More than 2.8 million students were enrolled in higher education institutions outside their countries of citizenship in 2007(UNESCO, 2009). It is generally accepted fact that education drives development in individuals and in the society as a whole. This must have also contributed to the huge growth in the number of young persons who leave Nigeria in pursuit of various qualifications. Unofficial sources estimate that about 50,000 young Nigerians leave the shores of the country in pursuit of various degree programmes annually. This of course is currently the exclusivity of those who can afford the luxury of such education and a very few lucky ones who have been able to secure one form of funding or the other. Studying abroad is referred to as expensive while others refer to it as value for money especially if you make the right decisions. Available estimates show that Australia is the most expensive study destination in terms of tuition fees with a minimum of £11,731 per year followed by the US (£9,385), UK (£8,000) and then other countries follow suit. The more affordable countries remain China with a minimum of £1,696, Malaysia (£937) and other parts of Africa.

Following the high cost involved, students need to take a lot of things into consideration before deciding on acquiring an international degree. I will try to look into some of these issues briefly in the following paragraphs below. In the first place, you have to consider your career path and the relevance of your degree to your future plans. You might want to first of all research what you are currently doing, your previous study versus future opportunities. You basically should consider the employability and career progression of the chosen course of study.

Some questions you might want to consider include: Are you going for a completely new field or a related field from your previous study or work experience? Do you have the minimum qualification required for the course? Is there an access course to make up for any deficiency? What do graduates of your intended course proceed to study? Do you know alumni that you can talk to find out if that is really what you want to study? You look at the places where the graduates of the course proceed to study if that is what you really want in life.

One ambition some secretly consider is the possibility of migrating to a new country after the qualification especially with the hope for greater opportunities. In such cases you might want to look at what skills are required in the target country. You might want to look at the government’s policy with respect to foreigners working in those countries. This is very much in line as graduate mobility is one of the advantages of acquiring an internationally recognised degree. UNESCO reports that eleven countries hosted 71% of the world’s mobile students, led by the United States with 21.3%. A proportion of these students migrate to other countries, some stay back to work in the study destination and acquire experience while others return to their home countries.

The next thing you will want to consider is the institutions that have the course and the ranking of the institution. There are various websites which help with this. Some are global while others provide specific information. Some students will always aim for the ‘top universities’, Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford, etc. Times Higher Education provides a global ranking of world universities even according to subjects and regions while Complete University Guide provides an in-depth analysis to help you choose a UK university. This will prove to be a good resource once you have identified your chosen course and country of study or vice versa. While all these are going on you try to keep an eye on the cost and the requirements for entry into such countries versus your resources. Education counsellors or agents as you may prefer to call them are usually handy to provide this information. The internet is and will always be a good source of information to help you in making this life changing decision.

While there may not be an optimum option, it is advisable to choose a course that you enjoy and you are genuinely interested in studying. A course that meets your future plans and where you know you can excel. You should choose a destination that will meet your budget and future plans. You might want to wait a few more years and save more money to meet your choice and also make proper research on funding opportunities which are available and always competitive. You should also bear it in mind that even a Harvard degree doesn’t automatically translate into money, it is what you do with it at the end of the day that matters most.