Best Study Abroad Destinations for Iranian Students

There are many factors that make some countries better study abroad destinations than others for Iranian students. The cost of university, living expenses, local language, ranking of university, visa access and the possibility of job opportunities and immigration are some considerations for Iranian students when choosing their study abroad destination. We’ve made a list of the top countries for Iranian students wanting to study abroad and hope it makes the first step of studying abroad easier. When you’re choosing universities, do make sure that their degrees are accredited in Iran so that your degree will be recognized when you return home. You can find the list of accepted foreign universities here.

Australia

Australia is one of the most popular destinations for international students overall. If you decide to study in Australia, you can take advantage of strong academic credentials, high quality of life, job opportunities and programs taught in English. However, what makes Australia an ideal destination for Iranian students is the opportunity to live in a multicultural society and the chance to apply for permanent residency. Since Australia offers permanent residency to certain skilled occupations, upon the completion of their studies, students have a high chance of employment and applying for their Australian permanent residency.

Canada

Canada is well known as the land of possibilities and opportunities because of its innovative and abundant research opportunities, as well as the possibility of immigration. The high chance of permanent residence and settlement in Canada after completion of study program attracts a lot of Iranian students to Canada. However, there are other advantages to studying in Canada that can benefit international students including a multicultural society, high quality of life, high academic standards and high quality education.

Malaysia

There are many reasons why Malaysia has successfully attracted thousands of Iranian students in the past few years. Malaysia is one of the easiest countries for Iranians to enter for studies because of its easy visa policies. There are also many branches of top ranked universities from the US, Australia and the UK like University of Nottingham, which can be interesting for Iranian students. Programs are offered in English and many international students from all over the world apply to schools in Malaysia. The third reason is the low cost of living. There are also other reasons to study in Malaysia, such as an English-speaking population, multiculturalism with Islam as the most practiced religion, tropical climate and beautiful natural formations.

United Kingdom

The UK is one of the top destinations for international students because of its multicultural society, top universities and native English-speaking population. The UK is popular among Iranian students for its large Iranian population and Islamic communities. You can find halal butchers and restaurants in every corner of England. By studying abroad in the UK, Iranian students will have access to highly ranked universities and get the opportunity to develop English skills while being a part of an Iranian community.

Germany

Germany is known for the high quality of its educational system. Studying abroad in Germany has many advantages for Iranian students but the most unique advantage is free undergraduate programs at public universities. There are many Iranians living in Germany and you can get in touch with the Iranian community and make Iranian friends during your studies. You can also find Persian restaurants and grocery store in almost every city of Germany, so it's less likely to become homesick. However, in order to study in Germany you should learn the German language as most programs at an undergraduate level are taught in German.

Norway

Norway has been consistently ranked as one of the best countries for standard of living and it’s also a great study abroad destination for Iranians. Norway is an expensive city; however, studying abroad in Norway is free of charge and Iranian students can benefit from both a high quality education and a high quality of life. The majority of  Norwegians speak English fluently. Master’s and PhD level programs are in English, but undergraduate courses require proficiency in Norwegian language.

Turkey

Being Iran’s neighboring country, Turkey is similar to Iran culture-wise. Also traveling to Turkey doesn’t require a visa for Iranians, studying and living in Turkey is affordable and traveling back to Iran to visit the family is very convenient. These factors make Turkey a good destination for Iranian students. Last but not least, students can take advantage of the sun, ocean and Mediterranean climate.

United Arab Emirates

Iranian students have been interested in studying abroad in the UAE in recent years mainly because studying at universities in the UAE is considered a bridge to Australia, America and England. This is because the UAE has American, British and Australian universities such as the university of Wollongong that gives students the option to continue their studies in these countries after two years. Another advantage is that the UAE is located right next to the Persian gulf and that makes it convenient to fly back to Iran and visit the family.