Universities in Bulgaria for International Students: Which to Choose, Language and Fees

A student from outside the EU can apply to Bulgarian public universities, dedicated medical universities and a handful of private institutions. Language usually decides the shortlist: the bulk of degree teaching is in Bulgarian, so without it your realistic options are English-taught medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, around ten English programmes at Sofia University, and the private AUBG and NBU. For the 2026/27 academic year, published fees for non-EU students start at $3,750 (€3,300) a year at Sofia University and reach $15,670 (€13,800) at the American University in Bulgaria.

This guide covers the types of institution, named universities with their official fees, how to check accreditation, and a goal-by-goal shortlist. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, so universities now publish fees in euros; older lev amounts convert at the fixed rate of 1.95583. For a general overview, see studying in Bulgaria.

Types of higher education institutions in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Higher Education Act recognises three kinds of institution, and the type determines which degrees they may award.

Private institutions exist in every category. The two best known among international students are the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) in Blagoevgrad and New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia. Being private is neither a quality mark nor a warning sign; accreditation and the specific programme matter more.

What Bulgarian universities charge international students

Annual fees for citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA. Public universities set them by rector's order under a Council of Ministers decision (for 2026/27, Decision No. 438 of 3 June 2026); private universities set their own.

Three things stand out:

• The same subject is priced differently at different institutions. For 2026/27, medicine at Sofia University costs $2,210 (€1,950) a year less than at MU-Sofia.
• At medical universities the English track costs the same as the Bulgarian one or more. MU-Sofia charges $7,440 (€6,550) for dentistry in Bulgarian and $11,360 (€10,000) in English.
• Non-EU fees are many times higher than what state-funded Bulgarian and EU students pay. At Sofia University a state-funded medical student pays $550 (€480) a year; a fee-paying non-EU student pays $9,080 (€8,000). Who qualifies for the Bulgarian rate: see free education in Bulgaria.

Tuition is only part of the budget. For the full first-year and whole-degree picture, see the cost of studying in Bulgaria.

Sofia University: the widest choice, mostly in Bulgarian

Bulgaria's oldest university, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, also offers the widest range of subjects. QS placed it in the 751–760 band for 2027.

Its 2026/27 fee order marks these programmes as taught in English or a foreign language: international trade and investment; accounting, finance and digital applications; media pedagogy and artistic communication; African studies; philosophy; nuclear and particle physics; quantum physics and nuclear and particle physics; informatics in a foreign language; medicine; and pharmacy — ten programmes in all. Climate Change and Management appears with an English title, so confirm its teaching language with admissions. The international admissions page also lists European Union and European Integration as taught in English. Everything else is taught in Bulgarian. For those programmes the university runs a preparatory language course priced at $3,970 (€3,500) for 2026/27, and half of it is due before the enrolment certificate for the course is issued.

See our full Sofia University profile.

Medical universities: the main reason students choose Bulgaria

English-taught medicine, dentistry and pharmacy are offered by MU-Sofia, MU-Plovdiv, MU-Varna and MU-Pleven, and medical faculties also operate at Sofia University and Trakia University in Stara Zagora. The programmes are integrated: medicine and dentistry take six years, pharmacy five, and graduates receive a master's degree.

Entrance tests in biology and chemistry, plus an English check, set medicine apart. MU-Plovdiv and MU-Sofia calculate the competition score the same way: three times the biology mark plus three times the chemistry mark plus the English mark, for a maximum of 42. Cut-offs move a lot within one cycle: MU-Plovdiv's lowest admitted score for medicine was 39.12 in April 2026 and 25.89 in late September. Exam dates, preparation and a school-by-school comparison are in our guide to medicine in Bulgaria, with profiles of MU-Sofia and MU-Varna.

Private universities: AUBG and NBU

These two are worth a look if you want a non-medical degree taught in English.

