Studying abroad: 10 Euro treats

Where? Copenhagen University
Why? Language help. Students at Copenhagen – and indeed any Danish university – are eligible for free language lessons for three years after arriving in the country Photograph: Alamy

Where? Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Why? Excellence. For anyone interested in natural sciences or engineering, this is the top-rated European higher education institution outside the UK, according to the QS World University Rankings (18th) and the THE World University rankings (15th) Photograph: Alamy

Where? St Gallen University, Switzerland
Why? International focus. Around a quarter of the student population is international, and students take part in organising world-recognised conferences such as the St Gallen Symposium. Run in conjunction with Harvard University, it seeks to promote dialogue across boundaries Photograph: Alamy

Where? University of Stockholm
Why? Free to study. EU students at the University of Stockholm – and any Swedish university – have all their tuition fees covered by the government
Photograph: Orasis foto

Where? UPC Barcelona Tech
Why? Seaside studies. The university, in Spain’s second largest city, benefits from a buzzing nightlife, architectural gems round every corner and a beach for when you’re done with lectures for the day. Its science and technology courses also rank highly in league tables.
Photograph: Xavi Gomez/Getty Images

Where? University of Granada
Why? Popular with UK students. The university of Granada is the most sought-after choice for UK students on the Erasmus sandwich year programme. And if you want to escape talk of Corrie and Man U, there’s great skiing in the mountains nearby Photograph: Nick White/Getty Images

Where? University of Lille
Why? Nearby. Lille is geographically one of the closest European universities to the UK. Anyone anticipating homesickness can be reassured that Eurostar will get you to London in an hour and 20 minutes Photograph: Alamy

Where? University of Warsaw
Why? Cheap to live. Polish living costs are among the lowest in the EU, so Warsaw, with 66,000 students, could be a good one to check out if you’re on a tight budget Photograph: Tibor Bognar/Getty Images

Where? Ljubljana University
Why? Getting some distance. Llubljana University in Slovenia’s capital is pretty well as far away as you can go within the EU if you want to leave home well behind you Photograph: Alamy

Where? Maastricht University
Why? Knows how to welcome students from the UK. Maastricht holds several open days each year for UK students, and tours the country visiting UK schools to tell prospective students and their parents what it has to offer and what to expect when you get there Photograph: PR