Bachelor's Degrees in English in Bulgaria: Programmes, Cities and Fees
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Most degrees in Bulgaria are taught in Bulgarian, but English-taught programmes are a real option, especially in engineering, computing, business and medicine. Our catalogue lists 154 programmes taught in English out of 1,534 full-time bachelor's and integrated master's programmes in the country.
Where the programmes are
Sofia has almost half of them and Varna about a quarter. Smaller groups are in Blagoevgrad and Plovdiv, with a few in Svishtov, Veliko Tarnovo, Pernik, Ruse, Burgas, Sliven and Shumen.
The institutions with the most English-taught programmes in our catalogue are:
- in Sofia: the University of Telecommunications and Post, the Technical University of Sofia, New Bulgarian University (private), Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and the University of National and World Economy;
- in Varna: the Technical University of Varna, Varna University of Management (private) and Varna Free University (private);
- in Blagoevgrad: South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and the American University in Bulgaria (private);
- in Plovdiv: the University of Food Technologies.
Which fields
Engineering and computing make up the largest group: aerospace, electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering at the Technical University of Sofia, telecommunications and cybersecurity at the University of Telecommunications and Post, electronics and robotics in Varna. Business and economics come next, with business administration, finance, international business and economics in Sofia, Varna and Svishtov. There are also many language and humanities programmes, such as English philology and applied linguistics, which are usually taught in English together with another language. Smaller groups cover social sciences, hospitality and tourism, natural sciences, and the health fields.
Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
These are integrated master's programmes that you enter straight from school, and they are the best-known English-taught degrees in Bulgaria. In our catalogue, medicine in English is listed at the Medical University of Sofia, the Medical University of Varna, the Medical University of Plovdiv and Burgas State University. Dentistry in English is listed in Sofia and Varna, and pharmacy in English in Sofia.
Two English-taught medicine programmes appear in our catalogue only as Bulgarian-taught, because the national register we draw on lists each of them only once, as a Bulgarian-taught programme:
- Sofia University, Faculty of Medicine: its own page lists Medicine in English, six years, with an annual fee of €8,000 for 2026/27. Applications ran from 10 August to 4 September 2026, with a test in biology and chemistry in English.
- Medical University of Pleven: Medicine in English costs €9,000 a year for 2026/27. It admits students in February; applications for February 2027 run from 1 June to 1 October 2026.
Check these two on the universities' own pages, linked below. For the wider picture, see studying medicine in English in Europe.
What it costs
At state universities the government sets the fees. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland pay what Bulgarians pay; students from other countries pay higher fees set for foreign students.
| English-taught programmes in our catalogue | EU, EEA and Swiss students | Non-EU students |
|---|---|---|
| Typical annual fee | €550 | €3,720 |
| Highest | €13,800 | €13,800 |
- The lowest EU fee is €0: state-funded places in some priority fields, such as physics and chemistry at Sofia University, are free.
- The highest fee is at the American University in Bulgaria, a private university that charges everyone the same, per semester.
- Medicine and dentistry in English cost non-EU students about €8,000 to €10,000 a year, depending on the university.
Fees at private universities are usually the same for everyone. Details are in how much it costs to study in Bulgaria.
How to apply
There is no national portal. You apply to each university, and each runs its own admission. Non-EU students apply as foreign students, need a NACID certificate recognising their school diploma, and then a long-stay visa D. Medical universities hold entrance exams in biology and chemistry, often online and on several dates. See how to get into a university in Bulgaria and document recognition for Bulgaria.
English requirements
Each university sets its own. Some run their own English test; others accept certificates or an English-medium school diploma. For example, the Medical University of Varna accepts IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 90 or PTE Academic 61 for its English-taught medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, or its own test. See IELTS and TOEFL for European universities.
Do you need Bulgarian?
Not for the programme itself, but it helps outside it. Life outside the university, most part-time jobs and contact with patients in teaching hospitals are in Bulgarian. If you plan to study medicine, ask the university how Bulgarian is taught as part of the course. Students who later want a Bulgarian-taught programme usually take a preparatory year of Bulgarian first.
Where to look next
- All English-taught programmes in Bulgaria
- How to get into a university in Bulgaria
- How much it costs to study in Bulgaria
- Student visa for Bulgaria
- Student housing in Bulgaria
Official sources
- Sofia University: Medicine in English
- Medical University of Pleven: fees for Medicine in English and requirements
- Medical University of Varna: how to apply (non-EU)
- Council of Ministers Decision No. 438 of 3 June 2026: fees at state universities for 2026/27 (in Bulgarian)
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.