In 2025, the European educational tourism market size was worth USD 142,697.8 million, and is estimated to reach USD 552,677.8 million by 2035, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%. The strong educational infrastructure across, Europe and the regions cultural and historical significance is further pushing learning-focused travel experiences in both the short- and long-term. From exchange programs, language stints, and research studies to academic enrichment tours, students at all ages and stages professionals, lifelong learners are heading to Europe.
Educational mobility initiatives supported by the government, globalisation of higher education establishments, and increasing collaboration between educational institutions and international travel planners are laying the groundwork of the educational tourism industry. Increased demand for cross-border STEM learning, sustainability programs, heritage studies & career advancement courses is also further bolstering the growth of the market across this region.
Market Metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Market Size (2025E) | USD 142,697.8 million |
| Market Value (2035F) | USD 552,677.8 million |
| CAGR (2025 to 2035) | 14 .5% |
Germany is a major player in Europe’s education tourism, due to its high-quality academic institutions and free - tuition public universities. International students come to the country for STEM programs, research fellowships and technical education. Academic excellence is complemented by rich cultural immersion in educational centres like Berlin, Munich and Heidelberg.
Germany’s dual-education system and increasing number of English-language degrees institutions are expected to make it a leading destination for vocational and undergraduate students from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
France keeps receiving educational tourists, due to the regulations concerning of global institutions, artistic heritage, and robust language programs. Major cities like Paris, Lyon, and Toulouse are education hotspots with a combination of liberal arts, business, and design-focused institutions.
Cultural education packages, gastronomy schools and short-term study-abroad options in France have significant participation from USA and Canadian students. The government support through programs such as “Bienvenue en France” and increased scholarships for international learners increase the country’s appeal further. French language immersion courses and art history tours are also popular with adult learners.
The United Kingdom is still a top educational tourism destination in Europe, bolstered by universities on global rankings and established language training schools. Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Edinburgh are important hubs of academic and cultural exchange.
The UK Market encompasses not only the HE sector, but also a large portion of HS exchange programs, historical learning tours and English language immersion experiences. This renewed growth in inbound educational tourism is the result of strategic government effort to attract global talent post and the increase in international student visas and flexibility around study-work.
Challenge
Visa Barriers and Financial Accessibility
Although Europe is a popular destination for education, strict visa requirements and financial constraints still make studying in Europe out of reach for students from emerging economies. The engagement of many learners in these long-term educational stays is constrained by a narrow number of scholarships, varying recognition of international qualifications, and costs of living in these major cities.
Opportunity
Specialized Learning Tracks and Hybrid Study-Tour Models
Europe can increase its digital share of the educational tourism market by creating learning tracks for sustainability, robotics, and cultural preservation. Hybrids that pair virtual learning with on-site experiential modules create scalable and accessible formats for global participation. There is also further potential for tourism boards, universities, and private providers to work together to develop hybrid learning opportunities that strike a balance between interaction and engagement, and reduced costs and logistical challenges.
The market relied heavily on it between 2020 and 2024 with digital transformation, virtual exchanges, online certifications, and hybrid learning tours surging in popularity. Travel uncertainty drove some interest in short-term programs, cultural experiences and gap-year formats.
From 2025 to 2035, Integrated, outcome based educational tourism programmes more substantive curriculum-based travel experiences will also become possible through partnerships that tour operators forge with academic institutions. Programs that provide credentials, career value, and opportunities for immersive local engagement will be sought by learners. AI-based planning tools will allow for personalized learning journeys, boosting participant satisfaction and completion rates.