• AUBG (Blagoevgrad) follows the American liberal arts model and teaches entirely in English. For 2026/27 it lists tuition of $15,670 (€13,800) before financial aid, campus housing from $2,100 (€1,850) per academic year, a $730 (€640) student activity fee and a $100 (€90) health insurance fee. AUBG decides financial aid itself, so only its individual offer shows your real price.
• NBU (Sofia) is a private university that charges per semester. For non-EU students it lists $5,920–7,660 (€5,215–6,749) a year and states that the fee stays the same for the whole course. The admissions office confirms the exact figure for each programme.

How to check that a university and programme are accredited

It takes half an hour, and skipping it can cost a year of study plus fees already paid.

1. The institution is in the Register of Higher Education Institutions. NACID, the National Centre for Information and Documentation under the Ministry of Education and Science, maintains it. It lists faculties, branches, accredited fields and programmes, and the accreditation grade and term.
2. The programme you want is open at that university in that language. The fee order for foreign students names programmes one by one. If the order has no English version of a programme, there is probably no fee-paying English intake that year; confirm by email with admissions.
3. The university can issue the certificate for a D visa. For non-EU applicants this is an electronic Ministry of Education certificate that the university requests through the NACID system after approving you. Without it the consulate will not issue a study visa; see our Bulgaria student visa guide.

Which university fits which goal

Language: English, Bulgarian or a preparatory year

For Bulgarian-taught programmes, universities test your Bulgarian or send you to a preparatory year. Prices for 2026/27:

At medical universities the preparatory year is more than language training. MU-Plovdiv's course covers biology, chemistry, physics and Latin, and students who complete it may continue straight into the programme they listed first.

English-taught programmes skip the preparatory year but expect strong English and, for medicine, entrance tests. MU-Varna, for instance, accepts IELTS Academic 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 90.

Cities: where to study

• Sofia: the capital and the most expensive city, home to SU, MU-Sofia, the Technical University and NBU.
• Plovdiv: the second-largest city, with the Medical University and Plovdiv University.
• Varna: on the Black Sea coast, with the Medical University. MU-Varna estimates private rent for a room or flat at 500–700 leva a month, or $290–410 (€256–358) at the fixed rate.
• Pleven: a small northern city. Its Medical University puts minimum living costs at $570 (€500) a month.
• Blagoevgrad: in the south-west, home to AUBG and South-West University.

The European Commission estimates student living costs in Bulgaria at $570–1,020 (€500–900) a month, covering housing, food, transport and personal spending.

Common mistakes when choosing a university

• Ranking before language. A high ranking is useless if your subject is only taught in Bulgarian.
• Comparing "from" prices. Sofia University starts at $3,750 (€3,300), but sciences and medicine cost 1.3 to 2.4 times more.
• Forgetting the preparatory year, which adds a year of fees and living costs.
• Relying on old lev figures. If a university document still shows leva, divide by 1.95583.
• Applying through an agent the university does not recognise. For 2026/27 MU-Sofia says plainly that no private company recruits on its behalf and that nobody is authorised to represent it.

FAQ

Sources

• Sofia University: annual fees 2026/27, orders RD-19-297 of 8 July 2026 (non-EU students), RD-19-296 of 8 July 2026 (preparatory course) and RD-19-276 of 15 June 2026 (state-funded places); checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Sofia: admission of foreign citizens and fees 2026/27; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Varna: fees 2026/27, non-EU requirements and accommodation; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Plovdiv: English programmes, fees and cut-off scores 2026/27; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Pleven: fees and living costs 2026/27; checked 29 Sept 2026
• AUBG: cost of attendance 2026/27 (PDF) and NBU: fees for international students; checked 29 Sept 2026
• NACID: Register of Higher Education Institutions and D-visa certificate register; checked 29 Sept 2026
• QS: Sofia University, 2027 ranking; checked 29 Sept 2026
• European Commission: Bulgaria and the euro, Study in Europe: Bulgaria, automatic recognition of medical training; checked 29 Sept 2026
• ECB rate of 29.09.2026: €1 = $1.1355. Rounding step: $1 below $100, otherwise $10.

University shortlisting, requirement checks and document preparation are provided under an agreement with StudyU; the university makes the admission decision and the Bulgarian consulate decides on the visa.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.