Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:27
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
For dual-passport students, the full cost of tuition for a bachelor’s at a top EU school, with a narrow educational program but sort of American-like classes, might be less than $9,000.
I think employers in places like the DMV and New York are going to have to get used to seeing EU school grads, because the economic pressure on students to go to the EU schools is so intense.
There is nothing to get used to in NYC, Chicago or LA. There are tons of graduates from places like Science Po, Bocconi, etc working in the US. These are strong names that unless you have been leaving under a rock, you understand these are no T50 average US schools….
What would Bocconi be equivalent to in the US?
My guess: NYU Stern. If you're Italian, it's closer to Wharton, but from the US or London, I'd guess it's like Stern.
Yeah, this seems right to me too.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 15:40
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
For dual-passport students, the full cost of tuition for a bachelor’s at a top EU school, with a narrow educational program but sort of American-like classes, might be less than $9,000.
I think employers in places like the DMV and New York are going to have to get used to seeing EU school grads, because the economic pressure on students to go to the EU schools is so intense.
There is nothing to get used to in NYC, Chicago or LA. There are tons of graduates from places like Science Po, Bocconi, etc working in the US. These are strong names that unless you have been leaving under a rock, you understand these are no T50 average US schools….
What would Bocconi be equivalent to in the US?
My guess: NYU Stern. If you're Italian, it's closer to Wharton, but from the US or London, I'd guess it's like Stern.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 12:50
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
For dual-passport students, the full cost of tuition for a bachelor’s at a top EU school, with a narrow educational program but sort of American-like classes, might be less than $9,000.
I think employers in places like the DMV and New York are going to have to get used to seeing EU school grads, because the economic pressure on students to go to the EU schools is so intense.
There is nothing to get used to in NYC, Chicago or LA. There are tons of graduates from places like Science Po, Bocconi, etc working in the US. These are strong names that unless you have been leaving under a rock, you understand these are no T50 average US schools….
What would Bocconi be equivalent to in the US?
Anonymous
01/08/2026 12:29
Subject: Re:European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both kids are still in HS here, and they have dual citizenship. One already passed the test to directly enter university in Europe and the other likely will too, later this year.
Unfortunately, neither has shown a strong inclination toward undergrad studies in Europe. It would have cost us very little, but oh well. Maybe they will reconsider for grad school.
Just make sure your kid is a real self-starter.
When you start at most American colleges, there is often a week or so of orientations, academic advising, & social events to force students to get to know each other. In other words, an intensive, well-organized effort by professionals to make sure the student’s’ transition to college life is informed & productive.
In my experience, such efforts are not common at European universities.
Dutch universities actually have great orientation weeks and a moderate level of handholding, but they’re brutal about flunking students in the less selective programs out. So, they’re good for hardworking, bright students without the activities to get into the most selective U.S. schools, but they’re bad for students who’d have a hard time with the academics at top U.S. universities.
My understanding is that Belgian universities might be like the Dutch universities but with a much better supply of student housing.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 09:45
Subject: European colleges
American with an Italian passport here. Some schools in the EU do not care where your passport is from, they care about residence before you apply. So a EU passport with residence in the US counts as international in places like Ireland…
In the mainland EU, it is a little different. Some private colleges like ESCP give EU passport holders a 20%ish discount, others are the same price as EU residents. It really depends on the school. Science Po has a sliding scale based on what you can afford to pay. Either way, most of the EU is much much cheaper than any US college without Merit/Financial AID.
My kid applied to ESSEC, HEC, Bocconi, Science PO, ESCP, Amsterdam, St Galen, IE and ESADE. Then 5 more in the UK.
It sounds like they are interested in business/economics? We are looking at a similar list (+ St Andrews and Edinburgh, - French unis, no language). Do you have a sense for relative strength of programs and outcomes based on your research? We find it much harder to compare unis within Europe vs US.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 08:05
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:A friend's kid went to a selective school in the Netherlands that accepts 250 per year, all classes in English. 3 year program, uner 15,000 Euros per year, they can afford to fly the kid home for all holidays and whatnot.
