The number of programs taught in English at universities in European countries where English is not the native language has tripled over the past five years, to more than 2,400, according to a new publication by the Brussels-based Academic Cooperation Association, a higher-education think tank.
With the global market for foreign students becoming increasingly competitive, universities in a growing number of European countries are turning to English-language courses and degree programs to attract foreign students, who often pay much higher tuition than domestic students do.
According to the new publication, “English-Taught Programmes in European Higher Education: The Picture in 2007,” which will be available next week, more than half of the students enrolled in such programs are foreigners and 70 percent of the programs charge tuition. The Netherlands and Finland lead the phenomenon, which is concentrated in master’s programs at the postgraduate level. —Aisha Labi
