Education in Bulgaria
Bulgarian education is popular with students from the EU and the former Soviet block thanks to low living and tuition costs. Its reputation has been enhanced by EU accession, which obliges other EU states to recognise the diplomas issued by Bulgarian universities.
Primary and secondary education
The Bulgarian education system is divided into different levels:
- preschool education (предучилищно образование) from 3 to
6–7 years old. Only the last two years of kindergarten (детски градини) are compulsory. - basic education (основно образование) from 8 to 12 years old. It includes 4 years of primary school (начален етап на основната образователна степен) and 4 years of progymnasium (прогимназиален етап на основната образователна степен).
- secondary education (средно образование) from 12 to
14–17 years old depending on the specialisation. There are general secondary schools (общообразователни училища),profile-oriented (профилирани гимназии) and vocational schools. (професионални гимназии). - higher education (висше образование).
Higher Education
Over 10,000 international students from Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Nigeria, South Africa, Italy, Germany, the UK and Israel (among others) attend Bulgarian universities every year. The largest centres of
Founded in the late nineteenth century, The Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (Софийският университет „Св. Климент Охридски“) is considered to be Bulgaria’s top university. It is the country's oldest and largest university as well as the only Bulgarian university to make into the QS World University Rankings.
Diplomas from the Medical University of Sofia (Медицински университет — София) and the Technical University of Sofia (Технически университет — София) are also highly valued.
Many Bulgarian universities offer academic programmes in foreign languages (e.g., English, German, French). There are several Western universities teaching in English with internships in other EU countries or the USA. International applicants must pass a Bulgarian or foreign language proficiency test (depending on the language of instruction).
Other entrance trials depend on the academic institution. In cases of the international admission, most universities only have language tests, but some do hold exams in major subjects or interviews.
Tuition fees in Bulgaria are lower than in many EU countries. For instance,
Documents required:
- application (via university website)
- 4 photos
- secondary education certificate copy with a transcript supplement on the paper stamped by the school
- passport
- medical certificate
- school certificate, proving the applicant's eligibility to enter higher education institutions
Copies of all the documents must be translated into Bulgarian and notarised or apostilled.
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