IB Diploma and University Admission in Kosovo: Recognition and Matura

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

We found no official rule in Kosovo that deals with the IB Diploma. No admission page we could open mentions the IB, and we found no published IB conversion table. The IB is therefore handled like any other foreign school-leaving qualification: it must be recognised in Kosovo, and then each university applies its own admission rules. This guide is short because the confirmed facts are few.

Recognition by the ministry

Applicants with a secondary education from abroad need a recognition decision from the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) before they apply. UBT says so for international applicants. The University of Mitrovica describes a certificate-decision from MESTI-NARIC Kosovo for non-Kosovar candidates that covers:

• recognition and equivalence of your diploma;
• equivalence of grades and overall school success;
• equivalence of the Matura exam;
• confirmation that you meet the conditions of the competition.

So your IB results are not matched to a Kosovo score by a fixed national formula that we could find. The ministry's decision tells the university where you stand. Ask MESTI what documents it wants for an IB Diploma (the diploma certificate, the subject results, the school's own transcript), and whether your school must be on its list of recognised schools. See document recognition for Kosovo.

The Matura and the IB

Kosovo students finish school with the State Matura exam. The University of Gjakova ranks applicants with a Matura on 100 points: up to 30 for school grades, 30 for the Matura and 40 for its entry exam. Applicants without a Matura get up to 30 for school grades and up to 70 for the entry exam. A draft Law on the State Matura Exam, approved by the government on 3 April 2026, would also let candidates who finished secondary school abroad take the exam. It is a draft, so check whether it has passed.

RIT Kosovo, which teaches in English, says a pass in the Matura is needed for enrolment, and that its admission decision relies on its own tests: TOEFL, IELTS, SAT or ACT, and a math exam. Its admissions page does not mention the IB, A-levels or other foreign diplomas, so write to its admissions office to ask how it treats an IB Diploma and whether the Matura applies to you.

What to ask each university

1. Does the university accept the IB Diploma with the ministry's recognition decision?
2. Do you have to sit the entry exam, and in what language?
3. Does a Matura equivalence count in the ranking, and how many points does it give?
4. Which IB subjects does the programme want?
5. For English-taught programmes, does an IB English grade replace a TOEFL or IELTS score?

Timing with IB results

May-session IB results come out in early July. UBT says its bachelor's calls usually open after the State Matura, in June or July, so ask for recognition as soon as your results are final.

Where to look next

• IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe
• How to get into a university in Kosovo
• Bachelor's degrees in English in Kosovo
• All programmes in Kosovo

Official sources

• University of Mitrovica: international students
• University of Gjakova: enrolment rules (in Albanian)
• UBT: admission requirements
• RIT Kosovo: admissions
• Draft Law on the State Matura Exam
• Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI)

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.