Bulgarian Education System

The Bulgarian education system is regulated under the supervision of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science. In Bulgaria, the compulsory education system, which used to start from primary school, has become compulsory since 2012, starting from 2 years of pre-school education.

Children in Bulgaria begin compulsory education at around age 5, and continue until age 16. The Bulgarian Ministry of Education provides free education in public schools, while higher education schools, colleges and private universities provide paid education.

Education in Bulgaria is provided in Bulgarian, English, Russian, German and French. According to the OECD's PISA test, Bulgaria ranked 47th in the world in 2012 with an average of 439 in mathematics, 436 in reading and 446 in science. In the test conducted in 2925, Bulgaria ranked 52nd with an average of 420 in reading, 436 in mathematics and 424 in science.

What are the stages of education in Bulgaria?

The stages of education in Bulgaria are listed below.

Preschool education in Bulgaria
Primary school education in Bulgaria
Secondary education in Bulgaria
High school education in Bulgaria
Higher education in Bulgaria

What is the Pre-School Education System Like in Bulgaria?

In Bulgaria, preschool education has been compulsory since 2012. In Bulgaria, preschool education is provided to children between the ages of 5 and 6 in kindergartens and schools. Compulsory education, which lasts 2 years, was made compulsory in order to better prepare children for primary school. The preschool curriculum in Bulgaria is based on the development of children's relationships with teachers, their own skills and their socialization. Education in preschool institutions is provided for 9 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Preschool education is provided in both public schools and private kindergartens. Monthly payments for private kindergartens vary between approximately 600-900 Leva.

What is the Primary School Education System Like in Bulgaria?

The primary school education system in Bulgaria covers grades 1 to 4. Children in Bulgaria usually start primary school education from the age of 7, but children who finish preschool education earlier can start at an earlier age.

The Bulgarian Primary Education Certificate is given to children who successfully complete the 4th grade.

What is the Secondary School Education System Like in Bulgaria?

The secondary school education system in Bulgaria covers grades 5 to 8. The Bulgarian Secondary School Certificate is awarded after successfully completing the 8th grade.

Grades in the Secondary School Certificate are considered as the main admission criterion for transitioning to high school education.

What is the High School Education System Like in Bulgaria?

The upper secondary education system in Bulgaria includes comprehensive secondary schools and vocational schools. Entry to comprehensive schools is based on the grades obtained from the entrance exams in literature and/or mathematics, and the grades in the Secondary School Certificate.

Students can transfer to high school after successfully completing the 8th grade. Bulgarian high school courses are divided into 3 main branches: language, mathematics or informatics. The high school exit exams that are required to graduate from high school are held in Bulgarian.

How Many Years Does It Take to Complete High School Education in Bulgaria?

High school education in Bulgaria is completed in 4 years.

What is the Higher Education System Like in Bulgaria?

The higher education system in Bulgaria operates differently.

The aim of higher education in Bulgaria is to train highly qualified specialists above secondary school level and to develop science and culture. Currently, the higher education system includes a total of 51 public and private higher education institutions, including universities, specialized higher education institutions and independent colleges, under the Higher Education Act.

There are 37 public (25 universities, 11 specialized colleges and 1 independent college) and 14 private colleges (5 universities, 2 specialized colleges and 7 independent colleges).

The academic year at Bulgarian universities consists of two semesters and usually consists of 32 academic weeks. The exact start and end date of the academic year is determined by the relevant college.

What Are University Fees Like in Bulgaria?

University fees in Bulgaria vary between Bulgarian and English departments. University fees for undergraduate programs range from 2,500 to 8,000 Euros per year, while for English medical programs they range from 7,000 to 8,000 Euros per year. English preparatory schools in Bulgaria range from 2,500 to 4,800 Euros per year, while for English medical programs the average is 4,800 Euros per year. Bulgarian preparatory schools cost between 2,500 and 3,700 Euros per year, while for Bulgarian medical schools the average is 3,700 Euros per year. Bulgarian medical school fees range from 5,000 to 6,000 Euros per year.

