Are We Crazy for Questioning a $250k US Degree and looking abroad?

[Anonymous]

I always laugh ALL the hiring moms we have on this board. Who apparently do all their hiring based on name of college. LOL.

That's not how it works in 2025, ladies!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

I went to a Canadian undergrad in Ontario (not U of T or McGill) and then to an ivy undergrad. Easy peasy. All of my job recruiting was based on my law school, not my undergrad. But my undergrad did not hurt me from getting into a top ten law school in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

NP actually in the UK when you go an internship, your tuition fees are reduced to really what it costs them to do the paperwork. when PP said much reduced, you should read that as really MUCH reduced. Maybe 1k a year..

Meanwhile, in the US, colleges charge kids full tuition prices for their junior year abroad, when those kids are enrolled in colleges that cost 5-15k a year. What a ripoff!

But you’re still taking a year out of what should be your education to work for free/reduced salary. That doesn’t sound like a serious take on higher education. It sounds like a way for companies to get cheap temporary labor, and universities to reduce their costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

Reading comprehension is fundamental, friend. The student earns a wage at the internship. And tuition for that year is a couple GBP, not unlike many US colleges where you take an internship class that you pay for.

Additionally, it’s easy to see that UMD lacks majors like Ancient history, ancient/Medieval/Modern history, Environmental Geoscience (generally does UMD have an Environmental Science major? I could just find a minor), Latin (just a minor), and various Theology/Religion majors & major combos (UMD has a minor religious studies & a major in Middle East Religions). Not to mention that there’s probably a different perspective on learning things like English Lit *in* the UK. Or potential unique opportunities in industry Durham might offer.

I’m a UMD grad & it’s a good school but it’s not perfect. If people want to spend a little or a lot more on an education that will be more fulfilling for their child & they can afford it, it seems like a better investment than a fancy car or Birkin bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

NP actually in the UK when you go an internship, your tuition fees are reduced to really what it costs them to do the paperwork. when PP said much reduced, you should read that as really MUCH reduced. Maybe 1k a year..

Meanwhile, in the US, colleges charge kids full tuition prices for their junior year abroad, when those kids are enrolled in colleges that cost 5-15k a year. What a ripoff!

But you’re still taking a year out of what should be your education to work for free/reduced salary. That doesn’t sound like a serious take on higher education. It sounds like a way for companies to get cheap temporary labor, and universities to reduce their costs.

reduce their costs? I mean, it always reduces their income. you're saying colleges dont enroll students or charge them as a business gambit to "reduce costs". LOL. also, almost always a yearlong internship is added to the three years. it's optional. nobody is making you do any of this!

be like a squirrel and spend your whole life 500 feet from where you were born - that's fine too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

NP actually in the UK when you go an internship, your tuition fees are reduced to really what it costs them to do the paperwork. when PP said much reduced, you should read that as really MUCH reduced. Maybe 1k a year..

Meanwhile, in the US, colleges charge kids full tuition prices for their junior year abroad, when those kids are enrolled in colleges that cost 5-15k a year. What a ripoff!

But you’re still taking a year out of what should be your education to work for free/reduced salary. That doesn’t sound like a serious take on higher education. It sounds like a way for companies to get cheap temporary labor, and universities to reduce their costs.

Are you trying to be obtuse? The students are being paid. It’s not free labor. Additionally, I’d argue that having an entire year of internship in one place is very valuable education and provides potentially excellent recommendas and networking opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids from other countries clamor to come to the USA and attend colleges there. There is a reason. The universities and colleges are top-rate in the USA. This isn’t about price.

I think a semester or year abroad is a much more practical option then going to university overseas, unless it is Cambridge or Oxford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

I'm not going to state what the major is because then you'd make some ignorant comment about that major. But the tuition for that sandwich year is tiny. I'd be happy to pay that tiny amount for the experience and pay that DC would get.

But, it's true, in state colleges don't always have the major one wants.

DC will absolutely hate 1000% going in state. Plus, the UK's culture is much more aligned to DC's interests.

Sure, ok.

you're very ignorant. UMD does not have every major out there. It's a great school. My DC is there, but it's not all encompassing. That's why it's part of the Academic Common Market, but even then, not all majors are listed there.

I feel sorry for you that your mind is so small.

BTW, I am very practical and somewhat frugal. But, there are pros to going abroad for college, especially with the cost of college these days.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-applications-europe-uk-asia-jump-amid-rising-costs-political-turmoil/#:~:text=Data%20collected%20by%20the%20International,year%20their%20numbers%20were%20available.

