Countries where undergraduate studies are the most expensive have been revealed
The cost of one year of undergraduate tuition for domestic students varies drastically depending on the country. In a comparison based on OECD data, England recorded the highest figure at $13,135. In the US, this figure stands at $9,596. The amounts are expressed in US dollars, taking into account purchasing power in the countries.
Countries with the most expensive bachelor's degree studies revealed
An infographic prepared by Data Explained compares the annual bachelor's tuition fees across 23 countries. It is based on the report "Education at a Glance 2025" by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — OECD.
The fee data in the report mostly relates to the 2022/23 academic year, while figures for other periods were used for certain countries. Therefore, they cannot be interpreted as contract prices for the current admission season.
Purchasing power parity was used for the comparison. This method takes into account price levels in countries and helps compare fees set in different currencies on a common benchmark.
The figures mostly apply to public higher education institutions. For England, government-dependent private institutions were taken into account.
The highest figure was recorded in England. There, the average annual tuition fee for a bachelor's degree for domestic students is $13,135. This data specifically pertains to the England region of the United Kingdom.
In second place is the US, where the figure stands at $9,596. The difference between the two numbers is $3,539: the fee in England is nearly 37 percent higher than in the US.
In the infographic, third place was given to Poland — $7,497. However, this figure should not be understood as the amount paid by all domestic students in the country. In Poland, education in full-time Polish-language programs at public universities is free for Polish citizens. Payment conditions vary depending on the program and the student's status.
The following places were taken by Japan, Canada, Lithuania, South Korea, and Australia. The annual bachelor's tuition fees listed for these countries range between $5,108 and $5,645. Latvia and New Zealand were also included in the top ten with the highest figures.
The amounts shown for Germany and France are significantly lower — $157 and $252, respectively.
In Belgium, the education system differs significantly depending on which language community it belongs to. In the French community, the figure is $433, while in the Flemish community it is $1,410. The second figure is almost 3.3 times higher than the first.
The full OECD report also lists countries where bachelor's education at public universities is free for domestic students. These include Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Turkey. Therefore, calling Germany and France the absolute cheapest countries across the entire organization would not be correct.