A world-class degree taught in English does not have to cost US$30,000 a year or more. These ten universities all sit in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 200, offer at least two bachelor’s degrees taught in English, and charge international students US$10,000 a year or less in tuition. Three of them (KFUPM, KAIST and POSTECH) waive tuition entirely for most admitted international undergraduates.
How we built the list
- International fees only. Every figure is the tuition charged to international (non-EU) students for undergraduate study, not the fee for home students.
- Tuition only. Living costs, accommodation and one-off admission fees are extra.
- Converted at one date. We converted local currencies to US dollars at the Banque de France reference rates for 20 October 2026, so dollar figures are approximate and will move with exchange rates.
- English-speaking countries. Top-200 universities in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong typically charge international students well above US$10,000, so none appear here.
The ten at a glance
- 25. Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany: €4,600–6,800 a year for new students (about US$5,200–7,700).
- 39. University of Tokyo, Japan: ¥642,960 a year (about US$4,100).
- 56. Universiti Malaya, Malaysia: about RM 22,000–33,000 a year, our estimate (about US$5,400–8,100).
- 59. KU Leuven, Belgium: €3,093–8,500 a year, by programme (about US$3,500–9,500).
- 63. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia: waived for international undergraduates (US$0).
- 65. KAIST, South Korea: covered in full by the KAIST Scholarship (US$0).
- =87. Politecnico di Milano, Italy: up to €3,943 a year (up to about US$4,400).
- 95. University of Osaka, Japan: ¥535,800 a year (about US$3,400).
- 106. POSTECH, South Korea: waived, subject to grades (US$0).
- 111. Sapienza University of Rome, Italy: €300–1,500 a year for students whose family income is earned abroad (about US$340–1,680).
1. Technical University of Munich (TUM): Germany, QS #25
Germany’s highest-ranked university is also the highest-ranked on this list, and still costs under US$8,000 a year.
- English instruction: Most of TUM’s bachelor’s degrees are taught in German, so the English route is narrow. English-taught options include Management & Data Science and Information Engineering at the TUM Campus Heilbronn, the Management & Technology degree in Munich (fully in English if you choose the Computer Engineering specialisation) and Aerospace. Choice widens considerably at master’s level.
- International fees: Students from outside the EU/EEA pay tuition for a bachelor’s degree. From winter semester 2027/28, new students pay €2,300 or €3,400 per semester, depending on the programme: about US$5,200–7,700 a year. Students keep the rate they started on until they finish. A small semester fee, which varies by campus, is charged on top.
- Range of degrees: Engineering, technology, computing and management, with a strong industry and start-up culture.
- Of note: EU/EEA students pay no tuition. TUM offers needs-based and merit-based fee-waiver scholarships to international students.
2. University of Tokyo: Japan, QS #39
Japan’s top university charges every student the same tuition, whatever their nationality.
- English instruction: Most undergraduate teaching is in Japanese. The main English-taught route is PEAK (Programs in English at Komaba), which offers two majors: Japan in East Asia and Environmental Sciences. PEAK has a small intake, so admission is highly competitive.
- International fees: ¥642,960 a year (about US$4,100), plus a one-off admission fee of ¥282,000. Tokyo raised its tuition from ¥535,800 in 2025, its first increase in about 20 years.
- Range of degrees: In English, the choice is limited to PEAK’s two majors; the university’s wider range of subjects is taught in Japanese.
- Of note: PEAK students can apply for scholarships, including university awards that help with tuition and living costs.
3. Universiti Malaya: Malaysia, QS #56
Malaysia’s top university offers the broadest English-taught bachelor’s choice on this list, after reaching its highest-ever QS rank this year.
- English instruction: UM states that it teaches all academic programmes in English unless otherwise specified. A few, such as Malay studies, are taught in other languages, so check each programme.
- International fees: UM quotes international fees for the whole degree rather than per year. Its current fee schedule, which applies to the 2025/26 intake onwards unless stated otherwise, lists Computer Science at RM 89,200, Business Administration RM 77,100 and Engineering RM 132,100. Spread over a typical 3.5–4 year degree, that is roughly RM 22,000–33,000 a year, or about US$5,400–8,100. These annual figures are our estimates; check the length of your chosen programme.
- Range of degrees: Engineering, computer science, science, business, economics, social sciences, education and more.
- Of note: Medicine and dentistry cost far more (RM 673,200 and RM 655,000 for the whole degree) and fall outside this list’s budget.
4. KU Leuven: Belgium, QS #59
Belgium’s top university has a handful of English-taught bachelor’s degrees, several well under US$10,000 a year.
- English instruction: Almost all bachelor’s degrees are taught in Dutch. A small number are offered in English, including Theology & Religious Studies, Philosophy and European Studies in Leuven, and Business Administration and Business Engineering in Brussels.
