TWhen it comes to the World’s best educational institutions European Universities stand high in lists and rankings. This can be drawn from the most recent surveys of top universities in the world, universities of the European countries takes around forty percent presence in the rankings which reflects the quality and standards of the facilities, students reviews and research environment.
- QS World University Rankings 2020: A total of 381 European universities are featured among the world’s best, roughly 38 percent of all the universities included.
- The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020: Over 500 universities out of the 1400 universities around the world ranked are European universities.
All the universities are assessed on the key factors like their teaching environment, research environment, research influence, industry income, and international outlook and popularity.
The country-wise list of universities and programs in Europe (alphabetically):
| Country | Universities | Programs in English |
| Austria | 22 | 182 |
| Belgium | 22 | 166 |
| Czech Republic | 19 | 42 |
| Denmark | 32 | 592 |
| Estonia | 10 | 243 |
| Faroe Islands | 1 | 1 |
| Finland | 39 | 563 |
| France | 64 | 306 |
| Germany | 168 | 849 |
| Greece | 9 | 4 |
| Hungary | 9 | 44 |
| Ireland | 12 | 75 |
| Italy | 56 | 61 |
| Latvia | 26 | 248 |
| Lithuania | 35 | 371 |
| Malta | 3 | 28 |
| Netherlands | 25 | 497 |
| Norway | 23 | 273 |
| Poland | 27 | 19 |
| Romania | 8 | 24 |
| Russia | 43 | 198 |
| Spain | 7 | 113 |
| Sweden | 38 | 799 |
| Switzerland | 14 | 309 |
| United Kingdom | 125 | 2463 |
With more than 100 universities the United Kingdom is the most popular country for international students because of their reputation for cutting-edge research and world-class education. And there are plenty of exciting career opportunities for international graduates.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Universities in Europe
University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Founded in 1096, this 924 years old higher-education institution has an enrollment range of around 30000 students. The admission policy is selective based on entrance examinations and students’ past records and grades, with an admission rate of 20-30%. The University of Oxford offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study.
| Student Enrollment | 25000-29999 |
| Academic staff | Over 5000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Trimester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD South East England, United KingdomTele: +44 (1865) 270 000Fax: +44 (1865) 270 708 |
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge’s 800-year history makes it the fourth-oldest university in the world and the second-oldest university in Europe. The university is formed from a variety of institutions which include 31 constituent Colleges and over 100 academic departments organized into six schools of Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Technology. The admission rate range is 10-20% making this UK higher education organization a most selective institution.
| Student Enrollment | 15,000-19,999 |
| Academic staff | Over 5000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Trimester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | The Old Schools, Trinity Lane Cambridge, CB2 1TN, East of England, United KingdomTele: +44 (1223) 337 733Fax: +44 (1223) 332 332 |
The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Founded in 1582, it is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland’s ancient universities. Officially the university is accredited and/or recognized by the Privy Council. Edinburgh receives approximately 60,000 applications every year, making it the second most popular university in the UK by volume of applications.
| Student Enrollment | 40,000-44,999 |
| Academic staff | 4,500-4,999 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Old College, South BridgeEdinburgh, EH8 9YL ScotlandUnited KingdomTele: +44 (131) 650 1000Fax: +44 (131) 650 2147 |
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland
One of the most prestigious universities in the world, ETH Zurich of Switzerland is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics university in the city of Zürich. It is ranked 3rd in the world for engineering and technology (1st in Europe) and 1st for Earth & Marine Science. Foreign applicants are required to take either the reduced entrance exam or the comprehensive entrance exam.
| Student Enrollment | 20,000-24,999 |
| Academic staff | Over 5000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Rämistrasse 101Zürich, 8092 ZurichSwitzerlandTele: +41 (44) 632 1111Fax: +41 (44) 632 1010Other locations Basel, Singapore |
University College London, United Kingdom
Established in 1826 as London University which has operated under the official name of UCL (University College London) since 2005. It offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, and doctorate degrees in several areas of study. Admission to UCL is highly selective. UCL is ranked 8th in the world and 4th in Europe.
| Student Enrollment | 35,000-39,999 |
| Academic staff | Over 5000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Gower StreetLondon, WC1E 6BT LondonUnited KingdomTele: +44 (20) 7679 2000Fax: +44 (20) 7679 7920 |
The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
Founded in 2004 by the merger of institutions of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and the Victoria University of Manchester (other Predecessor institutions: Victoria University (1880), Owens College (1851) and Manchester Mechanics’ Institute (1824).
