Are you trying to decide if you should continue your higher education? Well before making that final choice on where to go, you should consider whether studying in another country is right for you. While there are many great universities in the United States, there are many others around the world that have great things to offer. In my case, I was looking at getting a master's degree and there were several things that made me decide to pursue my degree in Sweden.
To start, there are a wide variety of programs in Sweden that are taught in English. For me, language was a big concern with moving abroad, as I definitely do not know enough Swedish to study and write in the language. While there is a larger selection of master's programs, there are also a number of bachelor's programs that are also taught in English.
Additionally, the cost difference between master's programs in Sweden and similar programs in the United States is staggering. My master's degree from Sweden is in International Strategic Management at Lund University. The total cost of the program when I attended was 120,000 SEK, which at the time of this post is equivalent to 11,300 USD. To get the required permit to study in Sweden in 2023, you need to prove that you have 9450 SEK per month, equivalent to approximately 900 USD at the time of writing. That means that the total cost of my master's degree, which was a one-year program was about 215,000 SEK, or approximately 20,000 USD. In comparison, a Master's in Management degree at a similarly ranked program in the United States could cost over $50,000 in tuition alone.
While you can get scholarships for your school in the United States, the same is true in Sweden, meaning your total cost for going to school will almost certainly be lower in Sweden than it would be in the United States. Additionally, some schools in Sweden even allow you to use the US FAFSA student loans if you need financial assistance.
Another reason to study in Sweden is that there are many highly regarded programs. For example, the International Strategic Management program at Lund University is currently ranked 57th in the world among other management programs. Beyond that, Sweden has 6 universities that have been ranked in the top 200 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings for 2023. Given that Sweden's population is similar in size to New York City, that is a pretty impressive ranking.
Something that is likely also on your mind is job prospects after graduation. Many people who study in Sweden at least consider staying after their program is complete. One thing that might give some peace of mind is looking at the Swedish Migration Agency's list of in-demand fields of work. This list can be a good way to start determining whether there could be a possibility of staying in Sweden after you graduate. In addition to this list, there are also many large international companies with offices in Sweden, or are in fact Swedish.
There are many reasons that I chose to apply to programs in Sweden, but these were definitely the main reasons that made me consider coming to Sweden when I began looking at going back to school.
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