Higher Education in Bulgaria: 190,000 Students, Rising Foreign Enrollment and Major Performance Gaps

Education | December 8, 2025, Monday // 11:52|  views

Around 190,000 students are currently enrolled in Bulgaria’s 51 higher education institutions, 38 of which are public universities and the rest private. The data was presented to BTA by Georgi Stoychev, Executive Director of the Open Society Institute and head of the team that prepares Bulgaria’s annual Higher Education Ranking System for the Ministry of Education and Science.

Compared to last year, the number of students has increased slightly. A decade ago, over 200,000 students studied in Bulgaria, but due to demographic trends the number declined to today’s 190,000, Stoychev explained.

Birth rates in the country rose until 2008–2009 and then fell sharply. According to Stoychev, the number of university students is expected to increase slightly until 2028 due to a demographic “bonus” from those born between 2002 and 2008, after which it will begin to decline again.

Foreign students now represent 9%

The 2025 edition of the Higher Education Ranking System shows a rising share of international students in Bulgaria, now making up 9% of all enrolments. A new indicator in this year’s edition assesses how many students actually attend lectures and practical classes.

The 15th annual ranking compares the performance of 51 accredited universities across 52 professional fields, using 52 indicators—including quality of teaching, research output, graduate employability, income after graduation, and student feedback. For the first time, the ranking includes students’ assessment of class attendance and whether they perceive attendance as mandatory.

Higher degrees improve job prospects and income

According to the 2025 edition:

  • 85% of graduates from master’s programs after secondary education work in positions requiring higher qualifications.

  • Only 51% of bachelor’s graduates work in such positions.

  • Master’s graduates have higher incomes, higher employment rates, and lower unemployment than bachelor’s graduates.

Among Bulgarian graduates from the past five years:

  • 61% work in positions requiring a degree (up from 46% in 2014).

  • Unemployment remains slightly above 2%, and just 1% for master’s graduates.

  • Only 14% are not insured in Bulgaria, down from over 25% in 2014.

  • Average taxable income has risen to 2771 BGN, tripling since 2015.

Lowest unemployment among medical and military graduates

Fields with lowest unemployment (below 1%) include:

  • Military Studies

  • Medicine

  • Pharmacy

  • Metallurgy

  • Dentistry

The highest unemployment is in Social Work (3.88%).

Informatics graduates earn the highest incomes

Graduates in “Informatics and Computer Science” at Sofia University report some of the highest taxable incomes. Master’s graduates from the American University in Bulgaria earn the highest overall average—10,108 BGN monthly taxable income.

Sofia University remains the largest and highest-ranked

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” has 19,799 students, making it the largest in the country. Twelve universities have fewer than 1,000 students.

Fields with the largest student numbers in 2025:

  • Economics – 26,996

  • Pedagogy – 16,713

  • Medicine – 13,485

  • Administration and Management – 11,773

For another year, the smallest field remains “Theory of Arts,” with only 53 students.

Foreign students doubled over a decade

Foreign students now account for nearly 9%, up from 4% in 2013. The highest shares are in:

  • Medicine – 59%

  • Dentistry – 48%

  • Veterinary Medicine – 33%

Class attendance varies widely

New indicators show:

  • 70% of students believe most peers attend practical classes regularly.

  • Only 50% say the same for lectures.

  • 72% say practical classes feel mandatory, compared to just 40% for lectures.

Fields with over 90% attendance in practical classes include Pharmacy, Forestry, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Biology, and Medicine.

2025 rankings: Sofia University leads in 22 fields

Sofia University ranks first in 22 of the 29 fields in which it participates. The Technical University–Sofia ranks first in six fields, while the Medical University–Sofia leads in all five fields it offers.

The ranking system helps prospective students navigate Bulgaria’s higher education landscape and includes data on the most common professions linked to each field of study.


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