Who pays for college?
In some countries, students pay little or no tuition. In others, families pay more. The difference often comes from how the government helps pay—and who qualifies for that help.
Explore 32 countries ↓Read the price the right way
Tuition is only one cost
Tuition pays for classes. Housing, food, books, travel and other school fees may cost extra.
Who gets that price?
A low price for citizens or local residents may not apply to someone moving there from the United States.
Check what is counted
An average for a country is different from one school’s price. A price per course is not a price for a whole year.
How government changes the bill
Help pay the school
Tax money can pay part of a college’s costs. This can keep tuition lower. Tuition-free college still costs money to run.
Help pay the student
Grants and scholarships can lower a student’s bill. Loans help pay now, but usually must be paid back later.
Set the rules
Rules can limit fees or decide who gets help. Income, citizenship, the school and the degree may all matter.
Explore the country research
These are mostly undergraduate prices or rules. The table brings together national averages, examples from individual schools, and tuition policies. It is not a cheapest-to-most-expensive ranking.
32 countries shown
| Country | Year or policy date | Price or rule | Who and what it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| United StatesNorth America | 2021–22 | National average $9,596 per year (PPP comparison dollars) | Domestic bachelor’s students at public institutions. OECD 2025 report; the price is from 2021–22, not 2025. Source for United States |
| CanadaNorth America | 2025–26 | National average C$7,772 per year (2025–26 national undergraduate average) | Weighted average for Canadian undergraduate students at publicly funded degree-granting institutions, in current Canadian dollars. Not a U.S. dollar conversion. The earlier OECD PPP estimate is omitted to avoid mixing currencies. A newer 2026–27 release exists; this row retains the earlier verified 2025–26 figure. Source for Canada |
| MexicoNorth America | 2025–26 | One university example UNAM charges no tuition; nominal annual registration fee MXN $0.20 | UNAM institutional example, not a nationwide average. Other public universities have different fee policies. Source for Mexico |
| Costa RicaNorth America | 2026 | One university example University of Costa Rica: ₡16,050 per undergraduate credit; capped at 12 chargeable credits per semester (₡192,600), before scholarships. | 2026 domestic undergraduate fee schedule, one university, not a national average. Mandatory fees may be additional. The maximum tuition for 12 charged credits in each of two semesters would be ₡385,200, before scholarships; not a nationwide annual average. Source for Costa Rica |
| CubaNorth America | 2019 constitutional framework; UNESCO profile updated 2026 | Tuition rules Public higher education is tuition-free under the national constitutional framework. | UNESCO country policy description, not a claim that all costs of attendance are zero. Source for Cuba |
| BrazilSouth America | 2025–26 | Tuition rules Tuition-free at public undergraduate universities | Public undergraduate university education is tuition-free under Brazil’s constitutional framework. Private institutions generally charge tuition. Source for Brazil |
| ArgentinaSouth America | 2025–26 | Tuition rules Tuition-free for citizens and permanent residents | Public undergraduate programs are tuition-free for Argentine citizens and foreign permanent residents; institutions may charge certain other foreign students following the 2025 rule change. Source for Argentina |
| ChileSouth America | 2026 | Tuition rules Tuition-free for eligible lower-income students | At participating institutions, eligible students from the lowest-income 60% of households can receive tuition and enrollment coverage for the normal program duration. Not universal free tuition. Source for Chile |
| ColombiaSouth America | 2026 | Tuition rules Tuition-free for eligible students at participating public institutions | Puedo Estudiar covers tuition for eligible admitted undergraduate students at participating public institutions; not universal for all students. Source for Colombia |
| UruguaySouth America | 2026 | One university example Tuition-free undergraduate programs at Universidad de la República | Public university institutional example; Udelar states no enrollment or tuition fees regardless of origin. Not a blanket claim for every university. Source for Uruguay |
| GermanyEurope | Policy checked October 2026 | Tuition rules Most public bachelor’s programs charge no tuition. | Semester fees still apply. Some states or universities charge students from outside the EU. Private schools and some programs charge tuition. Source for Germany |
| United Kingdom — England onlyEurope | 2021–22 | National average $13,135 per year (PPP comparison dollars) | England only: domestic bachelor’s students at government-funded private institutions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules. Source for United Kingdom — England only |
| FranceEurope | 2022–23 | Chart estimate About $300/year (PPP comparison dollars; chart estimate) | Approximate public bachelor’s tuition, read from an OECD chart in the earlier research. Not an exact published price or a current fee quote. Source for France |
| SwedenEurope | 2026 | Tuition rules No tuition for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens at public universities; most non-EU/EEA students pay tuition. | Residency/citizenship exemptions apply; do not present as universally tuition-free. Source for Sweden |
| ItalyEurope | 2022–23 | Chart estimate About $2,600/year (PPP comparison dollars; chart estimate) | Approximate public bachelor’s tuition, read from an OECD chart in the earlier research. Not an exact published price or a current fee quote. Source for Italy |
| NorwayEurope | 2026 | Tuition rules No tuition at public institutions for Norwegian, EU/EEA and Swiss students; most non-EU/EEA degree students pay. | Non-EU/EEA fees vary by institution and programme. Source for Norway |
