Every year, the study abroad landscape changes as student priorities shift, new destinations gain popularity, and factors like cost, program options, and global events influence where students choose to go.
Relying on outdated "best countries to study abroad" lists from previous years may no longer provide the most relevant recommendations for students planning to study abroad next year.
To reflect these changes, we've refreshed this guide for 2027 based on current student interests, academic strengths, affordability, and the overall experience each destination offers.
How We Ranked the Best Study Abroad Destinations
For more than two decades of helping students find meaningful study abroad experiences, we've seen how priorities have evolved. Students are increasingly considering a wider range of factors when deciding where to study.
These are some of the key trends influencing study abroad in 2027
- Academic Reputation & Learning Experience. A university's reputation is important, but so is what you'll gain from studying there. Look for destinations with strong teaching, respected institutions, and learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom through research, fieldwork, or local experiences.
- Program Variety & Flexibility. The best destination isn't always the one with the highest-ranked university. It's the one that offers programs that match your goals, whether you're looking for a trimester program, summer program, or language immersion.
- Affordability & Overall Value. A lower program cost doesn't always mean better value. Think about housing, transportation, daily expenses, and what you'll gain academically and personally from the experience, not just the price tag.
- Career Opportunities & Professional Growth. Studying abroad can strengthen your resume long before graduation. Destinations with internships, research opportunities, industry connections, and international networking opportunities can help you build valuable experience alongside your studies.
- Safety, Student Life & Cultural Experience. Where you study shapes your experience just as much as what you study. Consider whether you'll feel comfortable living there, how easy it is to explore the local culture, and what daily life will look like outside the classroom.
- Accessibility & Student Support. Every destination has different visa requirements, academic systems, and support services. Countries with established study abroad infrastructure often make it easier for international students to settle in and make the most of their experience.
With these factors in mind, below are the destinations that stand out and why they continue to attract students from around the world.
Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations: Where Students Are Heading in 2027
To help you decide where to study abroad, we've highlighted what each destination is known for, who it's best suited for, and recommended programs you can explore on GoAbroad.
1. Italy
Italy is one of the most established study abroad destinations in the world, and its universities are among the oldest anywhere. What draws students is the overlap between what they study and where they study it. Art history students work within walking distance of the collections they are analyzing. Architecture students measure buildings they have only seen in textbooks. Culinary and design students train in cities where those industries are based.
Students who choose Italy tend to want depth in a specific field rather than a general semester abroad. It also suits first-time travelers. Programs are well established, provider support is strong, and English-taught options are widely available, so the learning curve is manageable.
Best for: Art history, conservation and restoration, classical archaeology, architecture, fashion and industrial design, culinary arts, Italian language, medical shadowing.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs:
- USAC Italy: Verona, International Business & Italian Studies
- AIFS Abroad in Florence, Italy: Semester
- Study Abroad in Rome at John Cabot University
See all study abroad programs in Italy
2. Spain
Spain has become the practical choice among Western European destinations. Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world, which makes a semester there one of the few study abroad experiences with a direct line to employability. Its universities have expanded English-taught coursework well beyond language programs, so business, engineering, and public health students can study there without arriving fluent.
Barcelona and Madrid have also become working tech and startup centers rather than only cultural destinations, which puts internships and industry exposure alongside the language immersion. Students who choose Spain tend to want both.
Best for: Spanish language, international business, architecture and design, public health, political science, art history, engineering.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs:
- Semester Study Abroad in Seville, Spain - Adelante Abroad
- Arcos Learning Abroad in Granada, Spain
- CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
See all study abroad programs in Spain
3. England
England's advantage is integration. Because there's no language barrier, students can enroll directly into British universities and sit in the same seminars as local students rather than taking coursework built separately for visitors, which is rarely possible elsewhere in Europe. The tutorial and seminar model also asks more of you than a lecture-based system does, since you're expected to arrive having done the reading and defend a position out loud.
London adds a second layer, with finance, media, law, and the creative industries all concentrated in one city and internships attached to many programs. Students who choose England usually want academic rigor and industry access in the same semester.
