Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The number of foreign students in Bulgaria has doubled over the past decade

Photo: bntnews.bg

In 2024, Bulgaria has 15,737 foreign students, making up 8.6% of all current students in the country. By comparison, this share has doubled over the past decade. This data comes from NACID , updated annually in the Bulgarian University Ranking System, Open Society writes in an analysis. In 2024, almost 9,000 foreign students come from countries outside the European Union (EU), while nearly 7,000 are from EU member countries.

The majority of foreign students come from Greece (20%), followed by the United Kingdom (14%) and Ukraine (11%) in third place. Medicine and dental medicine are the fields preferred by foreign students.

The cities in Bulgaria with the highest number of foreign students largely mirror those with the most students overall, namely Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna. However, due to the strong preference of foreign students for medical majors, the next cities on the list are Stara Zagora and Pleven, where there are medical universities. Another city with a significant number of foreign students is Blagoevgrad, home to the American University and the College of Tourism, the analysis reads



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

“Creator of the Year” recognizes Bulgaria’s most talented artisans

On November 8 in Hall 11 of the National Palace of Culture, Bulgaria’s best masters and artisans  will be awarded for the third time. The founder and driving force behind the “Creator of the Year” initiative is Nikolay Traykov, who visited “Radio..

published on 11/4/25 2:28 PM

Phenomena STEAM Museum opens in Sofia

Sofia has a new spot for curious minds. Phenomena is a museum where science and art come together — a place to experiment, discover, and get hands-on with the wonders of how the world works. Rooted in the spirit of STEAM education — that’s Science,..

published on 11/2/25 11:05 AM

A politician, diplomats and military figures: the heroes of Sofia's new museum.

‘In my view, the period between Bulgaria’s liberation and 1944 was especially significant because I believe that the country was then on the right developmental path,’ says collector Filip Milanov. ‘That era produced many people of exceptional integrity..

published on 11/2/25 10:15 AM