Top Free Education in Europe Countries for Indian Students 2025

Germany

First up is Deutschland, or basically the first country people think about when the question of free education comes up. In Germany, Most public universities offer free tuition to all students, including non-EU students. An exception is the state of Baden-Württemberg, however, which charges non-EU students €1,500 per semester.

There’s a small administrative fee that is charged in most universities per semester, though, which is fairly nominal, in the range of 150 to 300 Euros. 

If you stack this up with the costs of living there, which should figure between 600-900 Euros/month, that isn’t too bad.

How to manage these costs?

Thankfully, Germany allows students to work up to 20 hours per week – more than 60% students there are doing part-time work in adjunction to their studies. The average wage hovers between 12.5 to 14 Euros per hour, so if you do the math, you can easily manage the sum total of these expenses. 

Furthermore, it is to be noted that most universities also provide students with an ID that allows their student to use the city transportation services for free, so you needn’t sweat too much about distances or getting to places.

If you’re a bright student, you can apply for DAAD Scholarships as well, which offer a monthly stipend of upto 861 Euros for Master’s students and 1200 Euros for PhD students, covering tuition (if any), travel, and health insurance.

Norway

Next up is Norway, where public universities do not charge students a tuition regardless of nationality. We all know how developed Norway is, the many strides it has made to become equitable and highly prosperous, and so they leave no stone unturned towards giving back to society through facilitating world-class education at next to no cost to the students. 

As is the case with German public universities, Norwegian public universities also charge a nominal 30-80 Euro fee per semester, mostly for administrative purposes.

The cost of living in Norway is a bit on the higher side, however, with the range falling between 1200-1500 Euros per month.

How to manage these costs?

On average, a student can earn around 31 Euros per hour. Universities allow students to work 20 hours a week, and even full-time during semester breaks and holidays. 31 Euros per week is amongst the highest averages in Europe, so from an income point of view you’d likely be able to manage even the aforementioned living cost range.

You can also check out the Norwegian Quota Scheme, which is provided for students hailing from developing countries. To apply for it, you must enroll into a participating university and then request information on the scheme.

Austria

Next up – we’ve got Germany’s neighbor, Austria. Here, the tuition fee isn’t quite free, but it is fairly low at around 726 Euros per semester. As is the case with most countries in Europe, education is of immense importance so when you land up here, you are sure to find yourself in an environment befitting your aspirations. 

The living costs range between 900 to 1200 Euros per month, which is slightly higher than Germany, but as is the case with most study abroad destinations in Europe, you can make good by working part-time.

How to manage these costs?

Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week, and the minimum wage is around 10.10 per hour, which amounts to around 202 Euros per week. With a bit of tidy budgeting, you can probably have enough by the end of the month to save up as well!

France

Whilst pursuing an education in France is not free, the number of benefits studying in France offers means that no conversation about studying in Europe can be complete without talking about the exciting scenery of education in France! Public universities don’t exactly charge a bomb – 2700 Euros per year for bachelor’s and 3770 Euros per year for master’s for non-EU students – when you take into account the fact that you need not present an IELTS to study here and for international students in particular, there are many scholarships which pretty much negate any of these expenses. 

The cost of living in France is between 600 to 1000 Euros per month, depending on whether you set up in Paris or elsewhere in France.

How to manage these costs?

Needless to say at this point, France also allows students to work 20 hours per week, with the minimum wage falling around 11.65 Euros. If you manage to work yourself into a better gig, however, you can even earn up to 30 Euros per hour!

International students, especially Indian students, can look at scholarship programs like Charpak and Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program towards mitigating the costs further.

Iceland

Amongst the lesser lights of Europe, but not one that shines any less brighter than the rest, Iceland has emerged as a major destination for international study owing to the many benefits it is able to provide students, most particularly with regards to tuition, which is completely waived off. However, there’s a registration fee of around 600 Euros to be paid annually. The education provided, of course, is world-class but it’s the experience of being in this perennial winter wonderland, with its unique culture and way of life, that really makes the difference.

How to manage these costs?

The cost of living in Iceland is quite high at 1200-1500 Euros per month, but with the average hourly wage standing around 23 Euros per hour, this is quite manageable.

Conclusion

All in all, now you know that you’ve got plenty of options to explore in Europe! Still, the journey of finding the right fit for yourself can be quite daunting – you’d wonder where you ought to start, what are the factors you should evaluate, and where do your aspirations fit the best. You needn’t worry, because with EduGo Abroad’s capable counsellors, you can navigate this realm with utmost ease. Leave the hustle and bustle of admissions, visas and sorting your accommodation and financing to us and do what you do best – working towards your dream!