university education has become increasingly a necessity in the U.S. but by the same token is becoming more unaffordable which means that the majority of graduates are forced to take out loans and often emerge from their undergraduate years tens of thousands of dollars in debt that won't be paid off for 10-20 years. There are of course scholarships and grants, and most students who apply can receive a bit of help but full scholarships are rare.
In most European countries, higher education is widely subsidized (or perhaps it may be argued that prices are not artificially jacked up - like education and health care in the US).
Most recently, I pursued graduate study in Greece, paid no tuition and they gave me room and board for a token payment of around $100 a month. Overall, I felt like I was being paid to do research and write papers, some of the best years of my life. Thank you, Greece!
In countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal I believe a year's tuition at state universities is comparable to a year at a community college in the US, the same goes at least for one Latin American country that I know about, and probably for many others. In the above-mentioned countries, tuition at a private university is another matter, but I guess in the neighborhood of $5,000-$10,000 a year, compared to around $30,000 or more in the US.
It would be interesting to hear from people in northern Europe, India, east Asia, Japan, and Australia.
Now, we could argue about quality, but that can be highly subjective, based on personal objectives and any number of other criteria.
I would only offer this: there is rampant inflation in the US in the price of such vital needs as housing, energy & transport, education, health care, and even food lately (as opposed to the almost meaningless government-reported CPI which mostly measures cheap imported junk, but forms the basis for social security increases, for example) because the US has lost much of its low/medium-technology manufacturing base and because of the contradictions in its land-use (including housing) and energy policies.
As it stands, the US system is reaching - or has reached - the point of diminishing returns, and this is reflected in rampant inflation in vital sectors of the economy and the fact that young people come out of "higher education" with life-long debt.
In the UK the fees are rising every year and the education is getting worse now the UK has dropped to 10th in graduate numbers. I even read an article that many companies here in the Uk look overseas as UK companies hire UK graduates and the level of knowlege is very low compared to overseas probably why I cant get a job .
I'm curious to hear about the cost of higher education around the world. Not all too long ago, I read an article about the Finnish education system which stated that not only is higher education (note: I'm referring to university level) free for all who apply, but that students are actually given a stipend; and this is at the undergraduate level. I know that Finland is not the only country to provide free, or even paid, higher education. To an American like me, it's a hard thing to wrap my head around, much as the stratospheric cost of college education in the U.S. is difficult for others to understand.
So, I was curious to hear from those of you who have gone to school outside of the U.S., know someone who has or simply are aware of the costs of doing such in another country, what are the rough costs of a university education. I'd just like to see how things stack up. For example, in the U.S. a four-year college (the norm) is considered a "good" deal if after four year you have spent under $30,000. The norm however for public colleges is considerably higher and some private schools, when the cost of tuition, books, room and board and food is added up, cost $30,000 for one single year. And this is just at the undergraduate level, saying nothing for graduate school, law school or medical school. A university education has become increasingly a necessity in the U.S. but by the same token is becoming more unaffordable which means that the majority of graduates are forced to take out loans and often emerge from their undergraduate years tens of thousands of dollars in debt that won't be paid off for 10-20 years. There are of course scholarships and grants, and most students who apply can receive a bit of help but full scholarships are rare.
Any input?
You can say that again!
In Sweden, all education is free, even high university education. I don't remember what it's like in Norway or Denmark (other than that when you don't get accepted to a Swedish university, many turn to Denmark or Norway because it's easier to get in there compared to here), but I would think it's something similar to our system.
The education is free, but you pay about 170 kronor (right now that's equal to about 25,8 US dollars) every year for being member of the university union that works like any other labour union (you have to be member of a union when working/studying at a university in Sweden, to ensure you get the best aid, pay etc. that's possible) and you also pay for your books. But otherwise, you're off the hook.
You get a stipend in Sweden too (instead of tax reduction, parents get about 1 100 kronor/month when having a child, and they get this amount every month until the child graduates from "high school" the year it turns 18), at about 2 500 kronor/month. (But it's not like you're getting paid to study, it's just a way for the government to finanse higher education = more highly educated people in the country.)
This you get, and you're also able to (most people do this) get a loan which adds about 5 000 or so kronor every month.
Of course, living costs a lot, so most students are still short on money. Take my brother: he's threating our mother with staying at home until he graduates...which will be in 5 years
Paying the highest taxes in the world is great when you realize what you actually get (Ok, I would like some more buses going out on the countryside though...But you can't have it all)
You can say that again!
In Sweden, all education is free, even high university education. I don't remember what it's like in Norway or Denmark (other than that when you don't get accepted to a Swedish university, many turn to Denmark or Norway because it's easier to get in there compared to here), but I would think it's something similar to our system.
The education is free, but you pay about 170 kronor (right now that's equal to about 25,8 US dollars) every year for being member of the university union that works like any other labour union (you have to be member of a union when working/studying at a university in Sweden, to ensure you get the best aid, pay etc. that's possible) and you also pay for your books. But otherwise, you're off the hook.
You get a stipend in Sweden too (instead of tax reduction, parents get about 1 100 kronor/month when having a child, and they get this amount every month until the child graduates from "high school" the year it turns 18), at about 2 500 kronor/month. (But it's not like you're getting paid to study, it's just a way for the government to finanse higher education = more highly educated people in the country.)
This you get, and you're also able to (most people do this) get a loan which adds about 5 000 or so kronor every month.
