Where Italian students abroad head to

 

Italy is the 12th global provider of tertiary education students, UNESCO reports. But where do Italian students abroad head to?

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lion’s share goes to the UK, with 14,421 enrolled students in 2019. The podium is completed by Austria (8,984) and Germany (8,405). Austria may benefit from its closeness to Italy, and from a World-class academic system, coupled with affordable fees and high quality of life.

These factors also play a role for Germany. Both German-speaking countries have developed, over the last years, an extended portfolio of courses offered in English, and getting a paid job during the studies is easier than elsewhere.

While France is n. 4 and Spain n. 5, both countries benefiting from near-to-zero fees, Switzerland, with top-ranked HEIs, comes 6th. The Netherlands may count on well-developed English courses and a system of scholarships capable to attract the most qualified students.

Combined, the first 4 counties represent more than 50% of the overall market.

Hence, the top 7 positions are held by European countries.

If moving outside the Old Continent, Italian students prefer the US and Australia as destinations.

 

Here’s the top 20, as reported by UNESCO:

 

Rank	State	Number	%
1	United Kingdom	14.412	18,6%
2	Austria	8.984	11,6%
3	Germany	8.405	10,8%
4	France	8.181	10,6%
5	Spain	6.682	8,6%
6	Switzerland	5.673	7,3%
7	Netherlands	4.566	5,9%
8	United States	2.542	3,3%
9	Australia	2.047	2,6%
10	Romania	1.920	2,5%
11	Denmark	1.317	1,7%
12	Portugal	926	1,2%
13	Belgium	891	1,1%
14	San Marino	836	1,1%
15	Argentina	777	1,0%
16	Sweden	772	1,0%
17	Canada	762	1,0%
18	Albania	752	1,0%
19	Bulgaria	652	0,8%
20	Ireland	612	0,8%
	Other 48 countries	5.796	7,5%
	TOTAL	77.505	100,0%

 

Photo by Jurre Houtkamp on Unsplash