Choosing your destination depends on four main factors:

• The field you want to study (some fields are stronger in certain countries)
• Your family's budget (fees range from almost free up to $80,000/year)
• Your preferred academic system (flexible curriculum in the USA or direct specialization in the UK and Europe)
• The culture and environment in which you want to live for 3 or 4 years

The comparison table above is a good starting point. For a personalized analysis of your profile, book a free session with an Upgrade mentor.

Total costs (tuition plus living costs) vary widely depending on the destination. Here are the estimates for one year, without scholarships:

• USA: $37,000 to $90,000/year total. Tuition: $25,000 to $65,000. Living: $12,000 to $25,000. With scholarships, the net cost can drop to $0 to $30,000 at the most selective universities.
• United Kingdom: £30,000 to £63,000/year total. Tuition: £20,000 to £45,000. Living: £10,000 to £18,000.
• Germany (public universities): ~€10,000/year total. Tuition almost zero (€100 to €350 per semester in administrative fees). Living: €800 to €1,000 per month.
• Netherlands (public universities, EU fee): ~€15,000/year total. Tuition: €2,601/year for 2025-2026 or €2,694/year for 2026-2027 (the EU fee for Romanians, set by the Dutch government). Living: €1,000 to €1,200 per month.
• France (public universities): ~€11,000/year total. Tuition: €178/year for Bachelor (or €254/year for Master) plus €105 CVEC (mandatory student fee). Living: €800 to €1,200 per month.
• Italy (public universities): ~€12,000/year total. Tuition: €1,000 to €4,000/year (depending on income). Living: €700 to €1,200 per month.
• Private universities in Europe (Bocconi, ESADE, IE): €15,000 to €25,000/year in tuition plus local living costs.

Many Romanians obtain scholarships that significantly reduce costs, especially in the USA where aid packages can cover 100% of needs.

Because you are a citizen of the European Union. EU citizenship brings you significant advantages in the EU, EEA and Switzerland:

• Tuition at the local resident level at public universities (for example €2,601/year in the Netherlands instead of the €15,000 to €20,000/year that non-EU students pay)
• You do not need a student visa to study in EU and EEA countries
• The right to work without special restrictions during and after your studies
• Access to Erasmus+ scholarships and to national programs (DAAD in Germany, Eiffel in France, Holland Scholarship in the Netherlands)

This advantage makes Continental Europe the most financially accessible destination for Romanians, especially for top-tier public universities in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy.

For a Romanian applying from the 12th grade, you need:

• The Baccalaureate diploma: accepted by most universities abroad. In the UK it is equated with British A-Levels (requiring an average of 8.50-9.50 for the most selective universities). In the USA the Baccalaureate is considered but the emphasis falls on SAT/ACT and the high school transcript. In Continental Europe it is accepted at public universities with an official evaluation.
• Good high school grades: an overall average above 9.00 is ideal for competitive universities; transcripts from the last 3-4 years of high school are important
• An English language test: IELTS Academic 6.5+ or TOEFL iBT 90+; for the most selective universities (Oxbridge, Ivy League) the requirements are 7.0-7.5+ IELTS. Many Romanians already hold a Cambridge CAE/CPE or a Bilingual certificate, which are also accepted by some universities.
• Standardized tests for the USA: SAT or ACT. An important trend for 2025-26: many selective universities have reinstated the mandatory requirement (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Brown, Penn, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins). Others remain test-optional (Columbia, Princeton until 2026-27, NYU until 2026-27, UChicago, Vanderbilt, Northwestern). The University of California system (Berkeley, UCLA) is test-blind and does not accept scores at all.
• Personal essays that show who you are beyond your grades (especially for the USA and the UK)
• Letters of recommendation from teachers (in Romania usually the form teacher and a subject teacher)
• Relevant extracurricular activities: national and international olympiads (highly valued in the USA), volunteering, personal projects, internships

Requirements vary considerably from one university to another. Highly selective universities (Ivy League, Oxbridge) have much higher academic and extracurricular requirements. Romanian documents (Baccalaureate, transcripts) must be officially translated into English.