The University of Manchester offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, and associate or foundation degrees), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.
| Student Enrollment | 40,000-44,999 |
| Academic staff | 4,500-4,999 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL North West EnglandUnited KingdomTele: +44 (161) 306 6000 |
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Established in 1450, Universitat de Barcelona (University of Barcelona) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the city of Barcelona, Spain. The admission rate range is 70-80%. UB offers courses and programs for higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.
| Student Enrollment | over-45,000 |
| Academic staff | over-5,000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes, 585 Barcelona, 08007 CataloniaSpainTele: +34 934021100Fax: +34 934035404Other locations: L’Hospitalet de Llobregat |
University of Oslo, Norway
The University of Oslo (Royal Frederick University, until 1939) is the oldest and largest university in Norway and leading European university. The university is officially accredited and/or recognized by the Kunnskapsdepartementet, Norge (Ministry of Education, Norway) UiO is home to outstanding research and offers a great variety in study options for recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation degrees), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.
| Student Enrollment | 35,000-39,999 |
| Academic staff | 3,500-3,999 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Urban |
| Address | PO Box 1072, Blindern,0316 Oslo, NorwayTele: +47 22 85 50 50Fax: +47 22 85 44 42Other locations: Kjeller |
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
Founded in 1962 is one of the largest universities in Germany. It is one of the first new public universities in Germany to introduce international bachelor’s and master’s degrees, which replaced the traditional German Diplom and Magister. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia) offers a total of 184 different study programs from all academic fields
| Student Enrollment | 30,000-34,999 |
| Academic staff | over-5,000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Suburban |
| Address | Universitätsstrasse 150 Bochum, 44801 North Rhine-WestphaliaGermanyTele: +49 (234) 32 25483Fax: +49 (234) 32 14684 |
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Founded in 1834, KU Leuven is a leading higher education and research university. It is amongst the top 50 universities worldwide, offering programs and research studies in higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. It ranks among the top 100 universities in the world by five major ranking tables. It is officially accredited and/or recognized by the Vlaams Ministerie van Onderwijs en Vorming, België (Flemish Ministry of Education and Training, Belgium).
| Student Enrollment | Over 45000 |
| Academic staff | Over-5,000 |
| Status | Public |
| Academic calendar | Semester |
| Campus setting | Suburban |
| Address | Naamsestraat 22, Leuven, 3000 Flemish Brabant, BelgiumTele: +32 (16) 324 311Fax: +32 (16) 324 330Other locations: Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp |
Top universities in Europe for Masters
Getting a higher education abroad is a great accomplishment and a life-changing experience, a master’s degree with strong industry connections, where students go on to exciting jobs with good employers, might just be worth the investment. There are over 1.5 million students from all across the globe who choose Europe for their education especially post-graduation and Doctorate. Europe boasts a portion of the strongest education system in the whole world. European Universities ranks the best higher education system in the world every year.
Top universities in Europe for MS (Master of Science)
Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering, and medicine and is usually for programs that are more focused on scientific and mathematical subjects. There are lots of countries to choose from the European mainland. With historic and well-known universities and low or cheap tuition fees, European universities are a very attractive option for international students.
Top universities for a Masters in Medicine & Health
Europe is the epicenter of top medical universities. Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have more number of top-ranked universities for masters in Medicine and Health. Sweden’s Karolinska Institute – a renowned medical research center with its own teaching hospital – tops the rankings for European universities (and comes 14th in the world).
- University of Heidelberg, Germany
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Sorbonne University, France
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- University of Bergen, Norway
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
- University of Helsinki, Finland
- Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- University of Bologna, Italy
Top universities for a Masters in Life Sciences
Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden make up the ‘top four’ countries for Life Sciences in Europe with total 12, 7, 6 and 6 ranked universities from each of the 4 countries respectively.
- LMU Munich, Germany
- Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Paris Sciences et Lettres, France
- University of Ghent, Belgium
- Aarhus University, Denmark
- University of Helsinki, Finland
- University of Vienna, Austria
- Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- University of Iceland, Iceland
- University of Oslo, Norway
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Top universities for a Masters in Physical Sciences
Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland are the top European countries for Physical Sciences with a total 27 ranked universities respectively. ETH Zurich of Switzerland is ranked 8th on the list.
- LMU Munich, Germany
- Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Paris Sciences et Lettres, France
- Lund University, Sweden
- Moscow Institute of Physics & Technology, Russia
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy
- University of Bergen, Norway
- University of Helsinki, Finland
- University of Innsbruck, Austria
Top universities for a Masters in Psychology
The University of Amsterdam of Netherlands and Karolinska Institute of Sweden in the list of top 25 universities of the world are the top-ranked universities of Europe for masters in psychology. Germany holding the status for most top-ranked universities in Europe with 11 universities in total.
- LMU Munich, Germany
- University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- University of Geneva, Switzerland
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- University of Vienna, Austria
- Aarhus University, Denmark
- University of Padova, Italy
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
- University of Helsinki, Finland
Top universities for a Masters in Social Sciences
With total of 7 universities, Netherlands has the most number of top-ranked universities for masters in psychology in Europe, reflecting the country’s open, cosmopolitan outlook for fields such as Political Science, Jurisprudence and Psychology. ETH Zurich, Switzerland takes the top spot for Social Sciences in Europe. Germany, Sweden and France are also home to top 50 institutions.
