During the 2011-2012 academic year, nearly 230,000 students are taught in state universities and about 50,000 - in private universities. Over 11,000 were foreign students who follow the country.
Ten years ago, the country had about 225,000 students, while during the 2011/2012 academic year their number has more than 280,000. However, for the past three school years, a slight decrease in the number of students in the country - in 2009/2010 they were 283,000 in 2010/2011 - about 281,000 to date - 280,000.
University graduates in Bulgaria for the 2011 academic year were nearly 64,000, with women nearly 39,000, and men - about 25,000. 55,000 graduates received Bachelor and Master degrees last year, 7,500 graduates received professional degrees and 638 people received PhD degrees.
According to Eurostat analysis of higher education students in the EU, which includes Bulgaria the greatest percentage of students are studying subjects related to business administration and social relations - about 43 per cent, 18.7 per cent graduated in industry and construction, 8 percent - in services, 7.7 per cent - the humanities and arts, 7 per cent - in healthcare, about 2.4 per cent studied agronomy and veterinary sciences and etc.
General Bulgarian education consists of two parts: from I to IV grade and
from V to VIII grade. These stages of the Bulgarian education are compulsory.
Usually the age of entry is 7. After graduating IVth grade, children are awarded
with Basic Education Completion Certificate and with Form IV-Leaving Certificate
after finishing their general education. After graduating VIIth grade children
apply for secondary education in three types of schools: comprehensive,
profile-oriented and vocational (technical) schools. The length of the
high-school programs is 4, 5 or 6 years, depending on the school and after
graduating (usually at the age of 18) children are awarded with Diploma of
Completed Secondary Education.
After completing Secondary Education, people in Bulgaria obtain Higher Education
through universities, academies and institutes. The qualification of Specialist
can be obtained in a three-year course of post-secondary study. In order to get
a Bachelor's Degree, people are required to study at least four years at
university level. Bachelor's Degree is a prerequisite for Master's and Doctor's
Degrees. The second stage of university level education, the Mater's Degree, can
be obtained one year after obtaining Bachelor's Degree, or five years after
obtaining Secondary School Education. The third and last stage of university
level education, the Doctor's Degree, can be obtained three years after
obtaining Master's Degree. It is based on personal research and defence of a
thesis.
The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the higher education in
Bulgaria. Bulgarian ESL students can pay for papers at this website - AdvancedWriters.com.
Bulgaria's grading system is numeric: 2 poor, 3 sufficient, 4 good, 5
very good, 6 - excellent. 2 is lowest on scale and 6 is the highest; 3 is the
lowest passing grade.
The Academy of Music and Dance was founded in 1964, initially as an affiliate of the Bulgarian State Conservatory in Sofia. The idea for an outpost in Plovdiv was put forward by the eminent Bulgarian musician Prof. Assen Diamandiev and was met with enthusiastic support by Prof. Vladimir Avramov and Prof. Alexander Neinski, Rectors of the Bulgarian State Conservatory. In the next eight years the Plovdiv outpost grew substantially and 1972 became an independent institution under the name of [Detailed Information]
In 1921 the Faculty of Agronomy at the University of Sofia was officially founded. The admittance of 67 students marked the beginning of the higher agricultural education in Bulgaria. In 1945 the University of Plovdiv was inaugurated by a Decree of the Regents’ Council of August 4, promulgated in the State Gazette of August 20, structured in two Faculties: of Medicine and of Agriculture and Forestry. In 1905 the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry split as a separate higher education [Detailed Information]
AUBG is a private American-style liberal arts university located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. The University has assumed a unique and critical educational role in the dynamic region of Southeastern Europe through its emphasis on preparing students for leadership, community involvement, careers, and advanced study. The liberal arts education encourages students to develop critical thinking and creative problem solving. AUBG is accredited both in the US and in Bulgaria, and academic credits are [Detailed Information]
Faculty for Legal Studies :
The Faculty for Legal Studies is the first unit in the structure of Bourgas Free University and the second of its kind established in Bulgaria after the Faculty of Law of St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University. It was constituted in 1990 on the initiative and with the cooperation of prominent scientists from the Institute of Legal Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Science and the Faculty of Law of St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University.
At present there are [Detailed Information]
Bourgas Prof. Assen Zlatarov University is a state institution, founded in 1963 as Higher Institute of Chemical Technology. It was transformed into Bourgas Prof. Assen Zlatarov University in 1995.