Best for: Business and finance, politics and international relations, literature, drama and performing arts, media and journalism, law, history.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs:
- USAC England: Brighton
- CEA CAPA Education Abroad in London, England
- CIEE Open Campus Block in London, England
See all study abroad programs in England
4. France
France offers something few destinations can match for students in policy and international fields: Paris houses UNESCO, the OECD, and a dense cluster of NGOs and diplomatic missions, which turns coursework in international relations into something you can actually observe. Its business schools rank among Europe's strongest, and the luxury, fashion, and culinary sectors headquartered there are genuine industries with structured training rather than cultural backdrop.
English-taught options have widened considerably, though France remains one of the better places to push a second language toward real fluency. Students who choose France tend to be aiming at a specific professional field rather than a general European semester.
Best for: French language, international relations, fashion and luxury management, culinary arts, political science, art history, business.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs:
See all study abroad programs in France
Paris, France
5. Germany
Germany is the answer for students who have been told study abroad won't fit their major. Engineering, computer science, and applied sciences students often struggle to find programs that keep them on track, and Germany's system is built around exactly those fields, with universities of applied sciences tying coursework directly to industry placements.
Public universities charge little or no tuition even to international students, which changes what a semester there costs relative to the rest of Western Europe. Berlin has become one of the continent's main startup centers, and the country's work in renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing gives environmental and industrial students something current to study. Students who choose Germany are usually technical and practical about what they want out of the term.
Best for: Engineering, computer science, renewable energy and sustainability, industrial and automotive design, philosophy, European studies, business.
Recommended Study Abroad programs:
See all study abroad programs in Germany
Berlin, Germany
6. Australia
Australia is where field science stops being theoretical. Marine biology, ecology, and conservation students work in reef systems, rainforest, and desert environments that exist nowhere else, and coursework is built around getting out into them rather than reading about them. Its universities rank well internationally and teach in English, so direct enrollment is straightforward, and credits transfer cleanly.
The southern hemisphere calendar is worth planning around, since terms run opposite to the northern academic year and that can either complicate your schedule or open a window your home university doesn't otherwise offer. Students who choose Australia are usually in the sciences and want fieldwork rather than lab time.
Best for: Marine biology, environmental science and conservation, ecology, public health, business, sports and exercise science, Indigenous studies.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs
- Gold Coast, Bond University
- Study Abroad Semester in Australia
- CEA Study Abroad in Sydney, Australia
See all study abroad programs in Australia
Melbourne, Australia
7. Japan
Few destinations have grown as quickly in student interest, and Japan has built the capacity to absorb it. Universities have expanded English-taught coursework well past language study, opening engineering, computer science, and business to students who arrive without Japanese. The country's strength in robotics, materials science, and precision manufacturing gives technical students research exposure that's hard to arrange elsewhere, while media, animation, and design have become serious fields of study rather than fan interest.
Everyday logistics also make an unfamiliar country manageable, since transport is dependable and cities are safe to navigate alone. Students who choose Japan are often taking their first significant step outside a Western context.
Best for: Japanese language, engineering and robotics, computer science, business, animation and design, international relations, environmental studies.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs:
- Learn Japanese in Tokyo, Japan
- Summer Course in Hokkaido with Meiji Academy
- World Campus: Get Unique Access to Japan
See all study abroad programs in Japan
Sea of clouds in Kumamoto, Japan
7. South Korea
South Korea has moved from an emerging option to an established one in a short span. Seoul's major universities have invested heavily in international enrollment, and the country's consumer electronics, semiconductor, and telecommunications industries sit close enough to campus that business and engineering students get real proximity to them. Its cultural export industries have also become legitimate academic territory, and media, communications, and cultural studies programs there analyze an industry that's actively shaping global markets.
Korean language study has grown alongside that interest, drawing students who arrive with genuine motivation rather than a distribution requirement. Students who choose South Korea tend to be watching where things are heading rather than where they've been.
Best for: Korean language, business and international trade, media and communications, computer science and engineering, East Asian studies, design.