- University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- University of Mannheim, Germany
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Lund University, Sweden
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL, France
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
- University of Oslo, Norway
- University of Vienna, Austria
- Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Higher School of Economics, Russia
Top universities for a Masters in Computer Science
Germany is on top for the ranking of masters in Computer Science institutions, reflecting the country’s strong background in Applied Science subjects. With ETH Zurich placed second in the world – ahead of every other university except the UK’s University of Oxford it gives Switzerland top spot in Europe.
- Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
- University of Bologna, Italy
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL, France
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- ITMO University, Russia
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Aalto University, Finland
- Vienna University of Technology, Austria
- Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain
Top universities for a Masters in Engineering & Technology
There are different parameters that are considered for the best Engineering and Technology Universities in Europe like:
- Research Facility (Budget and Infrastructure)
- Graduate Employability
- Reputation of the university
- Citations per faculty
- International outlook
- Industry-Academia Collaborations
In Europe, Germany is ranked at the top with 10 universities for Engineering and Technology subjects.
- Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL, France
- Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Aalto University, Finland
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Top universities in Europe for MBA
European Universities are at the top of its business education rankings of the world by offering a large variety of MBA (Master’s of Business Administration) programmes of excellent quality. MBA programs are ranked based on the indicators of employability, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, return on investment, thought leadership, and diversity. Some of the top European business schools offering English-taught MBA degrees, according to prestigious European business school rankings are listed below:
INSEAD, France
One of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. The program lasts 10 months. With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and alliances with top institutions, INSEAD’s business education and research spans around the globe. Students complete 14 core courses and have a choice from over 75 elective options.
London Business School, UK
London is one of the world’s main financial capitals. LBS is the top British business school in Europe. MBA program lasts for 21 months. With 94 percent of MBA graduates accepting a job offer 3 months after graduation shows the impressive employment stats.
HEC, Paris
HEC Paris has achieved the highest score in the European rankings for Business Schools. HEC graduates enjoyed a staggering 152 percent salary increase post-MBA. The university offers 15-month MBA program focuses on developing leadership potential, such as leadership seminars.
IE Business School, Spain
It is a renowned business school from Spain that makes it in the list of the Top 20 of international MBA rankings. The MBA programmes are offered in English as well as in Spanish. It offers both regular MBA courses and a global online MBA is offered as well. It utilizes a virtual campus with asynchronous online sessions, live interactive videos, and integration days on campus.
Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands
With the Erasmus University, also a Dutch university made it among the best business schools in Europe. Their full-time MBA programme has been consistently ranked among the Top 30 programmes worldwide and Top 5 in Europe.
Bocconi University, Italy
Most programmes are English-taught and include practical training and internship opportunities which reflects its long history in providing quality study programmes in fields of Economics, Business and Finance. The institution offers 12-month MBA program and collaborates with numerous companies and offers students the chance to engage in international exchange programmes across the world. It secures in Europe’s top 10 MBA universities.
ESADE Business School, Spain
ESADE Business School is among the top European business schools when it comes to career progression. With currently 48 different nationalities represented, ESADE offers a very rich international environment. Besides a full-time MBA degree, ESADE also offers a part-time Executive MBA as well as a Global Executive MBA that is conducted in Washington, DC, Barcelona & Madrid, New York and Bangalore.
FAQs
A) The top 10 best places to study abroad in Europe
-Germany
-United Kingdom
-France
-Spain
-Italy
-Sweden
-Netherlands
-Poland
-Finland
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Finland
Q) What are QS rankings based on?
A) QS university rankings are listed for every academic year since last 15 years that continue to produce authoritative, independent global rankings and evaluation of institutions worldwide. Their data is based on high-quality research and innovative analytic approaches.
Q) What are MBA entry requirements in Europe?
A) The main admission requirements for an MBA in a European business school are:
- Minimum 3 years of full-time experience
- A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- GMAT, GRE or pass an admissions test
- International study or work experience
- English language certificate
Q) How much CGPA is required for MS in Germany?
A) The minimum CGPA required to do an MS in Germany is 7 or 70%. However to get admission to a top ranked university, best score in IELTS is required, and your CGPA must be around 8.5.
Q) Which master degree programs for civil engineering are popular in UK?
A) The department offers master’s degree programs in six specialty areas, including:
Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Hydrology & Hydrodynamics, Structural Engineering and Mechanics and Construction, Energy, and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Q) How much does it cost to study in Europe?
A) Average tuition fees:
- At undergraduate level
- For EU/EEA students: Free (with a fee of €3,000 for student services)
- For non-EU students: From €9,750 (~US$11,400) per year
- At postgraduate level
- For EU postgraduate students: From €4,000 year
- For non-EU students: From €4,000 (~US$4,700) per year
Q) What are the Scholarships schemes for Foreign Students in European countries?
A) European Government Scholarships for Foreign Students:
- DAAD Scholarships with Relevance to Developing Countries (Germany)
- Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (Sweden)
- VLIR-UOS Scholarship Awards (Belgium)
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)
- British Chevening Scholarships (UK)
- Bologna University Study Grants for International Students (Italy)
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