Universities in Estonia

Disadvantages of Estonian universities

• Lack of control. For those who are accustomed to strict supervision by teachers, it will be difficult to adjust to studying in an Estonian university. It is not customary there to monitor attendance, constantly check homework, and reward for good grades. The teacher's task is to give material. The student must work with it independently. Developing self-discipline is absolutely necessary.
• Low English proficiency of teachers. The share of foreigners among university professors rarely exceeds 10%, so English courses are usually taught by non-native speakers. Their level is not always sufficient for a high quality of teaching. In addition, not all teaching materials are properly adapted into English: sometimes students have to search for translations of Estonian-language articles on their own.
• Campuses. Many expect to see proper campuses when they enter a foreign university, where everything from dormitories to libraries is located in the same area. This is not common in Estonian universities. Many of them have modern educational buildings, but they are often scattered across the city. However, cities in Estonia are small, so walking between buildings will not take much time.

Admission requirements to Estonian universities

The data in the table is approximate and for informational purposes only. The exact information must be checked on the website of the desired educational institution.

You can apply to Estonian universities after high school. The admission committee looks at the GPA in the certificate and the results of the language exam. Many universities also have entrance exams.

Applications are submitted once a year: from April to July, depending on the university and the applicant's citizenship. The application is submitted online to all selected establishments at once using the Dream Apply system. Then you need to pass a video interview or a specialty-oriented online test. If you succeed, the university will ask you to send certified paper copies of the required documents and their translations into English or Estonian via mail.

Higher education can be obtained in English with IELTS of 5.5 or a TOEFL of 72. To study in Estonian, you must pass the Eesti keele tasemeeksam exam at level B1. The test is free and is held 4 times a year in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, and Tartu.

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Estonian public and private universities

• Public universities in Estonia are considered the most prestigious. There are 12 of them in the country. Thanks to the support of the government, there are some state-funded seats, as well as free doctoral programs for everyone. In state universities, most specialties are taught in Estonian and English. Among them, there are world-famous institutions, for example, the University of Tartu, founded in 1632. It is the oldest university in the territory of the former USSR.
• Private universities in Estonia are inferior to public ones in terms of numbers and popularity. In a country with such a small population, many of them fail to compete and either shut down or become part of larger public universities. As of 2020, there are two most successful private institutions in Estonia. Here you can get higher education in business, management, and IT: Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences is famous for its IT program, and at Estonian Business School you can get an MBA degree for 5,476 USD per year.

Groups and associations of Estonian universities

There are no national university associations per se in the country, but university representatives are actively involved in the activities of academic and scientific communities:

1. Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia (Estonian Academy of Sciences) is an association of the country's leading scientists, established in 1938. Among the members of the Academy are researchers and professors from all major universities in Estonia. The main mission of the association is to promote Estonian science internally and internationally;
2. Rektorite Nõukogu (Rectors' Union) is a non-profit association whose purpose is to promote the development of Estonian education, science and culture. The union considers higher education to be the main prerequisite for the betterment of Estonia, therefore improving its quality and competitiveness is a priority for the members of the association.

Estonian universities are also members of international associations. Estonian University of Life Sciences and University of Tartu are part of the Baltic Sea Region Network. The association promotes the partnerships between the universities-members of the association, the increase in the mobility of students and teachers, the exchange of experience and ideas.

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