How Much Does It Cost to Study in Latvia? Tuition Fees and Living Costs
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
In Latvia the price of a degree depends on three things: whether you win a state-funded place, the language of the programme and your citizenship. Fees are moderate by European standards, except in medicine and dentistry.
Who studies for free
Public institutions have state-funded (budget) places, which carry no tuition fee. They go to the best-ranked applicants, mostly in full-time programmes taught in Latvian. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland compete for them on equal terms with Latvians. Citizens of other countries cannot get budget places.
Applicants who do not win a budget place can take a paid place on the same programme. Rīga Stradiņš University also has cheaper co-financed places in some programmes.
What paid places cost
Each institution sets its own fees and publishes them in NIID.lv, the national database of study programmes. In our catalogue, a paid place for Latvian and EU students at a public institution typically costs €3,300 a year, and at a private institution €2,990. A few institutions quote their fees per semester, so read the programme page carefully.
Fees for non-EU students
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland pay the fee the institution sets for international students. In our catalogue:
| Institution | From | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Public | €2,700 | €3,700 |
| Private | €2,800 | €3,900 |
Many programmes taught in Latvian have no published fee for non-EU students; ask the institution. Each programme page on our site shows the fee where the institution publishes it.
Medicine and dentistry
These are the exception. Medicine and dentistry in English cost the same for EU and non-EU students, and the highest fee in our catalogue, €17,310 a year, is for dentistry at the University of Latvia. Rīga Stradiņš University charges €13,500 a year for Medicine and €15,500 for Dentistry in 2026/27, plus a one-off, non-refundable €1,800 registration fee for both programmes. International students there pay tuition per semester, before each semester starts.
One-off fees
Budget for several smaller payments before you start:
- Application fees. The University of Latvia charges €170 to international applicants and Rīga Stradiņš University €100. The joint admission for Latvian school leavers costs €45.
- Recognition of your diploma. The Academic Information Centre charges €54.60 to assess a foreign certificate. See document recognition for Latvia.
- Residence permit. The University of Latvia lists a state fee of €160 for a first permit decided within 30 days, and more for faster processing. See student visa for Latvia.
Scholarships
Scholarships for bachelor's students from abroad are limited. The Latvian State Scholarships, run by the State Education Development Agency, last at most two semesters within a study cycle. Universities also run their own schemes; the University of Latvia, for example, awards €2,000 to students who show proficiency in all three Baltic languages. Read more in scholarships and financial aid in Europe.
Housing
University dormitories are the cheapest option. At the University of Latvia in Rīga, a bed in a shared room costs about €142–€202 a month and a single room €220–€291 from July 2026. Dormitories outside the capital can be cheaper: Daugavpils University charges from €65 a month, before VAT, for a bed in a three-bed room. See student housing in Latvia.
Money to show for the residence permit
Non-EU students must prove they can support themselves. The legal rule is the national minimum monthly wage for each month of stay, which is €780 a month in 2026, and the University of Latvia asks for a bank statement showing at least that amount. Tuition is paid on top of this.
How to keep costs down
- If you are an EU citizen and can study in Latvian, compete for a budget place.
- Compare fees between institutions: the same field can cost much less elsewhere, especially outside Rīga.
- Apply for a dormitory place as soon as you are admitted.
- With a student permit you may work up to 20 hours a week during term and 40 in the holidays, but do not build your budget on it. See working while studying in Europe.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Latvia
- All programmes and cities in Latvia
- Student visa for Latvia
- Document recognition for Latvia
- Student housing in Latvia
- Cheapest countries to study in Europe
Official sources
- NIID.lv: national database of study programmes and fees (State Education Development Agency)
- Rīga Stradiņš University: Tuition fees
- University of Latvia: Visas and residence permits
- Cabinet Regulation No. 225 on foreigners' financial means: likumi.lv, in Latvian
- Minimum wage in 2026 is €780: LV portāls, the official legal information portal, in Latvian
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.