- International fees: Fees for non-EEA students vary by programme. For 2026/27, independent sources list Theology & Religious Studies at about €3,093 (US$3,500), Business Administration about €5,613 (US$6,300), Business Engineering about €5,369 (US$6,000) and European Studies €8,500 (US$9,500). Philosophy and Engineering Technology, at about €9,494, come to roughly US$10,650, just over our limit. These figures come from secondary sources, as fees for international students are hard to find on KU Leuven’s own website, so check them with the university.
- Range of degrees: Humanities, business and engineering in English, with a much wider range in Dutch.
- Of note: KU Leuven raised fees for non-EU students by around 20% this year, so check the latest figures before applying.
5. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM): Saudi Arabia, QS #63
The Arab region’s highest-ranked university teaches entirely in English and charges international undergraduates nothing.
- English instruction: All courses are taught in English, so no Arabic is required.
- International fees: Tuition is waived for international undergraduates living outside Saudi Arabia, who receive a full scholarship. Scholarship benefits may also include free on-campus housing, a monthly stipend, textbooks and medical care.
- Range of degrees: Engineering, science, computing and business, with particular strength in energy-related fields.
- Of note: Admission is competitive and SAT-based for international applicants, and KFUPM rose to its highest-ever QS rank this year.
6. KAIST: South Korea, QS #65
Korea’s leading science and technology university gives every admitted international undergraduate a full-tuition scholarship.
- English instruction: Most undergraduate courses are taught in English, so international students can complete a degree without Korean, though some courses are in Korean.
- International fees: The KAIST Scholarship covers tuition in full for up to eight semesters, so admitted international students pay no tuition. It is awarded automatically to admitted applicants who tick the scholarship box on their application.
- Range of degrees: Science, engineering and computing, plus business and technology management.
- Of note: The scholarship also pays a monthly allowance of KRW 350,000 (about US$260) and medical insurance. Students must keep a GPA above 2.7 out of 4.3 after their first year to keep it.
7. Politecnico di Milano: Italy, QS #87
Italy’s top-ranked university launched three new English-taught engineering bachelor’s degrees in September 2026.
- English instruction: The new degrees are Engineering Science (Milan Leonardo and Bovisa campuses), Industrial Engineering (Piacenza) and Process Engineering (Cremona). All of PoliMi’s master’s degrees are taught in English, so students can stay on in English.
- International fees: Fees are income-based. The maximum for 2026/27 is €3,943 a year (about US$4,400), and students who do not submit an income assessment (ISEE) are charged the maximum. Students with income or assets abroad can request an equivalent assessment, which may reduce the fee.
- Range of degrees: Engineering in English at bachelor’s level, with architecture, design and engineering available at master’s level.
- Of note: 87th is PoliMi’s best-ever QS result.
8. University of Osaka: Japan, QS #95
The University of Osaka is one of Japan’s leading national universities and charges the standard national tuition, about US$3,400 a year.
- English instruction: Two undergraduate degree programmes are taught in English: the Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program and the International Undergraduate Program in Science. Other undergraduate teaching is in Japanese.
- International fees: ¥535,800 a year (about US$3,400), plus a one-off matriculation fee of ¥282,000.
- Range of degrees: In English, the human sciences programme (with tracks in Japan studies and political and global studies) and the science programme (chemistry, mathematics, physics and biological sciences).
- Of note: Students can apply for tuition exemption.
9. POSTECH: South Korea, QS #106
POSTECH opened its undergraduate degrees to international applicants for the first time in autumn 2026, with tuition waived for students who keep their grades up.
- English instruction: International applicants must show English proficiency. Check the teaching language of your chosen programme with POSTECH.
- International fees: Tuition is automatically waived for the first semester, and the waiver continues for up to eight semesters provided a student keeps a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.3 or above.
- Range of degrees: Science and engineering. Students spend their first three semesters with an undecided major, exploring several fields before choosing one in their second year.
- Of note: After three semesters, POSTECH students receive a Pathfinder Voucher worth KRW 10 million (about US$7,500) for research, overseas conferences or start-up projects.
10. Sapienza University of Rome: Italy, QS #111
One of Europe’s oldest and largest universities offers English-taught bachelor’s degrees at Italian public-university prices.
- English instruction: Sapienza offers a number of bachelor’s and many master’s degrees taught entirely in English. English-taught bachelor’s include Bioinformatics, Nursing and Sustainable Building Engineering.
- International fees: Students whose family income is earned abroad pay a fixed annual fee set by the country where the income is earned: €300, €700 or €1,500 (about US$340–1,680). For example, income from China, India, Brazil or Egypt falls in the €300 band, and income from Germany, France, the US or the UK in the €1,500 band.
- Range of degrees: Life sciences, health, engineering and computing in English at bachelor’s level, with a much wider range in Italian.
- Of note: Sapienza reached 111th in QS 2027, its best-ever result. English-taught applicants from outside the EU apply through an online pre-selection, so check the deadline early.
Before you apply
Fees and programmes checked October 2026. Tuition, programmes and scholarship rules change from year to year, and dollar figures move with exchange rates. Always confirm the current details with the university before applying.
