How Much Does It Cost to Study in Romania? Tuition Fees and Living Costs
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Romania is one of the cheaper countries in the EU to study in. What you pay depends on three things: whether you win a state-funded place, whether the university is public or private, and your citizenship. The currency is the Romanian leu (RON); in this guide euro amounts use the rate of 19 October 2026, 1 EUR = 5.33 RON.
Who studies for free
Public universities have state-funded (budget) places, set each year by the government. They carry no tuition fee and go to the best-ranked applicants in each programme. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland compete for them on equal terms with Romanians. According to Study in Romania, you can hold a state-funded place only once in each cycle of study.
Applicants who do not win a budget place can take a paid place on the same programme. Private universities charge all their students.
Paid places for Romanian and EU students
Each university's senate sets the fee, usually in lei per year. In our catalogue, a paid place at a public university typically costs €845 a year, and at a private university €1,126. Fees are higher in medicine and dentistry, and often in programmes taught in English.
Fees for non-EU students
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland study on paid places, with fees in foreign currency, usually euro, set by each university. In our catalogue:
| Institution | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Public | €2,700 | €10,000 |
| Private | €4,050 | €16,500 |
The upper ends are medicine and dentistry. Some universities quote non-EU fees per month; ask how many months a year you pay. Many programmes taught in Romanian or Hungarian have no published non-EU fee, so ask the university. Each programme page on our site shows the fee where the university publishes it.
You must pay at least the first year before you apply for the visa: proof of payment for one year of study is one of the visa documents.
Medicine and programmes in English
For English-taught programmes our catalogue shows a typical non-EU fee of €3,000 a year. Medicine and dentistry in English cost much more, often the same for EU and non-EU students. At public universities of medicine the fee reaches €10,000 a year, and the highest fee we list, €16,500, is at a private university. See how to get into a university in Romania.
The preparatory year
If you are a non-EU student and want a programme taught in Romanian without a B1 certificate, you first take the Romanian preparatory year. It is a paid year of its own, with a fee set by the university, so it adds a year of tuition and living costs to your plan.
One-off fees
- Application fees. Universities usually charge an admission fee, set by each one; check the admission rules.
- Diploma recognition for EU applicants. The national recognition centre, CNRED, charges 100 lei (about €19) to assess a school-leaving certificate when a university asks for it. See document recognition for Romania.
- Visa. The General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) gives the long-stay visa fee as €300, paid where you apply. The residence permit has its own fees. See student visa for Romania.
Housing
University dormitories (cămine) are by far the cheapest option. At Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, a bed for 2026/27 costs 158–268 lei a month (about €30–€50) for Romanian and EU students and 398–572 lei (about €75–€107) for self-funded non-EU students. At the University of Bacău, foreign students pay 375–585 lei (about €70–€110). Places are limited, and private rent costs several times more. See student housing in Romania.
Money to show for the visa and permit
Non-EU students must prove means of support of at least the national gross minimum wage per month. From 1 July 2026 that is 4,325 lei (about €812) a month.
- For the visa: this amount for each month the visa covers.
- For the residence permit: this amount for at least six months, 25,950 lei (about €4,870).
Tuition is paid on top. Holders of Romanian state scholarships do not need to show these means.
How to keep costs down
- If you are an EU citizen, compete for a budget place, which is free.
- Compare fees between universities: the same field can cost much less elsewhere.
- Apply for a dormitory place as soon as you are admitted.
- Look at Romanian government scholarships for non-EU students and university schemes: see scholarships and student jobs in Romania.
- With a student residence permit you may work part-time, up to six hours a day, but do not build your budget on it.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Romania
- All programmes and cities in Romania
- Student visa for Romania
- Document recognition for Romania
- Student housing in Romania
- Cheapest countries to study in Europe
Official sources
- Higher Education Law 199/2023: budget and paid places (Portal Legislativ, in Romanian)
- Study in Romania: Admission procedures: Ministry of Education portal
- IGI: Studies: visa and residence permit requirements
- Government Decision 146/2026: minimum gross wage from 1 July 2026 (in Romanian)
- Babeș-Bolyai University: accommodation fees: 2026/27 (in Romanian)
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.