IB Diploma and University Admission in North Macedonia: Scoring

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

North Macedonia has no general rule that sets an IB entry score for all universities. The public universities, however, do mention the international matura in their annual calls, and two of them publish a scoring formula for it. This is more than many countries offer, but the calls leave some questions open, which this guide points out.

What the calls say

Admission to the first cycle is organised by each university through its annual call. The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM) call for 2026/27 says that the right to enrol belongs to candidates who have passed the State Matura, the international matura or the vocational or arts matura. A separate chapter covers candidates with a completed international matura and states that they are enrolled under the same conditions and criteria as candidates with secondary education in North Macedonia. The University of St. Clement of Ohrid in Bitola (UKLO) has a similar rule.

North Macedonia's Eurydice entry also describes the national route as completed secondary education with the results of the State (or International) Matura, and says there is no state entrance exam.

How IB results are turned into points

Both calls use a 100-point scale for most programmes. The secondary-school average counts for 60 points and the matura for 40 points. For the international matura the calls give this formula:

• each grade in the six external subjects is multiplied by 1.2, and the results are added up, for a maximum of 36 points;
• the grade for the matura paper (the graduation topic) is multiplied by 0.8, for a maximum of 4 points;
• together the international matura can bring at most 40 points.

The secondary-school average is calculated by adding all the grades in the school certificates of every year, dividing by the number of grades, and multiplying by a coefficient so that the product is at most 60 points, according to the UKLO call.

Two questions stay open, and we found no official answer to either:

1. The calls do not explain how IB grades on the 1 to 7 scale are converted to the Macedonian scale. The stated maximum of 36 points for six subjects suggests a scale with a top grade of 5, not 7.
2. They do not say which IB component corresponds to the "matura paper".

Ask the faculty's admissions office to calculate an example for your predicted or final grades before you choose between programmes.

Citizens or foreign applicants?

UKIM's chapter on the international matura sits next to a separate chapter for foreign citizens who completed secondary school abroad. Foreign citizens are enrolled outside the quotas, are selected by how well their earlier education fits the programme and by their school grades, apply to the Rectorate by email and enrol in the third round. It is not stated whether a foreign IB student is scored with the 100-point formula or under the foreign-citizen rule. Ask UKIM which applies to you. See how to get into a university in North Macedonia.

Recognition of your IB diploma

Your IB documents must still go through nostrification at the Ministry of Education and Science. The UKLO call asks candidates with a completed international matura for the nostrified certificates, or a copy of the ministry's confirmation that the procedure has started. UKIM asks for the ministry's decision at enrolment. The papers include the original diploma and yearly certificates with an apostille, translated into Macedonian by an authorised court translator. See document recognition for North Macedonia.

Timing with IB results

Check when your IB results are released and compare that date with the university deadlines. The UKIM 2026/27 call gave foreign students until 29 September to apply, with enrolment on 1 October. Because recognition takes several weeks, start the paperwork as soon as the results arrive and ask whether the university accepts a receipt for the started procedure. The IBU and other private universities set their own dates. IBU, for example, had three enrolment periods in 2026/27, from 1 July to 31 August, 2 to 30 September and 13 January to 12 February 2027. Dates change every year.

English-taught programmes

If you are an IB student who has studied in English, an English-taught programme may fit. IBU tests English for all applicants and sends those under 60 out of 100 to a preparatory year. Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in English are taught at UKIM; check the call for the selection method and the number of places for foreigners. See bachelor's degrees in English in North Macedonia.

Where to look next

• IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe
• How much it costs to study in North Macedonia
• Student visa for North Macedonia
• All 488 programmes in North Macedonia

Official sources

• UKIM: call for first-cycle enrolment 2026/27 (in Macedonian)
• University of St. Clement of Ohrid, Bitola: call 2026/27 (in Macedonian)
• International Balkan University: call for enrolment 2026/27
• UKIM: application of foreign students
• Eurydice: bachelor programmes in North Macedonia
• ENIC-NARIC: North Macedonia

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