Students are trained in 27 subjects in 3 faculties and 3 colleges and obtain Specialist (3 years of study), Bachelor (4 years of study), Master (5 years of study) and PhD (3 years of study after Master) degrees.
A staff of high skilled professionals works in the University, including 86 [Detailed Information]
Aviation Faculty is a main educational and scientific unit of the NMU (National Military University) “Vasil Levski”. It teaches highly qualified aviators and other air-force personnel. The Faculty is a successor of a couple of other Bulgarian Aviation Schools. The first one was founded in 1914. After that, other Aviation military schools were founded as well, but they did not function on a regular basis due to the wars at that time and the peace contracts. In 1945 in Vrazhdebna, near Sofia, [Detailed Information]
The Pleven Medical University, one of the five medical Universities in Bulgaria, was established in 1974, expanding the horizons, size and reputation of the City Hospital, founded in 1865. Today, combining traditions of the past with the present possibilities, it incorporates educational and therapeutic facilities, contemporary pre-clinical base, Institute Hospital with more than 1000 beds with clinics in all major medical fields, as well as a large number of specialized clinics and research [Detailed Information]
The Academy of the Ministry of Interior is the only higher education institution in the Republic of Bulgaria for training of state officials in response to the needs of the Ministry of Interior. The Academy is a recipient of the best traditions of specialized education in the field of security and public order. Through the years, the traditions in police education were developed and strengthened through the activities of the Higher institute, established in 1987, and the Higher Institute for [Detailed Information]
The University of Food Technologies (UFT) in Plovdiv has a semi-centennial history and rich traditions. It is the successor to the Higher Institute of Food and Flavour Industries (HIFFI) founded in 1953 as an education and science centre in the area of food technology, the only one of its type in the country and on the Balkan Peninsula. Following its successful accreditation in January 2003, the HIFFI was transformed into a university pursuant to a Decision of the National Assembly of the [Detailed Information]
The Medical University – Plovdiv, more popular until recently under the name of VMI (meaning Higher Medical Institute), was established in 1945. It includes the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Care, a Medical College and a hospital of its own with a capacity of 2000 beds. All departments, considered as indispensable for higher medical education according to modern standards, are available - theoretical, pre-clinical and clinical, as well as laboratories, clinics and other units [Detailed Information]
The foundation of the State Railway School as a secondary school was officially announced through the law Opening Railway and Telegraph and Post School and Decree No 60 of Tsar Boris III in 1922.
After a number of transformations, in 1958 the school was turned into Railway College with the Ministry of Transport. Four years later its status was equaled to that of a military academy with the Ministry of Defense. In 1967 the college was named after Todor Kableshkov, the hero of the April [Detailed Information]
The Higher School of Civil Engineering “Lyuben Karavelov“ - Sofia is a successor of the specialized military engineering school established with His Majesty Tsar Boris III's Decree № 22 on 18.10.1938 for the needs of the Army Corps' Engineers (Labor service, Labor Army Corps). With a Decree of the Council of State № 1815/16.08.1973 the School was reorganized into Higher Military School of Construction Engineering “Gen. Blagoy Ivanov“ (VNVSU “Gen. Blagoy Ivanov“). The [Detailed Information]
Medical University of Sofia is the oldest institution for higher medical education in Bulgaria. His Majesty King Ferdinand founded it by a decree at 1917 as a Medical Faculty of Sofia University. Special merits of its foundation and worthy to be remembered are Dr. M.Russev, Dr. St. Vatev and Dr. P. Orahovatz who prepared Alexandrovska hospital’s departments for the needs of future clinics and organized training of teaching stuff. One of the first professors by medicine in Bulgaria are Prof. [Detailed Information]
Rakovski Defense and Staff College is the oldest higher military institution in Bulgaria. It was founded with an Act of the 15th National Assembly of March 1, 1912.
The College has a unique contribution to the foundation of the Bulgarian Officers Corps, as well as to the establishment of the new Bulgarian State, and to the influence of the European values upon the Bulgarian nation. Today it is a national institution for higher education, qualification, and scientific research on issues of [Detailed Information]
The University is founded in 1948 in Sofia by the Parliament's decree 1967 from 27.11.1948. In the fall of 1951 it is resituated in the town of Shumen and from 1959 becomes a school of higher education. During 1990 it is named: "Higher Education Military School of Artillery and Air-Defence." [Detailed Information]
The National Academy of Art was founded in 1896 as a State School of Drawing, on legislation suggested by three outstanding Bulgarian public figures, the artists Ivan Mrkvicka and Anton Mitov, and the historian Dr. Ivan Shishmanov. The buildings of the National Academy of Art house numerous lecture halls, studios, laboratories, workshops, a museum, a computer centre, and a library with two branches; administration premises, a gymnasium and cafes. The academy has nearly 1000 students in [Detailed Information]
The National Academy for Theatre & Film Arts (NATFA) is Bulgaria’s premier tertiary school and one of the top training European institutions in the fields of Stage and Screen Arts. It was founded in 1948 and remains the only state-funded such educational institution in the country.It is located in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.