And they aren't all going to Oxbridge or LSE.

He said from November 2024 through July 2025, website visits went from 600,990 to 1,534,929 and strategy calls went from 2,215 to 29,373 in the same period.

American student applications to the United Kingdom rose 14% this year, according to UCAS, the UK's shared admissions service for higher education. This was the largest increase since UCAS started collecting the data in 2006.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, as a hiring manager, if everything is equal between 2 candidates but one went to Clemson and the other at a university abroad, I'm picking the one who went to Clemson. This has nothing to do with Clemson's reputation but everything to do with the fact that I have heard of the school.

As a hiring manager, have you ever, ever had everything else equal between candidates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would you go to a random European university instead of a state college in your state? Make it make sense.

In state doesn't always have the major one wants.

DC is looking at oos or private.

We ran the numbers going oos/private vs to the UK. The most expensive UK uni we looked at ends up being like $200K with travel to/fro. The ones we think DC will like will be around $175K, all in. They are looking at a sandwich program where you take a year out in industry. You do pay tuition, but at a much reduced rate, and you get paid for the internship. Even though you do have to find the internship yourself, the uni career center does help out. But, rather than just the 10 week summer internship, you are looking at more like 20+ weeks.

Plus, DC wants out of MD , and I can't blame them.

We have family in the UK, and I think DC would really like it there, and so would I. I just got back from the UK, and not having ever to think about a possible shooting while there was such a relief.

My other kid is in state, and they have active shooter alerts. The first time they sent out a test alert, DC got nervous and wasn't sure what was going on.

It is incredibly sad that we think this is a normal way to live.

Please what major does UMD not have that they can only get at Durham University? Also I’m not sure why *paying* to work for free for a year is considered a plus. stay home, go to UMD, and then get an actual paying job.

NP actually in the UK when you go an internship, your tuition fees are reduced to really what it costs them to do the paperwork. when PP said much reduced, you should read that as really MUCH reduced. Maybe 1k a year..

Meanwhile, in the US, colleges charge kids full tuition prices for their junior year abroad, when those kids are enrolled in colleges that cost 5-15k a year. What a ripoff!

But you’re still taking a year out of what should be your education to work for free/reduced salary. That doesn’t sound like a serious take on higher education. It sounds like a way for companies to get cheap temporary labor, and universities to reduce their costs.

Are you trying to be obtuse? The students are being paid. It’s not free labor. Additionally, I’d argue that having an entire year of internship in one place is very valuable education and provides potentially excellent recommendas and networking opportunities.

+1 And they get a summer whereas if you do an internship in the US, it's usually in the summer.

DC did an internship last year. 10 weeks. We hardly saw them. They got 2 weeks of summer then went back to school. They are planning to do that again this summer.

An entire year of paid internships sounds better to me. Much more real world like than a 10 week internship, and you don't have to try to find another internship every summer. You do one for the entire year.

DC and their friends spend so much time in the fall looking for internships starting in the summer. It's crazy.

[Anonymous]

No one will admit it here- or very few- but most American colleges, or at least the ones discussed here- are grossly overpriced. We keep buying in because we’re too scared not to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one will admit it here- or very few- but most American colleges, or at least the ones discussed here- are grossly overpriced. We keep buying in because we’re too scared not to

It's because they are all private (which is what I think you are referring with "ones discussed here")...and all the international schools are all public.

Basically, you can make the same argument about our healthcare costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son just started at a UK top 10 university to study History its going to cost us $72k total over 3 yrs and then he will do a 1 year law conversion which will cost us local rates because we are also UK citizens,

No it won’t, unless you lie. Brit here and it’s very clear that you pay overseas rates if you are not a UK resident regardless of your nationality.

[Anonymous]

We are abandoning applying to US colleges this year because you get a cheaper education abroad that is now recognized worldwide. It just doesn’t make sense to take out tremendous loan da and pay top dollar anymore, particularly for undergrad. For us it isn’t worth it. My child will probably do a Masters eventually in the US but not undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son just started at a UK top 10 university to study History its going to cost us $72k total over 3 yrs and then he will do a 1 year law conversion which will cost us local rates because we are also UK citizens,

No it won’t, unless you lie. Brit here and it’s very clear that you pay overseas rates if you are not a UK resident regardless of your nationality.

Citizenship is not relevant. It is where you are resident that determines whether you pay home or international fees. If you haven’t resided in the UK for the previous three years then you pay international fees (unless you are overseas on a government posting, etc or you successfully lie).