Where Cambodian Students Can Study at Top Global Programs for Free

Introduction

For many Cambodian families, the cost of studying abroad is the single greatest barrier to accessing world-class education. Yet some of the highest-ranked institutions across Europe, North America, and Asia offer full scholarships to international students—making elite academic programs fully accessible regardless of financial background.

This article outlines where Cambodian students can study the world’s best undergraduate programs with zero tuition and minimal living costs, thanks to generous financial aid and need-blind admissions. These opportunities exist not just in the United States, but in countries like Japan, Switzerland, Canada, and Italy—each offering global subject excellence at no cost to the student.

Pomona College (USA)

Subject Strength: Economics, Environmental Analysis, Public Policy
Annual Cost (USD): 75,000
Scholarship: Need-blind + Full-need Aid
What it Covers: Tuition, housing, meals, books
Language of Instruction: English
Admission Rate: 7%
Job Placement: 96% employed or in grad school within 6 months
Alumni Network: Mentorship access, graduate school pathways (Harvard, Oxford, Stanford)
Global Reputation: Top U.S. liberal arts college, elite prep for public policy careers

Swarthmore College (USA)

Subject Strength: Political Science, Social Sciences, International Relations
Annual Cost (USD): 75,000
Scholarship: Need-blind + Full-need Aid
What it Covers: Tuition, housing, meals, books
Language of Instruction: English
Admission Rate: 7%
Job Placement: 94% employed or pursuing further study within 6 months
Alumni Network: Global fellowships, NGO & development networks
Global Reputation: Social justice leadership, rigorous intellectual training

University of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson Scholarship (Canada)

Subject Strength: Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences
Annual Cost (USD): 45,000
Scholarship: Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
What it Covers: Full tuition, books, residence, living stipend
Language of Instruction: English
Admission Rate: Highly competitive (Pearson < 3%)
Job Placement: 95% placed in jobs or graduate school within 6 months
Alumni Network: Largest Canadian alumni base, strong tech and research ties
Global Reputation: Top 20 globally in CS and medicine, leading innovation hub

ETH Zurich (Switzerland)

Subject Strength: Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science
Annual Cost (USD): 2,000
Scholarship: Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP)
What it Covers: Tuition + living expenses
Language of Instruction: English (CS only); German in most other programs
Admission Rate: Selective (~27%)
Job Placement: 96% placed in industry or PhD programs within 6 months
Alumni Network: Top European research and tech networks, corporate lab pipelines
Global Reputation: Top 10 worldwide in STEM; Nobel-winning faculty

University of Tokyo – PEAK Program (Japan)

Subject Strength: International Relations, Global Studies
Annual Cost (USD): 5,000
Scholarship: Full Tuition Waiver + Monthly Stipend
What it Covers: Tuition, accommodation, monthly allowance
Language of Instruction: English
Admission Rate: Highly selective
Job Placement: 90% employed or accepted to global graduate programs
Alumni Network: Strong East Asian diplomatic and policy pipelines
Global Reputation: Japan’s highest-ranked university; PEAK is globally focused