The National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts aspires to give a first-rate professional and academic education to each of its students, to foster their [Detailed Information]
The National Sports Academy has 42 Olympic titles, 150 silver and bronze Olympic medals, 90 world champion titles, 120 silver and bronze medals from world championships, which are won by the university’s graduates.
1942 – His Majesty King Boris III founds with a decree the Higher school for physical education
1953 – The Council of ministers approves with a decree the name Higher institute for physical education and sport
1967 – The Sport-pedagogical faculty and the Faculty for [Detailed Information]
In July 1989 some university teachers and research-workers established the Society for New Bulgarian University. The aim of the Society was to work for reforms in the Bulgarian university. On September 18, 1991 the Society obtained university status from the Great National Assembly under the name of the New Bulgarian University (SG, № 80/1991).
The first period of NBU development - 1991-1993 was related to the establishment of the institutional framework of the university and to its [Detailed Information]
The University of Rousse, named after Angel Kanchev, is situated in a city with a nineteen- century history, a place, where alongside the rich architectural, industrial and cultural heritage there also live the enterprising national spirit and the deeply rooted European influences. Our university is the successor of the first national higher technical school outside the capital of Bulgaria, established in 1954.
As a result of its long traditions and the support of the European Union [Detailed Information]
"Bishop Constantine of Preslav's University of Shoumen" has inherited a centuries-long educational tradition dating back to the famous Pliska and Preslav Literary School (10th c) and going on through the ages in Shumen intellectual life.
The University continues and enriches the mission of the Higher Educational Course, started 80 years ago, on the basis of which in 1964 a Faculty, as a branch of Sofia University, was founded. In 1971 it became a separate higher school with three basic [Detailed Information]
The University is the first school of higher education in Bulgaria.
Its history is an embodiment and a continuation of centuries of cultural and educational tradition in Bulgaria. Organized education activities in Bulgaria date back to the second half of the 9th century.
During the period of the National Revival a new idea for opening a School of Higher Education was born. The authority of the School of Higher Education grows with the cultural and educational mission it acquires after the [Detailed Information]
The University was established as a subsidiary of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with a order of the Council of Ministers No 223 from 09.08.1975. With a Decree No 2296 from the 4th of August 1983 of the Council of Ministers it is separated as an independent Higher Pedagogical Institute, and with a decision of the National Assembly published in the Official State Gazette issue 68 from the 1st of August 1995 it promulgated as an independent State University with its own [Detailed Information]
Pantcho Vladigerov State Academy of Music is the unique higher school for professional musicians in Bulgaria. It includes a full list of theoretical and performance music subjects. The State Academy of Music was founded in 1921 with King’s Decree No 145, published in the State gazette from 21.07.1921. The name - State Academy of music “Pancho Vladigerov”- was legalized by a Government Decree No 52 in Republic of Bulgaria from 02.03.1995. In May 2006 the Academy was renamed by Government [Detailed Information]
The Technical University of Gabrovo is a state university conducting teaching for the academic degrees of Bachelor and Master in 18 degree courses and for the academic degree of Doctor in 31 degree courses. It was founded in 1964 as Polytechnical Institute. In 1972 it was transformed into Higher Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering for both full-time and part-time studies. In 1995 the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria gave it the status of Technical University (TU). [Detailed Information]
Half a century ago, by Decree No.237 (State Gazette Iss. 248/ 24.10.1945) of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, the State Polytechnic was founded having a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with 4 divisions: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial chemistry and mining and geology. In 1953 Decree No. 231/10.06.1953 regulated the formation of four higher institutes of learning on the basis of the former State Polytechnic. One of these was the Institute of Mechanical and [Detailed Information]
FACULTIES:
Faculty of Modern Languages
Faculty of History and Law
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Fine Arts
Faculty of Orthodox Theology
Faculty of Economics
Faculty of Philosophy
Faculty of Modern Languages:
In the autumn of 1963, the St. Cyril and St. Methodius Pedagogical Institute was founded on the historic hill of Sveta Gora in Bulgaria’s medieval capital of Veliko Turnovo. In 1971 the Institute became the first full-fledged Bulgarian University outside the country’s [Detailed Information]
Trakia University – Stara Zagora is an autonomous state institution. It was established in 1995 by Decree of the 37th National Parliament.
