On-Campus Cost Comparable Education Abroad Programs

In keeping with our commitment to student access and inclusion, we want to highlight the semester-long (fall or spring) education abroad programs that are approximately the same cost as (or less than) attending University Park for in-state students.

Our calculations include the total estimated cost of attendance listed on the Penn State Undergraduate Admissions website. The total cost of attendance includes tuition, housing, and meals for in-state students attending the University Park campus for one semester. Using this estimated cost, we identified over 30 education abroad programs that are approximately the same price as (or less than) attending the University Park campus as an in-state student for one semester.

As you review the education abroad programs on this page, please remember that expenses such as passports, airfare, books, course materials, supplies, and equipment, student visas, personal expenses, and other non-billable expenses were not included in our calculations. To find the estimated costs for each program, click on the program website and navigate to the “Costs and Funding” section.

If you have specific questions regarding the details of any of the programs below, please email EducationAbroad@psu.edu or contact the appropriate Penn State education abroad adviser.

Disclaimer

Penn State Education Abroad has listed programs that have been approved by Penn State and have given no preferential treatment to these specific programs. Statistical information was used based on overall program prices at the in-state tuition rate, and these were the programs that had the lowest program costs at that time. The program costs may vary based on the type and extent of service provided.

ON-CAMPUS COST COMPARABLE EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAMS FOR FALL, SPRING, & ACADEMIC YEAR TERMS

The following programs have been sorted by regional location, then by program name.

