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The number of foreign students studying in Bulgaria is growing for yet another year

Graduation ceremony of young doctors at the Medical University of Sofia
Photo: BTA

In the academic year 2024/2025, the number of foreign students at Bulgarian universities increased by 4.8%. 16,995 students in the country are foreigners, which is an increase of 779 people. This is clear from data received from higher education institutions, following a request by BTA.

Foreign students in Bulgaria prefer to study at the Medical Universities in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Pleven, as well as at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

The largest number of foreign students in Bulgaria arrive from Greece - 3,277, from Great Britain - 2,235 and from Ukraine - 2,151, and the most preferred professional fields are medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, tourism and veterinary medicine. The majority of foreign students are concentrated in Sofia, Varna, Blagoevgrad, Burgas and Plovdiv.

The Medical University in Sofia has 3,470 foreign students, of whom 2,116 are EU citizens, and the preferred majors are “Medicine” and “Dental Medicine”. The Medical University of Plovdiv has 2,577 foreign students, and the Medical University of Varna has about 2,000 foreign students, half of whom are from Germany.

The Medical University in Pleven is impressive, where 1,360 foreign students study “Medicine”. The largest share is from Italy – 600, followed by India – 272, as well as 32 students from Japan and 30 from Pakistan. The Medical University in Pleven is the only university in Bulgaria that provides training for foreign citizens in the specialty “Nursing”.

For the academic year 2024/2025, the number of foreign students studying at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is 1,394. The largest number of foreign students is studying at the Faculty of Medicine of Sofia University - 386. 

The Technical University in Sofia has 993 foreign students, and the University of National and World Economy - 403. In one of the most expensive universities in Bulgaria - NBU, there are 366 foreign students. The University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy has 152 students, mostly from non-EU countries.

318 foreign students are studying at the National Academy of Music "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov". About 600 foreign students from different countries are studying at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" in Blagoevgrad.


Edited by Ivo Ivanov
English publication: R. Petkova

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