Country guide

Study in Bulgaria: universities, tuition fees and admission

Our catalogue has 73 universities and colleges in Bulgaria offering 1,529 undergraduate programmes in 25 cities. 1,359 of the programmes are at public institutions and 170 at private ones.

Universities

73

Programmes

1,529

Cities

25

EU fee / year, public

€460

Non-EU fee / year, public

€3,200

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

How admission works

There is no national application portal: you apply to each university, which runs its own competition within the number of state-funded places approved every year by the Council of Ministers. You need a Bulgarian secondary school diploma with the state matriculation exams (matura) or a recognised foreign equivalent; depending on the university and programme, applicants are ranked by entrance exams set by the university, by matura grades or by a combination with secondary school grades. Universities publish their admission rules before 31 March of each year, so the rules for the autumn 2027 intake appear by 31 March 2027. Citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland are admitted on the same terms as Bulgarians; other foreign applicants are admitted under a separate procedure and pay the fees set for foreign students.

• Selection: entrance exam
• Main exam or platform: Matura (ДЗИ) / university entrance exams

Tuition fees in Bulgaria

At public universities an EU student typically pays €460 a year, and a student from outside the EU €3,200 a year. All amounts are per year in euros; fees charged per credit or per semester are converted to a full year (60 ECTS credits or two semesters).

Where the fee depends on family income, the typical figure is the full fee and the range starts at the lowest one.

Good to know about fees

• България: Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026, and the 2026/27 fees are set in euros. At state universities the annual fee for state-funded places is fixed for each university and field by Council of Ministers Decision No. 438 of 3 June 2026 (on average €545 a year); citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay the same as Bulgarians. State-funded students in priority fields listed by Decree No. 283 of 2021 (for example mathematics, physics, chemistry, nursing and midwifery at many universities) pay no fee, shown here as free; places paid in full by the student (платено обучение) cost more and are not shown. Students from outside the EU pay the foreign-student fees in the same decision (usually €3,000–5,000 a year, up to €10,000 for medicine and dentistry), and private universities set their own fees for everyone.

Language of instruction

Bulgarian: 1,416 programmes; English: 149 programmes; French: 10 programmes; German: 8 programmes; Russian: 5 programmes; Greek: 2 programmes; Arabic: 1 programme; Spanish: 1 programme; Italian: 1 programme; Turkish: 1 programme. See all English-taught programmes in Bulgaria.

Map of universities in Bulgaria

Each dot is a university or college: select it to open its page. The street map is optional and loads images from OpenStreetMap.

Where to study: cities

All 73 universities in Bulgaria by city

What you can study

• Computer Science 127
• Music and Musicology 72
• Mechanical Engineering 70
• Industrial Electronics and Automation 60
• Languages and Literature 60
• Economics 53
• Business Administration 52
• Finance and Accounting 43
• Tourism 37
• Fine Arts 36
• Chemical Engineering 32
• Design 32
• Primary Education Teaching 32
• Nursing 31
• Energy Engineering 31
• Industrial Engineering 30
• Telecommunications Engineering 29
• Electrical Engineering 29
• Performing Arts 27
• Translation and Languages 27
• Marketing 23
• Audiovisual Communication 21
• Chemistry 20
• Civil Engineering 20
• Materials Engineering 19
• Physics 18
• Hospitality and Gastronomy 18
• Public Administration 18
• Naval and Maritime Engineering 18
• Journalism 17
• International Relations 17
• Food Science and Technology 16
• Logistics 16
• Biotechnology 15
• Environmental Sciences 15
• History 14
• Social Work 14
• Physiotherapy 14
• Fashion Design 13
• Pedagogy 13
• Early Childhood Education 13
• Agronomy 12
• Mathematics 12
• Medicine 11
• International Business 11
• English Studies 9
• Mining and Geological Engineering 9
• Law 9
• Social Education 9
• Anthropology 8
• Biology 8
• Advertising and Public Relations 8
• Political Science 8
• Psychology 8
• Aerospace Engineering 7
• Environmental Engineering 7
• Pharmacy 7
• Philosophy 7
• Data Science 6
• Biomedical Engineering 6
• Geography 6
• Geomatics and Surveying 6
• Biomedical Laboratory Science 6
• Sociology 6
• Sport Sciences 5
• Archaeology 5
• Architecture 5
• Geology 5
• Dentistry 5
• Occupational Therapy 5
• Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy 5
• Forestry 4
• Animal Science 4
• Speech Therapy 4
• Optics and Optometry 4
• Building Engineering 4
• Labour Relations and Human Resources 3
• Veterinary Medicine 3
• Human Nutrition and Dietetics 3
• Art History 3
• Multimedia and Video Games 3
• Landscape Architecture 3
• Conservation and Restoration 2
• Biochemistry 2
• Statistics 2
• Biomedical Sciences 1
• Marine Sciences 1

Guides

• How to Get Into a University in Bulgaria as an International Student
• How Much Does It Cost to Study in Bulgaria? Tuition Fees and Living Costs
• Student Visa for Bulgaria: Visa D, Residence Permit and Money to Show
• Document Recognition for Bulgaria: The NACID Certificate for Your School Diploma
• Student Housing in Bulgaria: University Dormitories, Studentski Grad and Private Rent