Of course, living costs a lot, so most students are still short on money. Take my brother: he's threating our mother with staying at home until he graduates...which will be in 5 years
Paying the highest taxes in the world is great when you realize what you actually get (Ok, I would like some more buses going out on the countryside though...But you can't have it all)
Yeah, I have to admit, I'm oftentimes perplexed to hear of or see Europeans on American college campuses. I always wonder why they're not taking advantage of the cheaper education in their countries; or if an American degree will be more valuable to them and increase their earning potential back home. It just seems like such a massive unnecessary cost (assuming they are got receiving grants or a scholarship) for Europeans, many of whom don't have as much disposable income due to the high taxes that GIVE them the free university education, to send their children to school here.
At my school, we had very few European students. Most of the international students were from Asia; usually China, South Korea and India, and the a smattering of others from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. I wonder how the situation is in these countries, especially those countries like Nigeria or Pakistan or Egypt or other countries with a low GDP and how these parents can afford to send their children to school here; or if we're only receiving the richest of the rich kids whose parents can afford to send them, or the brightest of the bright who can obtain scholarships.
Well, keep in mind Norway, Sweden, etc. are not neccesary the standard across Europe. At my college, almost all our European students were Russian. My college had an exchange program with a university in Russia (someplace near the Black Sea) and the students came, at great personal cost I am sure, to study at an American college and learn English. One of the girls, Ekaterina, lived in my dorm, and she told me there were so many more opportunities for her once she obtained an American degree and fluent English.
Well, keep in mind Norway, Sweden, etc. are not neccesary the standard across Europe. At my college, almost all our European students were Russian. My college had an exchange program with a university in Russia (someplace near the Black Sea) and the students came, at great personal cost I am sure, to study at an American college and learn English. One of the girls, Ekaterina, lived in my dorm, and she told me there were so many more opportunities for her once she obtained an American degree and fluent English.
This is true for Japanese students as well. Tuition for Japanese colleges is cheaper than American colleges but the quality is reduced as well. A great majority of undergraduates use college mostly for social networking than education. There are less demands placed on the students than even when they were in High School.
For example: my brother-in-law used to skip classes (usually due to sleeping in) fairly regularly and still managed to graduate at about the middle of his class.
It's not true for all colleges however, some of the elite schools (that are also hardest to get into) actually do real research and undergo real teaching. However, so many more don't that the usual method for graduates is to get snatched up by a company and then spend the next 2-4 years under an on-the-job training mentorship from a senior employee.
However, many more opportunities abound for students who take the plunge, and go to America, UK, or Australia for college. Since Japan is so class-oriented, and a big determiner for class is your University (and your High School, and sometimes your grade school), many Japanese kids find they can exploit a loophole in the culture by attending college overseas. A lot of students who might not qualify for a top school in Japan will go overseas to an American school, pay the outrageous amount they charge for international tuition and then return, with degree in hand, to Japan to a definite increase in potential employer interest.
If they managed to become fluent in English in the process they can expect to make 10-20K (if you convert to US$) more a year than their Japanese Univ. educated buddies.
Don't forget free isn't really free. It's more than paid for in taxes. If you want to really know the cost, see what the charge would be for you to study there as a non-resident. That would be more of an apples to apples comparison.
Don't forget free isn't really free. It's more than paid for in taxes. If you want to really know the cost, see what the charge would be for you to study there as a non-resident. That would be more of an apples to apples comparison.
Actually, in Sweden, there are laws against charging non-Swedish students. Yes, an amount is charged, but it is in no way high.
And paying taxes isn't as bad as many in less socialistic countries may want to portray it. Sure, we pay a lot of taxes in Sweden (for example), actually we pay the highest taxes in the world, but we are also world leading in education, health care, social well being etc. (We live the longest, among with the Japaneses, in the world, for example. So our way of doing things must work)
People here pay high taxes, and in return, they get far more for the money than they would if they paid less taxes and had to pay for the services on their own when the services were needed.
In the short run, it may seem expensive, but in the long run, it sure pays off.
While I would say that the average person in most countries in the world is more educated and knowledgeable about the world & general world affairs, American Professors are leaps and bounds ahead of anything you will find in the rest of the world.
To be very honest, most Universities outside of the United States aren't that good. I did an exchange program at one of the best Universities in Asia and there was a large contingent of European students in addition to students from all over Asia from elite schools who were also studying abroad there.
Most Asians and Europeans don't take their studies very seriously. People would often go to class, fall alseep, talk to each other openly as the lecture was going on, or text message their friends on their cellphones (this was really annoying as it is hard to pay attention in class when that clicking noise is going on).
The thing I noticed most is that Asian students are really good at going thru the motions but not really learning anything. They will go to class, but not pay attention, or go to the library for hours on end but spend the majority of their time sleeping on a desk.
At the end of the semester all of these kids will go into a mad frenzy cramming for the final exam which usually makes up between 60-100% of their grade. So from day one up until about 3-4 weeks prior to the exam most of these kids don't really even crack open their books.
Now I think I am fairly intelligent, but the students over there (Europeans included) thought I was some type of genius because I would do the readings, follow what was going on in class, and asks questions to the Professor (another rarity in Asian universities). To be honest though I wasn't that outstanding of a student at my regular university. I did not graduate with honors, and my university, while it has a very good reputation in the Northeast, is in no way an Ivy League school.
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