Education Abroad Program Name	Region	Country	Terms Available	Brief Program Description
CIEE: Open Campus	Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania	Multi-country	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	This unique program offers students the opportunity to study in up to three locations around the world during the duration of one semester. Having the option to change locations after every six-week block, students from nearly every major can enroll in courses that can count towards their degree.
Chinese University of Hong Kong	Asia	Hong Kong	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Explore the vibrant city of Hong Kong while participating in this competitive exchange program. Hundreds of courses are offered in a wide range of disciplines, making this an excellent program for nearly all majors.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University	Asia	Hong Kong	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Considered one of the top universities in the world for Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University offers students opportunities to study a wide range of disciplines and explore the vibrant city of Hong Kong. This program gives priority to students enrolled in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, but students from all majors are welcome to apply.
Monash University Malaysia	Asia	Malaysia	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Enroll in classes suitable for nearly all majors at Monash University, ranked one of the top 100 universities in the world, located near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This program offers a guaranteed $3000 scholarship for all participants effective spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025.
National University of Singapore	Asia	Singapore	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Take courses ranging from the social sciences, to engineering, to design at the National University of Singapore. This competitive program offers students the opportunity to enroll in a prestigious university and explore the cultural hub that is Singapore.
Sogang University	Asia	South Korea	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	This relatively small but prestigious university located in Seoul, South Korea, offers students the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects. Sogang University is known for its excellent programs in engineering, business, and the natural sciences but also offers a wide range of liberal arts courses.
Sungkyunkwan University	Asia	South Korea	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Students from all majors can participate in this program, selecting from hundreds of courses offered at Sungkyunkwan University. This university has multiple campuses, with humanities and social science classes located in Seoul and STEM classes located in Suwon.
Center for European Studies: Maastricht, Maastricht University	Europe	Netherlands	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Known for its unique, problem-based learning system, Maastricht University offers courses for students in nearly every major. Maastricht is a quaint city in southern Holland, just a bike ride away from Belgium and Germany.
CzechMates: Brno	Europe	Czech Republic	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	CzechMates is a study abroad organization partnered with Masaryk University located in Brno, Czech Republic. While studying in Brno, students majoring in fields related to communications and international studies can enroll in courses with a focus on globalization, religion and culture, and Czech language.
Florence University of the Arts	Europe	Italy	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester in Florence studying art history, hospitality management, history, and Italian. While Hospitality Management majors are given priority for this program, all students with the exception of Smeal College of Business students are encouraged to apply.
IES: Granada, Study in Granada	Europe	Spain	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester in the beautiful and historic cultural hub of Granada, Spain while taking courses applicable to a wide range of majors. Courses are offered in both Spanish and English. This program has a Spanish language requirement of 2-4 semesters of college level Spanish.
IES: Salamanca, Study in Salamanca	Europe	Spain	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	The charming and historic university town of Salamanca, Spain offers an ideal location to study for a semester. With at least two semesters of college Spanish required for participation, students can enroll in courses in both English and Spanish at two local universities as well as the local IES Abroad center.
IES: Siena, Business & Economics of Italian Food & Wine	Europe	Italy	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Ideal for students studying business, economics, agribusiness, environmental studies, political science, and agricultural economics, this program uses Tuscany as its classroom. Learn about the Tuscan food industry through visiting sites such as cheese production facilities and wineries.
IFE: Field Study in Brussels, Paris, and Strasbourg	Europe	Belgium and France	Fall, Spring	Exclusively conducted in French, this program offers students the unique opportunity to either enroll in courses, participate in an internship, or gain field experience. Students can choose to be located in either Brussels, Paris, or Strasbourg for the semester.
International Studies Institute (ISI) at Palazzo Rucellai	Europe	Italy	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	The ISI Florence program offers a wide selection of courses for students studying subjects ranging from architecture to education to sociology to music, even with a specific track for biology majors. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, making it an exciting and engaging location to study for a semester.
ISA: EuroScholars	Europe	Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Participate in an international research experience through the ISA: EuroScholars program. Located at either Leiden University (The Netherlands), University of Geneva (Switzerland) or KU Leuven University (Belgium), students from nearly every major can work on a research project under the direct supervision of a professor from the host institution.
Jonkoping University, Engineering	Europe	Sweden	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	One of Sweeden's top engineering universities, Jonkoping University is an internationally focused research institution. Students majoring in engineering and computer science are encouraged to apply to this program.
Philipps University, Intensive German Studies Program	Europe	Germany	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Learn about German history, culture, and language through spending the spring semester at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany. At least one semester of college-level German or equivalent is required.
Rochester Institute of Technology	Europe	Croatia	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester in Dubrovnik, Croatia at a global campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology. This program has classes specifically for students studying IST and Hospitality. However, there are many potential general education courses in which students from all majors can enroll.
Tecnun University of Navarra, Engineering	Europe	Spain	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Open to students in the College of Engineering, this program offers students the opportunity to enroll in a variety of engineering courses at one of the oldest engineering universities in Spain. Tucnun University of Navarra is located in San, Sebastian in the Basque region on the beautiful northern coast of Spain.
Temple University in Rome	Europe	Italy	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester in Rome on Temple University’s semester long program. With campus located in the heart of Rome, students from a wide range of majors can enroll in a large selection of classes.
Umbra Institute	Europe	Italy	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	The Umbra Institute is located in the beautiful and historic Perugia, Italy. Courses in art history, communications, education, food sciences, history, international business, Italian, music, psychology, sociology and visual arts are offered.
University of Freiburg	Europe	Germany	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester enrolled at the University of Freiburg, a top university located in southern Germany. Courses for nearly every major are offered in German. At least five semesters of German are required. This program offers a guaranteed $3000 scholarship for all participants effective spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025.
University of Leeds	Europe	United Kingdom	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Enroll in the University of Leeds for a semester, located in Northern England. There are courses available for nearly all majors, ranging from engineering to business to sociology.
University of Limerick	Europe	Ireland	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	At the University of Limerick, students from nearly every major will be able to enroll in relevant courses while they spend a semester studying alongside local students pursuing similar degrees. This location acts as an excellent springboard for exploring the rest of west and southwest Ireland.
University of Sussex	Europe	United Kingdom	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Commonly referred to as “London-by-the-Sea", Brighton is home to the University of Sussex. This renowned university offers a wide selection of courses ranging from economics to media studies to biology.
CIEE: Santiago, Dominican Republic, Liberal Arts	Latin America	Dominican Republic	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Spend a semester in the Dominican Republic, boosting your Spanish skills by enrolling in courses taught exclusively in Spanish. A wide range of liberal arts courses are offered at both the CIEE Santiago center as well as the local Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Mestra.
IES: Buenos Aires, Advanced Spanish Immersion	Latin America	Argentina	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Immerse yourself in Argentinean culture and Spanish language through spending a semester in the capital city of Buenos Aires. Students can choose to enroll in courses from several local universities, with classes taught exclusively in Spanish.
IES: Buenos Aires, Latin American Societies and Cultures	Latin America	Argentina	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Improve your Spanish language skills while taking courses in business, humanities, and social sciences during a semester in Buenos Aires. Classes are offered in both English and Spanish, and there is no previous language study requirement for participation in this program.
University of Minnesota LAC: Ecuador, Studies in International Development	Latin America	Ecuador	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	This immersive and hands-on semester long experience through the University of Minnesota offers students the opportunity to study international development while improving their Spanish skills. Liberal Arts students are the target audience for this program, and four semesters of Spanish are required for participation.
University of Haifa	Middle East	Israel	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	For either the spring semester or the full academic year, students can directly enroll in courses offered by the University of Haifa, located in Israel’s third largest city. In addition to enrolling in a wide range of liberal arts courses, there is also an opportunity to participate in an internship as well as an Intensive Hebrew Ulpan.
Bond University	Oceania	Australia	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Offered exclusively to Penn State Hospitality Management majors, this program offers students the opportunity to enroll in major as well as general education courses at Bond University. Bond University is located on the Gold Coast, Australia's sixth largest city.
Lincoln University	Oceania	New Zealand	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Located in the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand and near Christchurch, Lincoln University offers courses focused on subjects such as agriculture, conservation, ecology, environmental management, tourism, and landscape architecture.
University of Waikato	Oceania	New Zealand	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	The University of Waikato is located in the vibrant and active city of Hamilton, New Zealand. Courses applicable to nearly all majors are available at this internationally recognized institution.
Victoria University of Wellington	Oceania	New Zealand	Fall, Spring, Academic Year	Explore the capital city of New Zealand while enrolled at the Victoria University of Wellington for a semester or an academic year. This program offers a wide range of courses throughout its eight faculties: Architecture and Design, Business, Education, Law, Health, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Engineering.