Market Shifts: A Comparative Analysis 2020 to 2024 vs. 2025 to 2035
| Market Shift | 2020 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Learning Format | Virtual and hybrid learning tours |
| Target Audience | Teen and undergrad short-term exchanges |
| Program Design | Cultural enrichment with limited academic tie-ins |
| Delivery Model | School-led or individual-organized |
| Tech Integration | Basic digital platforms |
| Market Shift | 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|
| Learning Format | Experiential, credential-linked immersive learning programs |
| Target Audience | Lifelong learners, researchers, and professionals |
| Program Design | Curriculum-integrated, outcome-based programs |
| Delivery Model | Institution-tourism board-private collaboration models |
| Tech Integration | AI planning tools, AR/VR immersion, real-time language tools |
The educational tourism market in Austria is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.8% during 2025 to 2035. Austria, with its profound historical and cultural legacy, has emerged as a popular destination for international students and academic tours. Professors are more often professors, and their devotion becomes a kind of a game or competition, with prestigious universities competing to attract students to their music programs, arts programs and architecture and engineering fields.
The country’s strong education system combined with a culture of multilingualism also contribute to its attractiveness as a European centre of learning. The strong government support provided in Austria through the initiatives has put more focus towards sustainability in education which would further expedite the growth of this sector.
| Country | CAGR (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|
| Austria | 13.8% |
The educational tourism market in Switzerland is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2%. Renowned for its world-class education system, the Switzerland are opening their top-ranked universities to international students across many fields including finance, technology, hospitality and more.
The country has established itself as a popular destination for students all over the world due to its academic excellence, research-oriented institutions, and multicultural learning environments. Switzerland's Leipzig connected transport network and global country as a hub for international organisations also turned Switzerland to be an attractive audience for students, academic conferences and student exchanges, educational tours.
| Country | CAGR (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 14.2% |
The market for educational tourism in Poland is forecast to expand at a 15.3% CAGR until 2035. Yet students from elsewhere in Europe and Africa, and Asia too, are drawn by the country’s low-cost but high-quality educational system in subjects such as engineering, medicine and social sciences.
Major cities like Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw are steadily gaining popularity among international students because of programs offered in English and an overall improvement of living standards. The growth in this segment is driven by investments in educational infrastructure made by the government due to its increased popularity as a Centre for higher education in Eastern Europe.
| Country | CAGR (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|
| Poland | 15.3% |
The Rest of Europe region includes countries such as the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, and Hungary. This region is expected to record a CAGR of 14.9% over the period of 2020 to 2024. This growth is partly being driven by the expansion of lower-cost study-abroad programs, particularly in Eastern and Southern European countries. In recent years there has been a steady rise of international students to cities such as Prague, Lisbon and Barcelona and there is now more demand than ever for high-quality, affordable education.
The establishment of scholarship programs, exchange programs, and academic partnerships paid for by governments across Europe have strengthened the continent’s role as a leading global education tourism destination.
| Region | CAGR (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|
| Rest of Europe | 14.9% |
| By Age Group | Market Share (2025) |
|---|---|
| 19 to 25 Years | 44.1% |
From 2020 to 2025, the 19 to 25 years age group represents the leading share of the Europe educational tourism market, holding 44.1% share of the total market by 2025. This refers to a significant sub-set of this group, namely college students and recent graduates exploring international travel, learning, and career opportunities through an educational program. European destinations consistently rank high among this age group owing to the availability of prestigious universities, organized exchange programs, and easy-to-navigate student visa processes.
Students of this age group oftenenrol in semester-abroad programs, research partnerships, and language immersion programs, especially in countries like the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. With diverse culture, world-class academic institutions and professional networking opportunities matching the career goals of this segment, the selected countries to be considered as a study destination.
There are government-sponsored scholarships and Erasmus programs in place that incentivize mobility between borders, enabling students to visit alternative learning environments and earn academic credit that their home institutions will be able to recognize.
To attract this group, institutions across Europe have also adapted their curriculum to offer specialized short-term certifications, summer schools or international internships. The importance of lifestyle flexibility and adaptability to travel results in an increasing preference for educational tourism for the age group of 19-25 years.