| JapanAsia | Official statutory schedule | National fee standard ¥535,800 per year (national-university statutory standard) | Japanese national-university tuition standard for regular undergraduate programmes. This is not an average across all universities. Entrance fee of ¥282,000 is separate; institutions may set different tuition. Source for Japan |
| South KoreaAsia | 2025 | National average ₩7,106,500 per year (2025 national four-year average) | Korean Ministry of Education: average per-student tuition at 193 four-year general and education universities; includes public and private institutions. Not public-only or converted to USD. Source for South Korea |
| ChinaAsia | 2026 | One university example RMB 5,610–6,500/year (standard undergraduate programmes; Chongqing University) | Domestic undergraduate example from Chongqing University 2026 admissions charter. Specialized, arts, and international cooperative programmes can charge substantially more. Not a national average. Source for China |
| IndiaAsia | 2025–26 | One university example University of Delhi, Dyal Singh College: first-year B.A. programme fees ₹14,705; B.Com. (Hons.) ₹15,205. | Official college prospectus example; fee schedule includes institution charges and is not a nationwide tuition average. Source for India |
| SingaporeAsia | 2025–26 | One university example Public autonomous-university tuition is subsidized for Singapore citizens; charges vary by degree and residency | NUS institutional example of Singapore Ministry of Education Tuition Grant; not a single national average. Student aid is additional. Source for Singapore |
| TaiwanAsia | 2025–26 | One university example NT$25,230–39,560 per semester at National Taiwan University (domestic undergraduates; faculty-dependent) | Institutional example, not national average; NTU published domestic tuition and required fees by faculty. Two regular semesters per academic year. Domestic NTU undergraduate semester fees; two-semester indicative annual tuition would be NT$50,460–79,120 if both semesters charged the same amount. This is not a national average. Source for Taiwan |
| South AfricaAfrica | 2026 | One university example Course-based tuition at University of Cape Town; varies by programme | Official UCT handbook describes an all-inclusive course-based fee schedule. No single national or institution-wide annual undergraduate tuition figure is implied. Source for South Africa |
| NigeriaAfrica | Not confirmed | Price not confirmed Current undergraduate price not confirmed | The university fee page does not clearly establish the year for the earlier example. Do not treat the missing price as zero. Source for Nigeria |
| KenyaAfrica | Not confirmed | Price not confirmed Current undergraduate price not confirmed | The earlier University of Nairobi fee schedule is for a specific student group. Its current use is not confirmed. Source for Kenya |
| EgyptAfrica | 2026–27 | One university example EGP 1,940–2,040/year (new regular-track students; Benha University Faculty of Education) | Domestic undergraduate example from a public university faculty; literary track EGP 1,940, scientific track EGP 2,040. Specialized programmes EGP 13,640. Not a national average. Source for Egypt |
| MoroccoAfrica | Not confirmed | Price not confirmed Current undergraduate price not confirmed | The earlier ESI source described a master’s program, not an undergraduate price. It cannot support a free-undergraduate claim. Source for Morocco |
| AustraliaOceania | 2021 | Chart estimate About $5,500/year (PPP comparison dollars; chart estimate) | Approximate public bachelor’s tuition, read from an OECD chart in the earlier research. Not an exact published price or a current fee quote. Source for Australia |
| New ZealandOceania | 2022–23 | Chart estimate About $4,700/year (PPP comparison dollars; chart estimate) | Approximate public bachelor’s tuition, read from an OECD chart in the earlier research. Not an exact published price or a current fee quote. Source for New Zealand |
| FijiOceania | 2025 | One university example University of the South Pacific: 2025 Fiji-campus undergraduate course fees generally FJ$500–715 per course (selected examples) | Course-level amounts, not annual tuition; subject and credit load vary. USP institutional example, not a national average. Source for Fiji |
| Papua New GuineaOceania | 2025 | One university example University of Papua New Guinea: K3,115 compulsory annual fees for PNG-citizen undergraduates at Waigani campus. | Compulsory-fee component only; other tuition, programme or accommodation charges may apply. Not a national average. Source for Papua New Guinea |
| SamoaOceania | 2025 | One university example University of the South Pacific: 2025 Samoa-campus undergraduate course fees include WST 433–625 per course (selected examples) | Per-course fee examples from USP schedule, not annual totals or a Samoa national average. Other universities have different fees. Source for Samoa |
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Could an American study there for that price?
Sometimes—but do not assume so. Ask the school about its price for international students, admission rules, the language used in class, and any aid you can get. Then add living costs, travel, insurance and visa costs to your budget.
“Tuition-free” does not promise free housing, food or a place at the school.
About the research
This page reuses our earlier research on 32 countries. Selected sources and comparison labels were checked on October 17, 2026. Not every price has been checked for the newest school year. Each row shows the year that its information covers, with a link to the source.
The OECD’s 2025 report uses older price data. The United States and England figures cover 2021–22; Australia covers 2021. A few chart readings remain labeled as estimates. Where the earlier source did not confirm a usable undergraduate price, the table says so. Missing information does not mean zero cost.
For U.S. trends and more detail, see College costs in the United States.