Do you intend to pursue a PhD abroad? For foreign students pursuing a PhD, a number of nations provide free or extremely affordable tuition.
These postgraduate degrees, like a master’s or, better still, a PhD, can help you land positions with the greatest salaries and the lowest unemployment rates. Higher degrees of education are often associated with higher annual incomes, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The cost of obtaining a terminal degree overseas can be prohibitively expensive, but this isn’t the case if you’re studying in one of the most affordable countries for PhD programs. Here are 6 countries that offer free or very cheap PhD programmes
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Sweden is known for its inventive and innovative culture; it is the birthplace of well-known companies and goods like Bluetooth, IKEA, and Spotify. This might be the best place for you to pursue a PhD, particularly if you want to do innovative, ground-breaking research.
What’s the nicest thing about studying for a PhD in Sweden? Everyone can use it for free, including students from other countries. Your future is secure when you combine it with a comparatively low cost of living (US$2,264 per month).
In exchange for your efforts, several universities even provide substantial PhD incomes or stipends.
However, this only applies to this terminal degree; tuition for non-EU/EEA students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s programs will still need to be paid, albeit it will still be reasonably priced.
Furthermore, Sweden is home to a number of highly regarded universities, seven of which are included in the QS World University Rankings 2025’s top 350 universities. KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Lund University, Sweden’s top two universities, are placed 74th and 75th, respectively.
Read Also: Study in Sweden: 20 Fully-funded PhD Programs at Uppsala University in 2024
Another stunning Nordic nation at the top of the list of the least expensive places to pursue a PhD is Norway.
It takes great pride in lifelong learning. Despite having a small higher education system, the nation is home to numerous world-class universities that offer top-notch programs and have produced notable artists, thinkers, and scientists, and no fewer than 13 Nobel Prize winners.
Although the nation no longer offers tuition-free education to international students as of 2023, its costs are still rather reasonable.
In Norway, PhD candidates are regarded as employees rather than students, which is a noteworthy aspect of getting your degree here. As a result, you are paid and there is no tuition to pay.
University financing, however, will need to cover living expenses and necessary operational capital. This can take the shape of doctorate research fellowships or connections to academic institutions or communities.
Two Norwegian universities are listed in the top 350 of the QS World University Rankings 2025: the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (#264) and the University of Oslo (#119).
Another Nordic nation at the top of our list of the least expensive places for international students to pursue a PhD is Finland. The breathtaking landscapes, secure urban areas, and excellent standard of living are further benefits.
In late 2023, the Finnish government stated that it would support 1,000 PhDs that must be completed in three years in an effort to strengthen knowledge exchange between science and industry.
Since then, the program has received a lot of support. The government first provided US$281 million for the program, but shortly after, it promised an extra US$269 million for more PhD training.
The government worked to boost the number of PhD graduates and enhance the training’s societal impact throughout 2024.
With the goal of increasing the number of PhD graduates and enhancing the societal impact of PhD training, the government of Finland invested more than 260 million euros (US$281 million) on this pilot initiative, which started in 2024.
Four of the top 350 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2025 ranking are located in Finland. These include Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) at #336, the University of Helsinki at #117, the University of Oulu at #344, and Aalto University at #113.
Germany has long been renowned for its innovative educational system, top-notch instruction, and affordable tuition costs for students. From 2024 to 2028, foreign students who graduate from German institutions can now anticipate programs that will assist them find employment in the nation.
In this case, universities compel PhD students to obtain funding but do not charge them tuition.
You’re in luck because there are numerous methods to obtain that, including through the university’s doctoral fellowships and other financial initiatives.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2025, eight German universities are ranked in the top 150, and if you look at the top 350, there are 19 in total.
France is another nation that made our list of the most affordable places to pursue a PhD.
You might be shocked to hear that there are a very wide range of internationally ranked universities in Paris. More significantly, they provide affordability in addition to having a strong reputation with businesses worldwide, a sizable foreign student body, and top-notch programs.
Tuition costs are quite modest, which accounts for the last part more than the local cost of living, which is notoriously high in Paris.
According to French legislation, applicants must have a doctoral contract that guarantees them a salary and other advantages, such as health insurance, before they can be admitted to a PhD program.
To put it briefly, obtaining a PhD in France ensures financial gain.
Keep an eye out for any annual tuition fees that certain universities may need you to pay. For example, Sciences Po charges 391 euros (about US$436).
According to the QS World University Rankings 2025, 10 French universities are among the top 350. Université PSL (ranked #24), Institut Polytechnique de Paris (ranked 46), Sorbonne University (ranked 63), and Université Paris-Saclay (ranked 73) are the four that make it into the top 150.
Read Also: How Much Is the New Hourly Minimum Wage for Employees in the Netherlands in 2025
In this country in Northern Europe, all education up to the PhD level is free; therefore, it’s time to give it the attention it deserves. You might also be eligible for other grants and scholarship options, like the Estophilus fellowship, which is awarded to international researchers and doctoral students who are staying in Estonia for one to five months in order to do study or gather information about the nation.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Tartu is the top-ranked university in Estonia, coming in at #358.
A doctorate from this national university in Estonia prepares you for a career in academia: 62 researchers in all from the University of Tartu belong to the top 1% of most-cited researchers in the world.
The university offers eight doctoral programs (which are further subdivided into specializations), all of which are under one of four doctoral study centers: science and technology, medicine and sport, social sciences, and humanities.
Are you planning to study abroad and need funding to cover your tuition and living expenses?
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This post was last modified on January 13, 2025 11:08 am