This demographic group generally travel independently, with peer recommendations, academic advisors and global rankings of host institutions contributing to student decisions. Driven by the need to improve individual career prospects through global exposure, they dominate this market.
| By Education Type | Market Share (2025) |
|---|---|
| College | 47.6% |
The Europe educational tourism market by college education type has dominated the highest market share of 47.6% in 2025. The dominance of this wide field is due to the number of bachelor’s degree undergraduate students that wish to experience an academic environment abroad. With their extensive courses being offered, multicultural classrooms, and credentials respected worldwide, European universities are ideal to a good number of students engaged in some form of educational tourism.
Exchange programs, international study tours, cultural immersions and collaborative academic initiatives where college students are active participants. Countries like Italy, Spain, and Germany continue to be attractive destinations that offer a balance between high academic quality and rich cultural heritage.
The Bologna Process has harmonized higher education throughout Europe, allowing for more seamless credit transfer and enhanced academic mobility. Such as this policy framework facilitates the expand of college-level section in educational tourism.
Across Europe, colleges and universities also work with offshore educational institutions to operate workshops in areas such as field trips and research camps that attract students from Asia, North America, among others. i.e., these programs not only enrich academic knowledge but also introduce participants to different perspectives and innovative teaching techniques. The emergence of short-term certificate courses and summer universities has provided even more opportunities within this segment.
Strong promotional campaigns, strategic institutional partnerships, and targeted scholarship initiatives help bolster educational tourism at the college level. Educational consultants, university fairs and digital platforms continue to showcase Europe as a perfect academic destination for undergraduates. Given that students on a college level are among the most active participants in educational tourism in Europe, and given the worldwide competition for quality education, educational tourism of this segment will continue to expand.
The Europe educational tourism market has witnessed a gradual growth in the recent years and is projected to grow significantly during the forecast period, owing to an increasing demand from students where they prefer to study in a foreign country for a better career and professional prospects. Opportunities for improvement, both academic and personally, are increasingly available to students and job seekers in some of Europe´s most notable institutions. The rise of student exchange programs, language learning, and specialized educational travel packages growing this market.
Market Share Analysis by Company
| Company Name | Estimated Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| EF Education First | 18-20% |
| STA Travel | 12-14% |
| Education First (EF) | 8-10% |
| GoAbroad | 7-9% |
| Other Companies (combined) | 50-55% |
| Company Name | Key Offerings/Activities |
|---|---|
| EF Education First | In 2024 , launched new study-abroad programs tailored for high school students. |
| STA Travel | Introduced affordable group travel packages targeting European universities. |
| Education First (EF) | Expanding partnerships with top European universities for exchange programs. |
| GoAbroad | In 2025 , developed specialized tours for language immersion in Spain and Italy. |
| The Intern Group | Offering internships and academic tours across several European cities. |
Key Company Insights
EF Education First (18-20%)
EF leads the market with a wide range of academic travel programs, offering everything from language immersion to full academic degree options in partnership with European institutions. EF’s strong brand and global network make it the leader in this segment.
STA Travel (12-14%)
STA Travel is a key player known for its budget-friendly educational tours and its partnerships with universities across Europe. It continues to attract students seeking cost-effective study-abroad opportunities.
Education First (EF) (8-10%)
Education first continues to be a strong competitor in Europe with offerings that include language schools and student exchange programs. Their partnerships with European academic institutions expand their reach within educational tourism.
Other Key Players (50-55% Combined)
Other players in the market also contribute significantly with niche offerings and regional expertise:
The overall market size for the Europe Educational Tourism Market was valued at approximately USD 142,697.8 million in 2025.
The Europe Educational Tourism Market is projected to reach approximately USD 552,677.8 million by 2035.
The demand is driven by increasing investments in international education, a rising demand for skill-based learning, and the growing popularity of study-abroad programs.
The top 5 countries driving market growth are the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
The segment of students 19 to 25 years age group is expected to command a significant share over the assessment period.
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Europe Educational Tourism Market
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