What are the Higher Education Institutions in Bulgaria?

Colleges include universities, specialized colleges, and independent colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers to the questions frequently asked to our center about the education system in Bulgaria and the trainings that can be received are given below.

What Education Can foreign Citizens Receive in Bulgaria?

The most popular types of education that foreign citizens can receive in Bulgaria are listed below.

Pilot training in Bulgaria
Bulgarian and English language education in Bulgaria
Studying law in Bulgaria
Medical education in Bulgaria
Bulgarian cooking education
Architectural education in Bulgaria

In order to receive these trainings that can be received in Bulgaria, it is necessary to be a high school graduate.

What are the requirements for studying medicine in Bulgaria?

The requirements for studying medicine in Bulgaria are different from the medical faculties of Bulgarian medical universities (covering medicine, dentistry, pharmacy) and the entrance requirements for prospective medical students are different.

The main entry requirements are a high school diploma or equivalent, a medical certificate, tuition fee financing and living expenses financing, health insurance, good knowledge of English or Bulgarian. A high school diploma is a mandatory requirement for applying to medical schools in Bulgaria.

Can I Get English Language Education in Bulgaria?

English language education is possible in Bulgaria.

Students who want to study English in Bulgaria can study English provided that they have a high school or vocational high school diploma. Bulgarian language schools are at European standards.

Are There Distance Education Programs in Bulgaria?

There are distance learning programs in Bulgaria.

Distance education programs in Bulgaria are provided based on UNESCO, the Bologna process and the Lisbon Agreements. Distance education programs at Bulgarian universities are finance, banking, tourism, public administration, international relations, international trade and logistics, business, entrepreneurship, public relations and advertising, and health management.

Which institutions provide pilot training in Bulgaria?

Institutions providing pilot training in Bulgaria are listed below.

Bulgaria Dolna Mitropolia Air Force Academy (Plevne)
Air Sports (Sofia)
Breeze Aviation (Sofia)
Bulgarian Aviation Center (Sofia)
Bulgarian Aviation Academy (Sofia)
Private Transport College PCT (Sofia)
Sofia Flight Training ATO (Sofia)
Rebus Fly (Silistra)

How Much Are Education Fees in Bulgaria?

Tuition fees in Bulgaria range from 2,900 to 3,900 Euros per year for undergraduate degrees. Those who want to study for a master's degree in Bulgaria have to pay approximately 3,000 to 3,900 Euros per year.

Bulgarian universities charge approximately 4,000-8,000 Euros per year for doctoral degree education.

Considering that studying in Bulgarian is cheaper than studying in English, it can be seen that education fees in Bulgaria are more affordable than in European countries.

Universities of Applied Sciences in European countries charge approximately 363 Euros per semester for citizens of EU member states. For students from non-EU member states, this cost can range from 727 Euros to 7,500 Euros.

While the undergraduate degree fees requested by private universities for international students in European countries range between 6,000 and 15,000 Euros, the cost for postgraduate education varies between 3,000 and 23,000 Euros.

Can I Work While Studying in Bulgaria?

While studying in Bulgaria, if the person is studying for more than 3 months, he/she can work up to 20 hours per week. There is no work visa requirement to study and work in Bulgaria.

What Do You Need to Work While Studying in Bulgaria?

People studying in Bulgaria have the right to work part-time.

Working up to 20 hours while studying in Bulgaria is possible with a D type student visa and residence card. If a person wants to work more than 20 hours, they must obtain a Bulgarian work permit.

What are the conditions for studying in Bulgaria?

The requirements that must be met to study in Bulgaria are listed below.

Being a high school graduate
Diploma of graduation from vocational or other high schools
A document proving that the person can communicate in Bulgarian or English.

There are no exam scores required to study in Bulgaria, such as LGS-YKS. In order to obtain a Bulgarian student visa, there is no distinction between high school or vocational high school diploma degrees.

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