Universities in Bulgaria

Disadvantages of Bulgarian universities

• Infrastructure. At a European university, a student often expects to see a comfortable campus, with modern equipment everywhere. Bulgarian educational institutions are nothing of the sort. As a rule, the physical condition of universities in Bulgaria leaves much to be desired. Most of the buildings are old, and the equipment is in desperate need of an upgrade.
• Teaching staff. The profession of a teacher in Bulgaria is not considered prestigious, and the salaries are quite low. Many promising scientists leave the country for greener pastures, such as Germany or the United States. Because of this, at Bulgarian universities, you will not find the strongest representatives of the European academic community. There are also very few invited lecturers from abroad.
• Prestige. In global rankings, Bulgarian universities are not even in the top-500. Local universities are considered rather average abroad. Therefore, when looking for a job, the name will not help a graduate of a Bulgarian university — you will have to rely solely on your own knowledge and experience.

Admission requirements to Bulgarian universities

The numbers in the table are approximate. The information must be checked on the website of the selected educational institution.

Applicants from countries with an 11-year secondary education system can enter the first year of Bachelor’s degree programs without additional entrance exams or any other issues. An exception to this rule is medical faculties: there applicants usually write tests in Biology and Chemistry. The GPA of the certificate/diploma is crucial: to participate in the undergraduate competition, your average score must be at least 62%. For admission to the Master's programs — 72%. Particular attention is paid to scores in the subjects related to the chosen direction.

Depending on the language of instruction, an appropriate language certificate might be required: Standard Test of Bulgarian as a Foreign Language (STBFL) for programs in the local language; IELTS, TOEFL and ESOL — for programs in English; DELF and TestDaF — for German and French, respectively.

For enrollment, you must provide a special certificate from the school proving that the student can study at a university in their home country, as well as a medical certificate.

Universities accept documents by mail until mid-September. The exact deadlines must be checked on the website of the selected educational institution.

Public and private universities in Bulgaria

There are 38 public universities in Bulgaria. Most students and employers consider them to be more prestigious and recognizable^[3]. At the same time, many students note outdated teaching methods, the lack of modern equipment, and the slow introduction of technology into the educational process. Education here is cheaper than in private educational institutions. Prices for foreigners start from 2,260 USD per year, while state-funded seats are offered only to local applicants.

Only state universities offer specialties such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine. Also, state universities are more often chosen by future lawyers, psychologists, teachers, philologists, engineers, and specialists in the field of tourism. Traditionally, the best state university is considered to be St. Clement of Ohridski University.

There are fewer private universities in Bulgaria: as of 2020, there are only 14 of them. The prices here are not much higher compared to public universities, and sometimes they can be lower. For example, at the New Bulgarian University, any Bachelor’s program will cost a student 1,695 USD per year, at Varna University of Management — 2,147 USD per year. The only private institution with a particularly high cost is the American University of Bulgaria (AUBG). The tuition fee there will be 12,450 USD per year. However, there are many scholarship options at AUBG and graduates receive an American diploma.

Most private educational institutions offer specialties related to Management, Business, and Finance. Also, almost 70% of students choose private universities to study theater, cinema, and art theory. Many private universities have established relationships with employers, therefore, according to the ranking of Bulgarian universities, the percentage of graduates in the profession is higher here. However, this figure varies depending on the specialty.

Groups and associations of Bulgarian universities

There are no large university associations within the country, but representatives of higher education in Bulgaria are actively involved in international associations:

• Balkan Association of Universities brings together 79 higher education institutions of the Balkan Peninsula. The goal of the association is to support and enhance the cultural values ​​of the region, as well as to conduct joint scientific research to improve educational methods.
• The Association of Professors of Slavic Countries unites teachers from universities in Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Through joint efforts, the members of the association establish links between leading universities in their countries and conduct research in the field of teaching.
• The Association of International Universities’ Departments includes representatives of more than 30 universities in Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Coordinators of international departments are trying to develop student mobility between universities.