Greek, British and Ukrainian students top international enrolment in Bulgaria

Some 16,800 foreign nationals are studying at Bulgarian universities and specialised higher education institutions in the 2025/2026 academic year, according to the National Statistical Institute. Greek students form the largest group, at 17%, followed by British students at 13.6%, Ukrainians at 12.4%, Germans at 8.9% and Italians at 5.7%.

Healthcare is by far the most popular field among foreign students, accounting for 59.8%, with 46.1% of all foreign students studying medicine.

There are 715 foreign doctoral students, representing 12% of the total. Chinese students form the largest group, at 35.7%, followed by Germans at 12.7% and Greeks at 11.7%.

Bulgarian students at universities and specialised higher education institutions number 180,200. A total of 48,100 students graduated in Bulgaria in 2025, with the largest numbers graduating in business and administration, education, healthcare and technical fields.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova