Once a student decides that they want to study abroad the next challenge is in deciding which country would be most suited for them to study abroad if they don’t already have a preference. The data pointers collected from various sources show that the USA is the top destination with more than 1.3 lakh students pursuing their higher education in different universities. Countries like the UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and France are all very popular destinations for students with their pro-immigration policy and top-notch universities with a very good reputation.

Area of study: 

This is probably the most important aspect which helps you to decide which country is most suited for higher education. If you’re from an engineering background, then countries like USA and Germany have the reputation of being best suited. For students from the field of Management and Hospitality, countries like the UK, France and Italy are very well suited.

Culture and language barriers: 

This is very important for most Indian students. Countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, USA and Canada are predominantly English-speaking countries which means that students will find it easier to adapt to the culture and find that the language barriers are little to none. Countries like Germany, France, Italy etc. may offer some language barrier not in the field of education but in everyday life. However, the cultural aspects of these countries are unique. At the end of the day as a student, you should familiarise yourself with the country you are studying in and explore neighbouring countries if you have the opportunity.

Immigration policies: 

Immigration policies of the countries play a very vital role in education. Some countries have friendly immigration policies for students. This means that the visa approval process is simpler and faster. Along with this, they provide opportunities to work part-time during the course and full-time post-study work visas. Most countries within the EU offer post-study work visas which means the students can make use of their education to gain experience, and knowledge and earn good salaries. Some countries like USA and Canada even offer policies to convert work visas to permanent residency visas. You as a student need to understand what the end goal is and based on that must choose countries with friendly immigration policies.

University reputations: 

University rankings will help you determine the reputation of the universities and what the university is good at. Even if a country has a university which offers the course that you are looking for, but the ranking is low then having a master's or bachelor’s degree from such a university may not be very valuable for you. Factors such as providing scholarships, stipends, financial aid etc are also very important in determining which country to choose for your study overseas.