The cheapest countries to study medicine cost as low as US$50,000

Many people want to be doctors, but not everyone has the financial capabilities to study medicine.

On average, pursuing a medical programme takes about six years, which is at least two to three years longer than your average undergraduate degree. This also means you’re paying another two to three years of tuition.

Now, if you’re determined to go down this path while sparing your bank account, have a look at the cheapest countries to study medicine, especially those in Asia. 

Take the National University of Singapore (NUS), for example. It’s one of the leading universities as well as medical schools in the continent — ranking first in Asia and #18 globally on the QS World University Rankings by subject 2024.

The tuition fee for the five-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme is roughly US$286,171. However, in the 2023/24 academic year, more than 90% of students received some form of financial aid.

Following behind NUS is the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which was also ranked #2 in Asia and #28 globally by QS World University Rankings by subject in 2024. Here, the undergraduate medicine programme lasts for six years, and the total tuition fee is estimated to be around US$111,359.

Whichever you choose, studying medicine in Asia is set to be cheaper than in the US or UK, which averages to US$267,000 in the US and US$250,332 in the UK — and with no compromise on quality too.

Wonder what drives the medical staff as they combat the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan? Learn more from these experts in China for cheap. Source: Noel Celis/AFP

Cheapest countries to study medicine: Asia edition

1. China

When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Wuhan, a hospital was built in 10 days, reported CNN. A little over a week after the land-levelling work commenced, the two-storey, 366,000-square-foot Huoshenshan Hospital started to accept its first patient. 

Studying medicine in China is a chance to learn from the industry’s best. In April 2024, Chinese scientists reported a “world first” for a cell therapy cure in a diabetes case; two months later, another group of Chinese scientists created a tiny sensor the size of a sesame seed that could change the way patients with brain injuries or cancer are monitored.

• Huazhong University of Science and Technology offers a six-year English-taught clinical medicine programme that costs roughly US$33,183.
• Fudan University‘s six-year English-taught MBBS programme totals around US$62,218.

The low cost of living and great programme offerings make Malaysia one of the best and cheapest countries to study medicine for international students. Source: AFP

2. Malaysia

Malaysia stands out as one of the most diverse countries in Asia, with a living cost as low as US$300 per month. Scroll through Reddit to hear from a Nigerian student who recalls how international students in Malaysia will have the luxury of observing how people from different races, religions, and cultures interact. 

• Universiti Malaya‘s five-year undergraduate MBBS offers clinical experience, research opportunities, and elective placements. The tuition fee here costs US$160,258.
• IMU University, Malaysia’s first private institution for medical and health sciences education, offers a five-year MBBS degree that totals around US$129,712.

Malaysia is also home to various branch campuses too, so you could even get your certification from another university abroad, like the UK or Australia.

• Newcastle University‘s five-year MBBS programme totals around US$138,469.
• Monash University‘s five-year bachelor of medical science and doctor of medicine costs an estimated US$140,811.

According to the Health Care Index by the CEOWORLD magazine, Taiwan has the best healthcare system in the world in 2023. Source: AFP

3. Taiwan

One big reason that puts Taiwan on the list of the cheapest countries to study medicine is because of its various government scholarships available. 

These financial aid programmes are administered by several government bodies, including the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Most provide subsidies for tuition fees and living expenses to awardees and allow eligible applicants to apply directly from their home country.

You might want to keep in mind that some of the universities here require a certain language. 

• National Yangming Jiaotong University has a five-year Master of Medical Science programme that totals an estimated US$42,719.
• China Medical University, Taiwan, has a six-year Doctor of Medicine programme that costs around US$52,948.

 

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4. Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a melting pot of cultures, mostly due to its Chinese roots and Western colonialism.

Here, innovation for healthcare doesn’t stop. With traditional Chinese medicine gaining international recognition, the special administrative region is taking steps to integrate it into its healthcare system beyond just acupuncture by preparing for the city’s first Chinese medicine hospital. Students here will witness the growth of this development, and they might even have a part in it too.

Beyond that, there are even talks between the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with UK’s Imperial College London to set up a third Hong Kong medical school, so keep an eye out for that.

• University of Hong Kong‘s six-year MBBS programme totals around US$139,746. 
• Hong Kong Baptist University doesn’t have a traditional medicine programme, though it does offer a six-year bachelor of Chinese medicine and bachelor of science in biomedical science, which cost roughly US$122,854 in total.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on August 1, 2024.