Choosing a university abroad: questions to ask before you apply
Accreditation, total costs, visa eligibility and graduate outcomes. A clear framework for comparing international universities.
Study Abroad
Study abroad, from first search to first lecture.
Great universities exist in Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond, not only in the West. Choosing a university, finding genuine scholarships, understanding admissions and language tests, and preparing for student life in a new country.
Last reviewed 11 October 2026
Topics
What you’ll find here
01
International universities
Recognition, total cost, support services and graduate outcomes. What to compare beyond the rankings.
Read the guide 02Scholarships
Where genuine scholarships are published, how to read the criteria and how to avoid paid "scholarship agents".
Read the guide 03
04 Admissions
Personal statements, references, transcripts and timelines. Build your application calendar early.
Guide coming soonStudent visas
The building blocks of most student visa applications, with links to official pages.
Read the guide 05Language tests
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and more. Confirm the test is accepted for both your admission and your visa.
Read the guide 06Student life
Accommodation, budgeting, part-time work rules and finding community on campus.
Read the guideArticles
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How to search for scholarships without falling for fake ones
Where genuine scholarships are published, how to read eligibility criteria and the warning signs of scholarship scams.
Language tests explained: which one do you need?
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo English Test and others. How to find out which test your university or visa accepts.
Official & trusted resources
- EducationUSA (U.S. Department of State)educationusa.state.gov
- EduCanada (Government of Canada)educanada.ca
- DAAD: German Academic Exchange Servicedaad.de
- Study Australia (Australian Government)studyaustralia.gov.au
- Study in Japan (JASSO)studyinjapan.go.jp
- Study in Korea (NIIED), including Global Korea Scholarshipsstudyinkorea.go.kr
- AMCI, Morocco: scholarships for international studentsamci.ma
- Universities South Africa (USAf)usaf.ac.za
- Campus Francecampusfrance.org