Loading countries
Loading countries
Where we start
Every country on this list offers English-taught bachelor’s degrees for American students — but tuition, living costs, and degree length vary enough to change the total cost of a degree by tens of thousands of dollars.
Public tuition is free at most universities, even for international students — though Baden-Württemberg and TU Munich now charge non-EU students — alongside a deep bench of English-taught engineering and tech programs.
One of the largest English-taught bachelor's catalogs in Europe, with high rankings and near-universal English fluency.
Home to the Grandes Écoles and a growing set of English-taught business and engineering degrees.
Lower cost of living, a huge existing American student community, and a fast-growing set of English-taught bachelor's programs.
Income-scaled public tuition and standout programs in design, architecture, and fashion.
A single national application portal, a U.S. diploma that clears basic eligibility on its own, and a deep bench of English-taught bachelor's programs across public universities.
Estimated totals are this site’s own total-cost model at typical spending with one flight home per year, over the full degree, in each country’s first listed city. Every figure behind them carries its source on the country’s own page.
When to apply, whether you need a visa before you fly, and what happens once you land — for a deeper walk through the full timeline, see the application timeline.
| Country | Apply through | Deadline | Visa before departure? | Processing | After you land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | uni-assist | July 15, 2027 (winter semester) | No | 4–6 weeks for uni-assist review; 5–6 weeks for the residence permit after arrival | Register your address (Anmeldung) within 2 weeks, then apply for the residence permit |
| Netherlands | Studielink | January 15, 2027 (numerus fixus) or ~May 1, 2027 (general) | No | 4–8 weeks from university submission; 90 days is the legal maximum | Complete biometrics and collect your residence card per your university's instructions |
| France | Études en France (Campus France) | Platform opens October 1, 2026; closes December 15, 2026 | Yes | 2–8 weeks for the consulate visa | Validate your VLS-TS online within the required window after entry |
| Spain | UNEDasiss | Not yet published for the 2027/2028 academic year (Fall 2027 entry) as of August 2026 — the 2026/2027 cycle's deadline was July 7, 2026; expect a similar early-July date once UNEDasiss publishes it | Yes | 4–12 weeks depending on consulate and documentation; cannot be expedited | Apply for the Estancia por Estudios residence authorization |
| Italy | Universitaly | Set per university, not yet published for the 2027/2028 academic year (Fall 2027 entry) as of August 2026 — the 2026/2027 cycle ranged from July 31, 2026 (Milan) to September 30, 2026 (Pisa) | Yes | Varies by consulate; the 2026/2027 cycle's national visa deadline was November 30, 2026 — the 2027/2028 date is not yet published | Apply for the permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival |
| Sweden | Universityadmissions.se (national portal, up to 8 programme choices) | January 15, 2027 (autumn 2027 start; portal opens October 16, 2026) | Yes | 75% of recent residence-permit cases are decided within 3 months | Register your address with the Swedish Migration Agency within 30 days; register for a personnummer with the Swedish Tax Agency if staying 12 months or more |
Sources
Dates and requirements shown are for Fall 2027 entry and change every cycle — verify directly with the linked source before relying on any date here. Last verified October 2026.