Studying in the Netherlands or in Sweden

Studying in foreign destinations is what a lot of bright minds aspire for. Globally, there’s a variety of popular countries that students choose for their higher studies. Hence, due to the varied advantages offered by each country, students get confused about the choice of their study destination.
To help out aspiring students with a desire to study overseas, we have decided to provide a comprehensive listing of the advantages offered by various countries. After going through the different features that each country offers, a student can make his decision as to where he may pursue Higher Education Abroad. Here we have discussed Sweden and The Netherlands taking into account the various points that students consider while going for overseas study.

Overview:
The largest country in Northern Europe, Sweden is also the third-largest in the European Union and the fifth largest in Europe. As the 16th richest country in the world, in terms of GDP per capita, the Swedish enjoy a high standard of living. The institution of the Nobel Prize began in Sweden and the government places a huge emphasis on Research and Development. As a percent of GDP, Sweden is the second-highest global investor in R&D.
The Netherlands occupies the Northwestern part of Europe and Dutch is its official language. However, more than 90% of the citizens speak English. For international indexes of human development, quality of life, and happiness, the Netherlands ranks among the highest. It has a diverse culture with a major role played by foreign influences. It is also one of the most industrialized countries in the world. With the 17th-largest economy in the world, the Netherlands ranks 10th globally in GDP per capita.

Visa point of view:
Both, Sweden and The Netherlands have a 100% visa success rate, the point of difference being the application process. In Sweden, a candidate has to apply on his own, however, in the Netherlands, the University applies on behalf of the candidate, a point that must be noted for those interested to Study in the Netherlands.

Intakes:
Sweden has only a single, August intake for International students while the Universities in the Netherlands accept students in the spring and Fall intakes.

Education Requirements:
While 16 years of education is compulsory when applying for a Masters course in Sweden, the Netherlands is more flexible and allows a candidate to pursue a Masters degree even if he has 15 years of education.
As for English proficiency, IELTS is compulsory for all courses in the Netherlands, however, the IELTS score requirement is waived off in Sweden for Engineering students.

Part-time work:
While the Netherlands allows 10 hours per week of part-time work to international students, in Sweden the students get to work 20 hours per week. This is something that would encourage foreign students to Study in Sweden since the earnings can be significantly higher.

Post-study Visa:
A 6-month post-study visa is offered in Sweden while the Netherlands offers a 1-year post-study visa to students so that they may search for suitable job opportunities in the country.
Taking into account all these attractive benefits offered by each country, a student can decide his study destination. However, the student can often be faced with the question of How to Study in Sweden or the Netherlands, since studying abroad requires various technicalities to be taken care of. These include searching and selecting the right combination of University and program, making an application within the deadline, and managing the financial requirements. For all these, a student may approach experienced study abroad consultants to guide him through the process, efficiently.