Study in Ethiopia

With a high pace booming economy and more opportunities for growth studying in Ethiopia is an ideal consideration. The iconic African country stands with opportunities for students seeking to pursue new frontiers and challenges outside the norm.

With the choice of attending a university, technical college, or technological institution, this country offers a wide array of educational opportunities for students who have completed their secondary education.

Ethiopia is known for its very friendly people and harmonious cultural cohesion, it is the ideal place for students seeking a warm vibrant, and diverse place to study.

Institutions in the country offer a wide range of programs, from certificates, diplomas, undergraduate degrees, and postgraduate programs leading up to Ph.D. degrees.

Locally, admission into a higher learning institute for undergraduate studies are generally based on the Ethiopian University Entrance Examination (EUEE) which is a highly selective and rigorous process, given the demand of university placements.

With each academic year, the Ministry of Education and the Higher Institutes of Education are responsible for setting grade requirements for different programs based on the number of available seats, meaning that entry requirements for programs vary from year to year.

With the government’s objective over the recent years to drive the education system into a Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) approach, the former is steering students into science-related programs (70% of the students get enrolled into those fields).

Cut-off grades for admission into the government’s 30+ public universities are higher than for private institutions as the government seeks to enroll the best students available.

Until the early 1990s, Ethiopia did not have private-owned higher learning institutions. However, the demand to feed the education system in the country has seen 61 private institutions accredited.

English is the sole medium of instruction at secondary and higher education level. Amharic is Ethiopia’s official local language and the dominant language in major cities, government agencies, and the media, however, each region has their own language of communication alongside English.

Universities have two semesters of an avarage16 weeks each. However it is important to note the country’s calendar when studying in Ethiopia as it does not coincide with the Gregorian calendar. This fascinating fact is helpful when reviewing academic documents and other important issues.

Ethiopia is a fast developing country and that has caused its university programming to focus on value-adding programs for both the local and international and international markets. If you are looking for a place to study, Ethiopia might be your ideal destination.

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About Ethiopia

Ethiopia, formally known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a country located in the North Eastern part of the African continent right about at the horn of Africa.

It is a landlocked country bordered by Sudan on the west, Eritrea and Djibouti on the northeast, Somalia on the east and southeast, and Kenya on the south. Since 1963, the capital city Addis Ababa has been the headquarters to the continental body African Union (AU), formerly known as Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU).

Other cities and towns include Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Nazret, Harer, Mekele, Jima, Dese, Bahir Dar, and Debre Zeyit amongst others

Historically Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world and the oldest independent country in Sub Saharan Africa in the world. The country prides in being the only African country never to be colonized.

The earliest evidence of Ethiopian history can be traced as far as around 1000 BC, when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon. It is also believed that Ethiopia may be the cradle of mankind as fossils of the oldest living mankind “Lucy” were discovered in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is the second most populous African country after Nigeria, with a growing population of 114+ million people. It is an ethnically diverse country with over 80 ethnic groups.

The bigger ethnic groups are; Oromo 34.4%, Amhara 27% & Tigray 6.1%, and Somali 6.2 %, with others covering 27.3% of the population. Amharic is considered as the official language of Ethiopia; however, this culturally rich country has 83 spoken languages, with 200+ dialects.

However, the major languages regularly spoken in the streets are Amheric, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, and English, the major foreign language taught in schools. Ethiopia has a population growth rate of 2.6% with a life expectancy 67.81years and a median age of 19.5years.

Ethiopia is a platform for many different religions, beliefs, and practices from time in memorial. The major religions in Ethiopia are Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9% Protestant 18.5.

The other religions present in Ethiopia are traditional religion and Judaism. With the diversity and cultural wealth of this country, it comes as no surprise that these sects harmoniously co-exist with very little hostility towards one another if any at all.

Ethiopia is a country of bestowed with great geographic diversity of high and rocky mountains, plateaus, deep gorges carved by river valleys, rolling plains lakes and wildlife.

Ethiopia has four major seasons: summer ‘Kiremet’ (June – August); autumn ‘Tibe’ (September – November); winter ‘Bega’ (December – February) and spring ‘Belg’ (March – May).

Another unique and interesting fact about Ethiopia is that the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months a year. Each month has 30 days each, except for the 13th known as ‘the Pagumen’ (which means ‘additional’ in Greek). As of this year, 2020, the Ethiopian calendar is eight years behind and indicates it is 2012. Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar.

About Ethiopia Economy

With a population of over 114+ million people, Ethiopia is definitely a market to target for investors looking at a growing economy.

