Every year, there are a certain number of seniors who apply to colleges abroad. Some people question studying abroad when most of the top universities are right here in the United States. Though the most obvious reason may be to have an international experience, many people overlook the unique opportunities universities abroad offer that those in the U.S. do not necessarily have.

With the declining American economy and rising college tuitions, many American families are not able to afford the level of education they deserve and therefore minimize their chances of finding a job suitable to their interests and potential.

The amount of merit-based scholarships American colleges offer has been decreasing throughout the years, and even need-based scholarships are becoming harder to obtain for students who need them.

International universities are a solution to this financial problem. They are much more affordable – the tuition for many British universities doesn’t exceed 9,000 British pounds, which is less than $20,000 a year for great quality instruction.

European university students have many more opportunities to travel than American students do. Instead of planning a huge trip abroad, students can choose to take a train from London to Paris in only a little more than two hours.

During winter sessions, students are able to immerse themselves in multiple European cultures in a span of a month. In addition, the multi-lingual and multi-cultural environment of international universities not only allows students to meet people from across the globe, but also enables them to open their minds to new ideas.

Britain in particular offers top-notch places to study. People all over the world come to study at its universities. For example, British colleges offer study abroad programs in the United States. English is the national language of both countries, which connects the two nations in international relations and in areas of research.

Thus, if an American student at a British university would like to find an internship or job in the U.S., that student will not be only confined to opportunities in Britain.

Junior Daria Godorzha has chosen to study in Britain specifically because its universities do not require a core curriculum that students must complete, like that of high schools. Instead, they have direct programs in almost any subject imaginable.

This diversity benefits students who know what they want to study because they do not have to spend time taking classes irrelevant to their major.

For instance, Godorozha hopes to study law at a British university, where she is not required to take classes outside of her area of study such as math or science.

“I definitely want to study law, and other countries’ undergraduate programs don’t require core classes so I can just concentrate on law,” Godorozha said.

Another benefit of direct programs is that they allow the student to delve deeper in his area of study. Instead of taking general requirements at an American university, students can take more classes in subjects closely related to their major, such as theology and philosophy for a legal focus.

Many students in the United States do not realize that there are educational opportunities outside of the country. Especially during a time when tuitions in America are becoming less affordable, students should give greater consideration to the benefits of studying at colleges and universities abroad.