Board exams results out: Here’s a list of top foreign universities Class 12 science students apply to

As Class 12 board examinations come to an end and universities around the world open their doors to admit first-year students, the multitude of possible options can become agonising.

As Class 12 board examinations come to an end and universities around the world open their doors to admit first-year students, the multitude of possible options can become agonising.

The main building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA showcasing its neoclassic architecture at sunset. (Getty Images/File)

Especially, when you are opting for a science degree abroad, the selection of course specialisation, university and country build up to a monstrous task.

Since it’s imperative to get these information right, let’s start cutting through the clutter by shortlisting top global universities.

Choosing your specialisation

At this stage, most students would have decided or already had a brief idea on the specialisation they would want to take up. If you haven’t, then you can start by considering topics that give you the greatest satisfaction. Also, side by side, check the career prospects of the chosen courses.

Science covers a broad range of subjects under its four major branches ie mathematics and logic, biological science, physical science and social science. To help you choose a specialisation, let’s take a look at few of the popular courses:

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Shortlisting country and university

Don’t choose a university or a country just because your friend or a relative reside there. Instead, your choice should be based on the country or university that has huge resources allocated for science subjects (R&D funding, teaching funding, etc) so that you can benefit the best teaching, latest research and a great career start.

To help you narrow down your options, let’s start with the top countries to study science subjects.

Top countries to study science based on University performance in Science subjects as reflected on global university ranking systems such as QS World University Rankings and the World University Rankings.

Besides these, you can also look at countries such as Greece, Estonia, Mexico, Austria, and Portugal which were listed among the 10 top countries awarding the maximum number of STEM degrees per capita in the 2015 Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard report by OECD.

To look at top universities, two lists have been created. The first lists out top universities for science irrespective of the acceptance rate. The second list out top universities with a high acceptance rate for international students, Indians in particular. The chosen universities are regularly featured in the global university ranking system* for science subjects.

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Take note that university application forms must be filled much prior to the application deadline. Scholarships forms should be filled 6 to 8 months before the application deadline. Therefore, shortlist the university, course and country at the earliest and start your application process.