51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Two Italian universities have been crowned the cheapest universities in Europe, according to new analysis by foreign exchange company FairFX. 

Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna have been named the cheapest for both EU and non-EU students because there are no tuition fees and the university covers living costs for all students. 

The analysis by FairFX aims to highlight how Brexit could affect the cost of studying at European universities that were included in the Times Higher Education World 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Rankings 2018. It is based on tuition fees, living costs and currency rates.

European students seeking an education in Britain currently pay the same as British students, which will continue in the 2018/19 academic year. However, it is unclear whether they would be treated as international students post-Brexit. Non-EU students currently pay more than £30,000 a year to study in the UK on average. 

For UK students looking to study in Europe, their fees will also depend on what is agreed in Brexit negotiations. 

The top 10 cheapest EU universities 2018

FairFX also revealed the most expensive universities for EU and non-EU students – and every single one of the top 10 was located in the UK. The cheapest UK university was the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East Anglia, costing £16,279 per year.

The most expensive universities to study at in the EU (for EU students) 2018

The costs of each university for both EU and non-EU students were also calculated to highlight what British students may end up paying after the UK leaves the EU in 2019. There were some significant differences, the largest at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, with a difference of £16,500. 

However, despite these costs, many universities in Europe worked out significantly cheaper than if a student chose to stay in the UK. 

The biggest differences in costs for EU v international students  

The analysis also looked at the most affordable countries in Europe, and Italy came out on top because there are no tuition fees and no living costs for students. Other countries such as Germany and Finland, which do not charge tuition fees but charge admin fees, also come up high on the list. 

The most affordable countries to study in Europe

*No tuition fees, just semester fees/student union fees

Read more: Students react to EU referendum results