Studying abroad : A glimpse of the costs

It gets really difficult to choose a country and a field of study once you get your HSC results, as numerous factors come into play such as cost of living, accommodation expenses and tuition fees. To facilitate your choice, here is a non-exhaustive list of countries and associated costs of studying there.

Malaysia: A minimum of Rs 185,000 per year

According to the director of Malaysia Education Centre, Fadil Ruhomutally, Malaysia is one of the favourite destinations for higher studies. There are nearly 1,000 Mauritian students studying in the South-East Asian country. 

“The depreciation of the Ringgit from Rs 10 to about Rs 8 has made Malaysia an even more affordable study destination. Now with the budget airline Air Asia flying to and from Mauritius, it is even more affordable to travel there. We have seen an increasing number of students travelling to Malaysia with their family. There are flights almost every day to Malaysia via Air Mauritius, Air Asia and Emirates combined,” he says.

Some of the fields of study on offer are:

• Business & Management: Management – E-Business – International Business – Marketing – Human Resource – Logistics – Oil & Gas – Supply Chain Operations – Entrepreneurship – Real Estate and more
• Accounting, Finance & Quantitative Studies: Accounting – Forensic Accounting – Finance – Economics – Financial Risk management – Forex & Investment – Taxation – Actuarial Science – Banking – Islamic Banking and more
• Built Environment: Architecture – Interior Architecture – Landscape Architecture – Construction Management – Quantity Surveying – Environmental Technology and more
• Design: Fashion design – Graphic design – Multimedia – 3D Animation – Web Design – Interior Design – Product – Digital Film – Visual Effects & Concept design – CGI and Digital Effects – Game Design and more
• Engineering: Civil – Electrical – Electronics – Telecommunication – Mechanical – Chemical – Environmental – Robotics – Mechatronics, Petroleum and more
• Science: Biotechnology – Medical Bioscience – Homeopathic Medical Science – Psychology – Environmental Health and Safety – Nursing – Food Science – Nutrition – Aquatic Science and more
• Information Technology: IT – Database Administration – Forensic computing – Information 
• Systems Security – Intelligent System – Business Information Systems – Software Engineering – Internet Technology – Enterprise Computing – Technopreneurship – Computer Games Development – Web Media – Network Computing – Business Information Systems – Computer Science – and more
• Language & Communication: Applied English Language – English Literature – International Communication Studies – Film & Television – International Relations with (French or Japanese or Mandarin or Spanish) – Journalism – Social Media – Mass Communication – Public Relations and more
• Hospitality & Tourism: Hotel Management – Hospitality and Tourism Management – Culinary Arts – Services Management – Event Management – Food Service – Culinology – Travel & Recreational – Baking & Pastry – Italian Cuisine and more
• Law: LLB with 2+1 transfer option to UK universities
• Dentistry: Doctor in Dentistry

However, as highlighted by the director, the following courses are more famous among Mauritian students:

IT/Computing field: starting from Rs 150,000 per year

Hospitality/Tourism/Culinary: Starting from Rs 170,000 per year

Engineering: Starting from Rs 200,000 per year

Management: Starting from Rs 170,000 per year

Other costs associated include

• Accommodation: Rs 5,000 – Rs 10,000 per month
• New Visa/Health Insurance/Medical Screening: Rs 20,000 and Renewal Rs 10,000/year
• Living Expenses: Rs 10,000 per month

Canada: A minimum of Rs 750,000

According to a consultant from PTC consulting, famous colleges in Canada include Humber College, St Mary’s University, Algoma University and St Thomas University. A fee of Rs 4,127 (150 Canadian dollars) is applicable for visa requests. A proof of funds is also required for any application made.

Humber College

At Humber College, the field of accounting is most famous among Mauritian students. The cost for accounting degree is as from Rs 426,510 (15,500 Canadian dollars) per year. The living cost (accommodation and other expenses) is around Rs 330,201 (12,000 Canadian dollars). 

St Mary’s University 

At St Mary’s University, engineering courses and science courses are popular. The cost of Engineering courses starts as from Rs 550,335 (20,000 Canadian dollars) and Science courses as from Rs 473,289 (17,200 Canadian dollars). Living cost is approximately Rs 302,685 (11,000 Canadian dollars).

St Thomas University 

St Thomas is well known for courses in Bachelor of Arts. The course starts as from Rs 440,268 (16,000 Canadian dollars).

Australia: Rs 1.1 million annually

According to PTC consultant, Australia is another destination that attracts Mauritian students. The famous universities there include: Curtin University, Murdoch University, Deakin University. “Mauritian students 

mainly study actuarial science and engineering in Australia,” said the consultant. The different costs have been tabulated below

The cost of living per year is approximately Rs 493,694 (18,000 Australian dollars). 

UK: Rs 871,094 yearly 

United Kingdom is another favourite destination of Mauritian Student. The different famous UK universities include:  

• Anglia Ruskin University
• University of Central Lancashire
• City University London
• University of East Anglia
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Kent
• University of Liverpool
• University of Northampton
• Queen Mary University
• University of Reading
• University of Salford
• University of Southampton
• University of the West of England

Cost of living outside London can cost around Rs 416,926 (9,180 GBP) and Rs 507,760 (11,180 GBP) in London. There is a fee applicable for Visa and Health surcharge depending on the stay.    

China: A minimum of Rs 180,000 per year

According to Director of OVEC Dorish Chitson, universities in Asian countries are more affordable than in European countries. “Renowned universities are increasingly setting up branches in Malaysia and China, with educational quality control similar to that of the original country. For example, the Australian University of Monash and other English Universities such as Nottingham have opened campuses in China and Malaysia,” she says. She also explains that China attracts more students because of its status as an economic superpower. 

Some popular universities of China are: Xian Liverpool, Medecine-Nanjing, Medicine-Jinan, Aerospace-ShenYang Aerospace and. Nottingham China. Dorish Chitson gave some approximate cost of the courses in the different universities.