We told ours they could go abroad for grad school, but not undergrad. If there was a crisis of any sort, I didn't want 18 year olds trying to deal with that a flight and border away. One is doing just that, applying to grad schools across Europe now
Great strategy. The European universities are much better suited for graduate study than undergrad.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 08:01
Subject: Re:European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Both kids are still in HS here, and they have dual citizenship. One already passed the test to directly enter university in Europe and the other likely will too, later this year.
Unfortunately, neither has shown a strong inclination toward undergrad studies in Europe. It would have cost us very little, but oh well. Maybe they will reconsider for grad school.
Just make sure your kid is a real self-starter.
When you start at most American colleges, there is often a week or so of orientations, academic advising, & social events to force students to get to know each other. In other words, an intensive, well-organized effort by professionals to make sure the student’s’ transition to college life is informed & productive.
In my experience, such efforts are not common at European universities.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 02:52
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
For dual-passport students, the full cost of tuition for a bachelor’s at a top EU school, with a narrow educational program but sort of American-like classes, might be less than $9,000.
I think employers in places like the DMV and New York are going to have to get used to seeing EU school grads, because the economic pressure on students to go to the EU schools is so intense.
There is nothing to get used to in NYC, Chicago or LA. There are tons of graduates from places like Science Po, Bocconi, etc working in the US. These are strong names that unless you have been leaving under a rock, you understand these are no T50 average US schools….
Anonymous
01/08/2026 00:39
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
For dual-passport students, the full cost of tuition for a bachelor’s at a top EU school, with a narrow educational program but sort of American-like classes, might be less than $9,000.
I think employers in places like the DMV and New York are going to have to get used to seeing EU school grads, because the economic pressure on students to go to the EU schools is so intense.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 21:51
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If [/b]you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. [b]Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US.
For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead.
True if DC can get into HSY. But a GMU or Directional State U degree is not more marketable than a rando EU university degree.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 19:00
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Are any on your kids interested in going to college in Europe or have any of your kids gone to college in Europe? If so how is it going/what were the applications like?
My son wants to go and he has a French citizenship so it would be WAY cheaper and probably good culturally.
American with an Italian passport here. Some schools in the EU do not care where your passport is from, they care about residence before you apply. So a EU passport with residence in the US counts as international in places like Ireland…
In the mainland EU, it is a little different. Some private colleges like ESCP give EU passport holders a 20%ish discount, others are the same price as EU residents. It really depends on the school. Science Po has a sliding scale based on what you can afford to pay. Either way, most of the EU is much much cheaper than any US college without Merit/Financial AID.
My kid applied to ESSEC, HEC, Bocconi, Science PO, ESCP, Amsterdam, St Galen, IE and ESADE. Then 5 more in the UK.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 14:14
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Trinity College Dublin would be a good option for someone with an EU passport. At least worth looking into.
Other than that, our school sends several each year to Uk universities, but an EU passport is irrelevant for the UK.
FYI, non-residents still have to pay the international tuition, even if you have an EU passport.
True, but the EU passport will make your life a lot easier if you want work/intern in the EU during your time in the UK, specially with the uk rejoining the Erasmus program.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 13:19
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Trinity College Dublin would be a good option for someone with an EU passport. At least worth looking into.
Other than that, our school sends several each year to Uk universities, but an EU passport is irrelevant for the UK.
FYI, non-residents still have to pay the international tuition, even if you have an EU passport.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 13:18
Subject: European colleges
Some Americans we know with EU citizenship have gone to the Netherlands like Maastricht or Utrecht.
Anonymous
01/07/2026 11:06
Subject: European colleges
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Had relatives and friends in America with EU passports study at Science Po, ESCP, Sapienza, Bocconi and UvA (Amsterdam).
Yes, they can be pretty cheap. ESCP and Bocconi a little more expensive, but still, a drop in the bucket compared to US colleges for the education you get.
And how did things work out with internships? Employment? Grad school? thanks
My Science Po nephew works for a DC based think tank.
The Sapienza Rome one went to grad school at LSE and is now working in Brussels at an international political consulting firm.
Bocconi kid is at a NY Investment firm.
ESCP one just graduated and is finishing up a 1-yr masters degree at Imperial in London. Not sure what the final job outcome will be….all Americans kid who happened to have a EU passport.
The best deal of them all was Sapienza…basically $2k per year tuition….for the price of a Michelin 3 Star Dinner she got a great IR/Politics degree
tell us more! you should start a topic on this