More Foreign Students Choose Bulgarian Universities
The number of foreign students enrolling in Bulgarian universities continues to rise, according to new data from the Ministry of Education and Science. For the 2024/2025 academic year, 16,995 international students are studying in Bulgaria — an increase of nearly 4.8% compared to last year, CE Report quotes BTA
Students are drawn by not only affordable tuition, but also the improving quality and growing prestige of Bulgarian higher education. Most foreign students come from Greece, the UK, Ukraine, Germany, and Italy, with medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, tourism, and veterinary science among the most sought-after fields.
Top destinations include the Medical Universities of Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna; Sofia University; and Trakia University. The highest concentrations of foreign students are in Sofia, Varna, Blagoevgrad, Burgas, and Plovdiv.
Some universities host thousands of international students. For instance, the Medical University in Sofia has around 3,500 students from 72 countries, while Plovdiv and Varna medical schools each host over 2,000. Technical, economic, and arts universities across the country also report strong interest from abroad.
This upward trend highlights Bulgaria’s growing role as a regional hub for international education.