Ethiopia has the fastest growing economy in Africa, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates averaging 10 percent over the past decade. This is because Ethiopia has moved to a market economy, encouraging foreign investment and reforming land tenure.

Ethiopia’s economy is projected to grow by at least 7-9% in 2020 from the previous year and the government continues to commit to Foreign Direct Investment.

According to the World Economic Forum, Ethiopia is ranked 57th for its conducive macroeconomic environment, which, is higher than its regional peers (Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa).

One of the noticeable facts about Ethiopia is that in recent years, construction has been booming, an impressive indication that the economy is rapidly growing and urbanization is fast-tracking.

One of the most noticeable projects is the construction of Africa’s largest hydroelectric power dam on the Nile River.

Technology and knowledge-based commerce has the potential to thrive, due to the cost advantages and the availability of human capital in the country. Human capital is fast becoming a key economy-boosting asset for countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia.

In a world where the service industry comprises of 65% of global GDP, Ethiopia has an impressive stake in this. The country has also seen its education sector boom over the last 15 years with over 36 institutions currently, from 8 in 2005.

Ethiopia’s GDP is US $94 billion with agriculture being the main contributor to the economy (40%). Agriculture thrives because of its vast areas of fertile land, the conducive climate, generally adequate rainfall and large labor supplies.

Some of the export materials are coffee, animal skins and hides, chat, flowers, pulses, and vegetables. Most of Ethiopia’s markets are to Europe, USA and Japan, with most of their imports coming from there as well.

Coffee is an important natural resource in the country and it is believed to have been discovered in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia. The beans are grown naturally on farms and are exported to various parts of the world.

The manufacturing sector continues to improve in line with the country’s economic expansion. This is due to Ethiopia’s geographical location which gives it strategic dominance over other African countries in terms of accessing the Middle East, and European markets.

Ethiopia is progressively becoming an important terminal for manufacturing, especially in the ready-made garment sector.

Ethiopia is one of the migrant-sending counties in the world and therefore partly relies on remittances from Ethiopians out of the country. The official currency of Ethiopia is the Ethiopian Birr (1 Birr = 100 Cents) with US$1 being equivalent to 34.2 Birr. 

Why Study in Ethiopia

Affordable Tuition Fees in Ethiopia
Education Rapid Grown
The education sector in Ethiopia has rapidly grown in the past 3 decades, there is no doubt that Ethiopia is fast catching up with the international world. Ethiopia’s higher education ecosystem is bound to expand in the years ahead, driven by factors rising income levels, population growth, and surging enrolments.
Affordable Accomodation in Ethiopia
Attracting International Students
The number of international students is low in Ethiopia; therefore the Ethiopian government is keen on attracting International students through incentivized studies. A good example of this is that the World Bank incentivizes students from Sub-Saharan to study at institutions like Addis Abba University
International Environment in Ethiopia
Cost of Living

Affordability is synonymous with a student and it makes much sense when you are an international student. Ethiopia is more affordable when compared to other African countries.

In Ethiopia, the sole language of instruction at tertiary institutions is English, therefore this eases chances of a language barrier as lectures, study materials, and exams are carried out in English at undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.

Great Weather in Ethiopia
Friendly Country

Ethiopia is one of the friendliest countries you can live in. Not only are the people friendly but it is also one of the safest countries in Africa. There is rarity in serious crimes and very little petty crimes especially in areas outside the capital city of Addis Ababa, which makes it a conducive environment for students studying in a foreign land.

The cultural richness and of Ethiopia guarantees students not only a University degree but also social exposure to a plethora of diverse life experiences one cannot get anywhere else in the world.

Scholarships

Are you looking at studying in Ethiopia, but you are worried about having insufficient funds to complete your studies? Well, worry no more. International students studying in Ethiopia are eligible to apply for scholarships accessible worldwide.

There are a number of international scholarships that International students can apply for to study in Ethiopia if they cannot individually fund their studies ranging from Masters, Undergraduate, Ph.D. programs.

At the moment Ethiopian Universities do not grant scholarships or any financial aid schemes for international students as they are expected to source financial means of funding their respective studies in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Student Visa

If you are planning on studying in Ethiopia, it is essential to know of the country’s visa requirement s specific to your home country. An applicant must have been admitted in a recognized educational institution in the country for them to start the visa application.

All foreign students are required to secure resident permits for the period of their stay in the country. The RocApply team is always happy to help you with this process. It is also important to visit the Ethiopian Embassy for your visa application inquiry before leaving your home country.