Best European Countries for Studying a Master’s in Computer Science

Ah, countries! There aren’t 2 alike in the world! Except maybe for Slovenia and Slovakia, where delegates have to mail each other once a month the wrongly addressed letters, because people tend to substitute one for the other.

But, besides this, no countries are the same: from the people, to the culture and the geography and architecture, each one has something else to offer to the world.

But how does that impact your international Master’s degree in Computer Science?

Well… all joking aside, the way a country runs itself and their choices impact this type of technological education a lot, and, by default, the way they teach their Master’s degrees. That’s why, when you take into consideration some of their random facts, it paints a bigger picture on the Computer Science and IT degree studies.

View Masters in Computer Science

1. Eastern Europe is still kinda struggling with its past

You may remember that, a while back, Bernie Sanders, a politician from the U.S., complained that Romania has better internet than North America.

As a proud Romanian, I can vouch for that!

The internet bandwidth and the level of English in all Eastern European countries, not just in the land of Dracula, is something a lot of people envy, but that doesn’t mean that our Computer Science degrees are up to speed.

Indeed, there are some perks of studying a Computer Science degree in Eastern Europe, like the living costs, the all-night open clubs, and the fact that we send the most programmers to work in global IT companies (the second most spoken language in the Google headquarters is Romanian, after all). So don’t dismiss a degree here. Just know that there might be a better option at the end of the list.

Still, if you were enchanted by what these countries have to offer, check out:

2. Computer Science degrees in Northern Europe are too expensive

The whole experience of studying abroad will cost you some pretty good money by default, so, if you pick one of the Scandinavian countries to study a Master's in Computer Science, your budget will bleed and you risk being stuck eating instant noodles for 4 months.

Don’t believe me?

Well… you should, before you have to spend over 1.600 EUR/month to simply live in some rather cold countries.

Of course, if you have money to spend, go for it, because it can be a very fun and awesome experience! But if you would rather keep the money for other trips or simply just want to be careful with your spending, then be careful with these destinations.

But, if you’re a big spender, then totally check out these awesome Master’s degrees in:

Study Computer Science in Scandinavia

3. Western Europe has jobs, but doesn't really focus on Computer Science

Yes, Western Europe!

This will probably be the one region that will come the closest to be the perfect spot to study a Computer Engineering degree, but, alas, it just fell short.

Don’t get us wrong: countries like Germany, the Netherlands, France, and so on, are symbols of great higher education and amazing places to study any degree, not just Computer Science, and that’s exactly the problem.

While degrees and salaries are incredible here, each country tends to lean more towards a type of discipline: Germany will offer superior Master’s in Engineering, the Netherlands in Social Sciences, France in Fashion, and so on.

So, even if you can’t go wrong with a Master’s degree here, you would do so much better in the country we suggest.

Still, after you graduate, yes, you should totally go for it and apply and start working here. But, if you want to get a start on your career already, definitively check out:

4. Southern Europe is for lounging in the sun

To study Computer Science in Southern Europe means that you would have to have a will of steel. Because, honestly, how can you deal with all the beaches, the sun, the amazing cuisine and sight-seeing, and still be stuck in a room, next to a plug, writing and building algorithms, hoping you will be done soon, so you can catch a bit of relaxation?

And that’s not all!

If people in Eastern and Western Europe are super easy to talk to and everybody knows how to speak English, in Italy, Spain, and Greece they aren’t that versatile when it comes to foreign languages. Yes, that’s the nice way of saying “they no hablan ingles!”

International students studying Computer Science and IT

But, if you want to enjoy the sun and you have a long-life laptop battery, while speaking some Spanish, Italian or Greek, why not go wild and have fun in these exotic European destinations:

5. Central Europe can have too few options for your taste

The nicest way to put it in this section is that Central Europe is the diet version of Western Europe.

Indeed, all these countries are beautiful and they are definitively worth visiting at least once in your lifetime, but, when it comes to options in degrees or with jobs after graduating, you could definitively go directly to Western Europe and bypass these sunny, full-of-medieval-castles countries.

Also, objectively speaking, a degree in the Netherlands may sound better in your CV than a degree from Slovakia. But, again, these are really OK countries to study in, so, if you made up your mind for them, then check out:

6. So, what other European country is there?

Well, now that we kept you guessing long enough, let’s reveal the grand winner. And it’s… ESTONIA!

Ok, grab a map and a pen, because it’s time to get educated on this awesome country, which is the perfect destination for studying a Master's in Computer Science.

Estonia is located in the North of the continent, and it’s one of the Baltic countries, from the same family as Lithuania and Latvia. Still, this country is like Finland, but cheaper, Russia, but more European, and Germany, but more modern.

The thing is, Estonian children are taught since elementary school how to code and how to deal with technology, in general. After being the first country ever to have an e-government, the Estonian universities started investing and competing in who can bring and have the best Computer Science and IT Master’s degree in the country.

And they are all winning!

Big universities from Tartu and Tallinn are going neck and neck in this competition, and, fortunately, it means that we are all winners. So, to make it easier, be sure to check out:

Masters in Computer Science in Estonia

7. Why study a Computer Science degree in Estonia?

Aren’t you convinced of Estonia yet? Then let’s try a crash-course on why this is the best country to study Computer Science PERIOD.

Estonia receives more tourists per year than its total population, so you know that you won’t get bored here.
Going back to the ‘e-government’ notion, let’s explain a bit: imagine if you would have an app on your phone, where, with your own password and username, you can see what taxes you owe, what your medical care is, who you can vote (and actually vote!), and so on. Basically, you have a normal government where queues and waiting and one thousand little papers are gone! If that doesn’t sound like a dream come true to you, it means you are very young, still. But for us, who have to deal with stuff like this, it’s a miracle!
You can also start your own business with just a click on this e-government app. That’s why Estonia leads in number of start-ups/capital, and it’s also home of Tallinn, that has the adorable nickname “The Silicon Valley of Europe”.
It has one of the highest adult literacy rates in the world – 99.8 percent.
The whole country is connected to the internet. Like, we’re not joking: you can literally go into the woods and have WiFi. It’s like you can imagine 1 million routers all over the country, so that’s just amazing, if you’re a computer nerd.

And, keep in mind, I didn’t even mention of how clean the air is, from all the forests they didn’t cut down, the digital trust everybody enjoys, the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which said that Estonian 15-year olds are the best in Europe and third in the world, and so on.

Honestly, we can’t get enough of Estonia, and you shouldn’t, either!

So, pack your bags and your laptop, forget needing a special router, and simply go in this fairytale land with great WiFi connection.

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