Yes, in most destinations. Here are the legal limits:

• USA: 20 hours per week on-campus during the semester (with the F-1 visa, the student visa); full-time during holidays
• United Kingdom: 20 hours per week during the semester (with the Student visa); full-time during holidays
• Continental Europe: as an EU citizen, you have the right to work without special restrictions, although universities recommend a maximum of 20 hours per week so as not to affect your studies

On-campus jobs and internships are the most common and do not interfere with your studies. In some cases, internships are part of the academic program.

For a Romanian who wants to start a Bachelor's degree abroad, there are four real funding paths. Note: many well-known scholarships (Fulbright, Chevening) are for Master's and doctoral studies, NOT for the Bachelor's.

• 1. Need-based scholarships in the USA: the most generous option for Romanians from middle or low-income families. Selective US universities with "meet 100% need" policies for international students (Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Amherst, Bowdoin) cover everything your family cannot pay (tuition, accommodation, meals, travel), including for Romanians. If your family income is below approximately 100,000 USD per year, the package can reach 80,000 USD per year. NYU, through the NYU Promise program, covers 100% for all international students with demonstrated need.
• 2. EU citizenship in Continental Europe: technically not a scholarship, but the biggest financial advantage for Romanians. At public universities you pay the local fee: 178 EUR per year in France, zero tuition fees in Germany (only 70-430 EUR per semester contribution), 2,601 EUR per year in the Netherlands. Living 800-1,200 EUR per month.
• 3. Institutional merit scholarships: offered by universities to candidates with an exceptional profile. Bocconi (Italy) offers merit scholarships up to full tuition coverage. SKEMA Business School and IPAC Annecy (France) have scholarships for excellence. British universities sometimes offer partial scholarships for international students (for example the Edinburgh Global Undergraduate Scholarship 5,000-10,000 GBP per year).
• 4. Erasmus+ scholarships during your studies: NOT to start a Bachelor's abroad, but for exchange semesters at other EU universities once you have already started somewhere. 350-650 EUR per month extra.

For the USA there are also private foundations with access for Romanians: Romanian-American Foundation, US-Romania Foundation, Open Society Foundations. For any destination, the Romanian state (the Agency for Study Loans and Scholarships) does NOT offer scholarships to start a Bachelor's abroad; it only offers them for the final year of the Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral studies as placements.

Each destination has its own application system:

• USA through the Common Application: you complete a single online form with personal information, grades and a general essay, then you add specific essays for each university you apply to (usually 8 to 15 universities)
• UK through UCAS: you apply to up to 5 universities with a single 4,000-character Personal Statement. Universities see that you are applying elsewhere too, but they do not know where
• Continental Europe: you apply separately to each university through its own portal; requirements and deadlines differ

Typical deadlines: January for Regular Decision applications in the USA and the UK; spring and summer for most universities in Europe.

We recommend starting at least 12 to 24 months before the start, depending on the destination:

• USA: 18 to 24 months. You need time for the SAT or ACT (usually 2 or 3 attempts), a consolidated extracurricular profile, letters of recommendation and 1 Common App essay plus 8-15 supplemental essays
• UK: 12 to 18 months. UCAS plus Personal Statement plus, possibly, additional tests (LNAT for law at Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and others; UCAT for medicine at all UK medical schools); the Oxbridge deadline is earlier than the others (October)
• Continental Europe: 12 months. Separate applications to each university with different requirements; some are rolling admissions

The earlier you start, the more time you have to build an authentic and competitive profile. A profile is not built overnight.

Yes, many Romanians apply simultaneously to the USA, the UK and Europe to maximize their options. The common strategy includes:

• 2 or 3 "reach" universities (dream, ambitious, where admission is uncertain even for strong profiles)
• 3 or 4 "match" universities (realistic for your profile, where you have good chances)
• 1 or 2 "safety" universities (safe for admission, as a backup)

Multi-destination applications require careful planning because the essays, tests and deadlines differ significantly. An Upgrade mentor helps you build the right strategy for your profile and manage your time efficiently.