Studying Abroad vs Local: The ROI Reality Check (Part I)

Every parent wants the best for their child’s future - but when it comes to university, the “best” isn’t as simple as rankings or salaries. After conversations with individuals from Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, India and Singapore (ranging from current Uni students to working individuals to parents) who’ve experienced both paths, I can ascertain their stories reveal deeper truths ranking list cannot show.

The Lessons You Cannot Easily Quantify

Take Nanette from King’s College London, who discovered her Chinese actually improved while abroad: “Being away made me cherish my roots in ways I never expected, made me appreciate my heritage and language more … essential part of me that I do not want to be dissipated.” Or Sachin from India, who found freedom in doing daily living chores: “At local Unis, everything was done for us. Overseas, I learned real survival skills.”

There are 6 consistent ROI “themes” we have identified from our discussions. They are not just anecdotes: global perspectives, career, independence, networking, academic quality, and English language.

What Studying Abroad Can Augment

1. Global Perspectives (100% of respondents) – As you will be exposed to various global cultures (them being the majority in every class), you will learn to see things from more angles and become more open-minded.

• “You don’t just visit new countries - you learn to think through multiple cultural frameworks” (individual from Japan)
• “Your cultural intelligence will be challenged and developed” (Tufts)

2. Career (85%+) - Studying abroad enhances your cultural fluency and improves your employment probability with international corporations. Combining with your local language capabilities, you also become a good bridge for them to expand into your domestic market.

• “My internship at a London firm taught me how Europeans vs. Americans give feedback - crucial for global careers” (Cambridge)
• “You learn what jokes land (or bomb) across cultures” (Film major student)

3. Independence (80%+) – Living away from home and parents implants the much-needed personal growth.

• “I went from relying on tutors to scheduling my own study/work balance” (UPenn)
• “Learning to cook, budget, and navigate foreign systems builds resilience no classroom can teach” (UCLA)
• “it’s maybe the first chance you can make real mistakes and learn from them” (Johns Hopkins)

4. Networking (75%+) – I feel this is an under-rated pillar.  As a member of both my undergrad and postgrad alumni clubs, I can confirm many internships and job referrals derive from a good network, especially for international employers and overseas roles. 

• “According to a survey by Jobvite, employee referrals are the most effective way to fill job openings, with referred candidates hired at a rate of about 30% (compared to an average rate of 7% for job applicants sourced through other methods).” (Google Search)

5. Academic Quality (33%+) – Overseas Unis offer more course options & focus more on exploration than rote learning.

• Overseas universities offer a more comprehensive list of majors which are not offered domestically.  And for those elite academics pursuing doctoral degrees, US and UK unis offer better environment, funding and scholarship.
• Their education principles focus more on real world + exploration, while domestic ones are about memorization and regurgitation.  “In India, we memorized textbooks. At my UK uni, we solved real-world cases” (UCL post-grad)

6.English (20%+) – Probably another under-rated pillar.  English is a global language, spoken in 186 countries, by 1.52 billion people, where it is a 2nd language for 75% or ~1.2 billion. 

• “English was definitely essential given my job nature dealing with global clients” (Korean, U Illinois)

How do these six thematic pillars translate to a potentially better ROI?  We shall continue next week in our Part 2.

Herman Fong
Founder of Grove Education
Enquiry: (852)2381 8013
Email: consultation@grove-education.com
Website: https://www.grove-education.com/
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