Bulgaria: Quality and affordability boost international enrolments

Affordable diploma recognized across Europe, guaranteed job and high salary prospects. Sounds like the perfect scenario, doesn’t it?

It turns out that for many students from all over the world there is no need to go to Oxford or Harvard to achieve all this anymore. Instead, they can get it all in the small Eastern European country of Bulgaria!

Bulgaria at a glance

Bulgaria sits in the heart of the Balkan peninsula, surrounded by Romania, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. Its population is about 7 million people, of which nearly 1/5 live in the capital city of Sofia. 

Bulgaria is one of Europe’s oldest and most historical countries. On top of its rich history and cultural heritage, it boasts beautiful nature, with breathtaking mountains and numerous beaches along the Black Sea coastline. Add to that really low costs of living, and there is no surprise why Bulgaria is emerging as an attractive destination for increasing numbers of international students. 

Numbers on the rise

According to national statistics, Bulgaria hosts almost 12,000 international students at the tertiary level. They come from over 35 countries, notably from Turkey (nearly 4,000), Greece (over 2,500), and Macedonia (over 500), but also from the UK, Germany, India, France, Switzerland, Russia, Moldova and Ukraine. Nearly half of all international students in Bulgaria enroll study medicine and other health-related programs.

The number of British students has multiplied 4 times since 2015. For the first time in 3 years, there is also noticeable growth in the number of students from Germany. This boom is the result of more and more higher education institutions offering programs taught entirely in English. In addition to English, some Bulgarian institutions also offer programs in Russian.

Affordability, accessibility and good career prospects

Source: EasyUni.com

Tuition costs in Bulgaria can reach up to 8,000 Euros per year. While this may be quite expensive for local standards, it is actually a very affordable investment for international students, especially compared to corresponding costs in their home countries.  Thus, international students represent a welcome source of income for Bulgarian universities whilst obtaining quality education without spending a fortune.

After graduation, students can get employed locally or in their home countries, or in Western Europe where jobs are better paid, or even in the USA.

In addition to medicine and other health-related programs, international students in Bulgaria also study humanities, journalism and business administration. Other top choices include technical programs like IT and programming.

Inbound mobility is on the rise also thanks to over 30 international education cooperation agreements as well as exchange programs such as Erasmus.

Curious to learn more about Bulgaria as a study abroad destination? Stay tuned as next week we will meet you with one of Bulgaria’s top international universities!