Remember, the best place for other students might not be right for you. You may prefer to study in a smaller town or city close to the countryside. As an international student, you'll be trying to learn about a new culture, so think about whether you’d want to do that in a built up city or would be happier somewhere a bit quieter. Capital or larger cities are a popular and appealing place to study with good universities, but for some students they might be overwhelming. Consider what you’d want from a city, and whether that’s nightlife, green spaces, or art. You may have particular interests that lend themselves to a certain country, state or city. Your preference for warmer or colder weather may also help you narrow down your search.

It could be important to you that you’re part of a large community of international students. In this case, there are cities that are particularly popular with other international students that would be a good place to start.

Other students from your home country may study abroad in the same countries and cities because it’s easy to travel back home from time to time. Others may choose a particular country because of its international reputation for a high standard of education.

It’s important to think about your budget for studying abroad and factor in the cost of living in certain countries or cities. In many cases you’ll have to prove your ability to finance all of your studies when applying for a visa, so you’ll have to look within your budget.

With such a large number of universities offering international study there will be something for everyone, so deciding on what you can afford to spend on tuition and living expenses will help determine a country or city to study in.