Recommended Study Abroad Programs
See all study abroad programs in South Korea
9. Ireland
Ireland has become the English-speaking gateway to the European Union, and that shift shows up in what students can access there. Dublin hosts the European operations of a long list of technology and pharmaceutical companies, which puts internships and industry exposure within reach for computer science, business, and health sciences students.
Its universities teach in English and integrate visiting students into regular coursework, so you're in seminars with Irish students rather than a separate track. The literary tradition remains a genuine draw, and writing and literature programs there are taught with unusual seriousness. Students who choose Ireland often want European experience without spending the term negotiating a second language.
Best for: Literature and creative writing, business and international commerce, computer science, pharmacology and health sciences, history and politics, film and media.
Recommended programs
See all study abroad programs in Ireland
10. Costa Rica
Costa Rica functions as a working laboratory for environmental study. A substantial share of the country sits under some form of protection, and its long commitment to conservation and renewable energy means students examining sustainability policy are looking at decades of actual implementation rather than proposals.
Biology and ecology programs run in cloud forest, dry forest, and coastal systems within a few hours of each other, which is an unusual density for fieldwork. It also draws pre-health students for clinical shadowing, and Spanish immersion there costs less than in Spain while offering the same language. Students who choose Costa Rica are typically in the sciences or health fields and want hands-on placement over classroom hours.
Best for: Environmental science and conservation, biology and ecology, Spanish language, public health and pre-med, sustainable development, wildlife studies.
Recommended programs
- Arcos Learning Abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica
- USAC Costa Rica: Ecology
- Toucan Abroad: Physical Therapy Shadowing in Costa Rica
See all study abroad programs in Costa Rica
Sunset in Costa Rica
Choosing the Right Study Abroad Destination
There's no single "best" study abroad destination for everyone. The right choice depends on your academic goals, personal interests, budget, and the type of experience you're hoping to have. As you compare your options, think beyond destination popularity and consider which country best supports your goals both inside and outside the classroom.
Here are some of the most important factors to consider as you narrow down your options:
- Academic goals. Choose a destination known for your field of study and universities that align with your academic interests.
- Budget. Consider tuition, housing, transportation, and everyday living expenses.
- Language. Decide whether you want to study in English or immerse yourself in another language.
- Program type. Compare semester, summer, internship, exchange, and language immersion opportunities.
- Career opportunities. Look for destinations that offer internships, industry connections, or post-study career pathways.
- Lifestyle. Think about the culture, climate, city size, and day-to-day experience you're looking for.
If studying abroad is on your list for 2027, now is the time to start exploring your options. Regardless of your major or foreign language abilities (even lack thereof), we guarantee there’s a study abroad program perfectly tailored for you. All you have to do is start your search!
Let GoAbroad Help You Find the Right Program
Once you've narrowed down your destination, GoAbroad makes it easier to take the next step. Compare verified study abroad programs, read reviews from past participants, save your favorite opportunities to a free MyGoAbroad account, and connect directly with trusted program providers. Whether you're still exploring your options or ready to apply, our tools and resources can help you find a program that's the right fit for your academic goals, budget, and interests.
Create your MyGoAbroad account for free
BONUS! Study Abroad Scholarships Spring, Summer, & Fall 2027
You didn’t think we’d leave you without mentioning some amazing opportunities to fund your study abroad, did you?
A study abroad experience is an investment in your education, personal growth, and future career, and scholarships can help make that investment more accessible. Every year, organizations, universities, and study abroad providers offer funding opportunities to help students cover program costs, travel, and living expenses. Starting your scholarship search early can open the door to more opportunities and help you build a realistic budget before you apply.
Here are a few scholarships to begin exploring.
Check out other Study Abroad scholarships on GoAbroad
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Mariam Cananes
SEO Coordinator, GoAbroad
Mariam turns search trends and data into content across travel and global education. She digs into the questions and interests shaping what people search for, and builds resources that connect travelers with meaningful experiences abroad. Away from her desk, she enjoys being outdoors, especially around trees and natural landscapes. She's always happy to trade a hotel room for a tent and a night under the stars. She’s also a big dog lover and will happily stop to say hi to one.
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