The following educational units are in the structure of the university:
-Faculty of Agriculture with training experimental base
-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with clinics
-Faculty of Medicine
-Faculty of Pedagogy
-Medical College – Stara Zagora
-Medical College - Haskovo
-Medical College - Sliven
-Technical College - Yambol [Detailed Information]
D.A.Tsenov Academy of Economics is an educational, scientific and cultural institution in the Republic of Bulgaria. The structure of the Academy includes four Faculties, with their related Departments, a Department of Social Sciences, Academic Centres and Offices, School of Economics and Management in Lovech, College of Economics and Management, Institute for Scientific Research, Academic Library, and Students' campus. The Academy has a competent academic staff of over 320 highly qualified [Detailed Information]
The University was founded in 1942 as a Higher Technical School. In 1945 it was transformed into a State Polytechnic. In 1953 the Polytechnic was divided into several institutes one of them being the Institute of Civil Engineering. Since 1977 the institute is renamed Higher Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering (VIAS). In 1990 by a decision of its General Assembly the Institute was renamed University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), the official accreditation [Detailed Information]
The University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM) is located in Sofia, the capital of Republic of Bulgaria. The University was established as a Department of the State Polytechnic in Sofia in 1945. It became an independent higher technological institution named Institute of Chemical Technology in 1953 with two Faculties: Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy with Professor Boris Zagorchev as its first Dean. In 1963 by a Decree of the Council of Ministers it was renamed into Higher [Detailed Information]
On the New Millenium’s Eve, University of Economics - Varna celebrated its 80th anniversary. As an educational institution it is one of the oldest schools of higher education in Bulgaria. Established on May 14th, 1920 as a Higher School of Commerce, thanks to the vision and generosity of the tradesmen and industrialists of the town of Varna, with the intellect, determination and talent of eminent Bulgarian and foreign scientists, University of Economics - Varna has travelled a long way full [Detailed Information]
The legal foundation of higher forestry education in Bulgaria was laid on January 28, 1925, when the Academic Council of the Sofia University decided to set up a Department of Forestry at the Agronomy Faculty of the university.
That decision was preceded by a long-standing struggle of Bulgarian foresters against the plundering and destruction of forests after the 1878 Liberation from Turkish rule. A lot of opinions and proposals appeared in the specialised newspapers and magazines, as well [Detailed Information]
UNWE is a modern higher educational institution, which conducts education in different forms and at different levels towards awarding the educational qualification degrees “Specialist”, “Bachelor”, “Master” and the educational and scientific degree “Doctor” in compliance with the traditions and values of Bulgarian higher education, the international practice and contemporary trends in education of leading universities.
Concurrently UNWE works on extensive scientific research [Detailed Information]
Plovdiv University, named in honor of the Bulgarian historian Paisii Hilendarski, is Plovdiv’s leading cultural and scientific institution. It is the largest institution of higher education in Southern Bulgaria, and the second largest Bulgarian university, after St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. The year 2001 marked the university’s fortieth anniversary.
University of Plovdiv was built on the foundation of the Higher Teacher-Training Institute of Natural and Mathematical [Detailed Information]
Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" was established in 1991. With a resolution of the 37th National Assembly from July 21, 1995 the University was given the status of a higher educational institution. It provides full-time regular and part-time extramural forms of education for all the educational-qualification degrees stipulated by the Higher Education. At present there are 10 000 students studying at the University in 35 different majors including: Business Administration, Social [Detailed Information]
Medical University-Varna was established in 1961 by a decree of the National Assembly of Republic of Bulgaria as a pursuant to Higher Medical Institute. In 1995 the latter was transformed to Medical University. This establishment is the third largest Medical University in the country and aims at providing adequate healthcare for people living in this Northeastern Bulgaria. For more than forty years the reality of Health becomes a part of students, researchers, instructors and specialists life [Detailed Information]
The foundations of the Nicola Vaptsarov Naval Academy were laid in 1881. Today, the Naval Academy trains officers for the Navy, masters and chief engineers for the Merchant Marine and other trained specialists for the maritime industry. The course of education in the school is 5 years for cadets, and 4 years for students. Upon successful completion of the course of studies graduates receive a "B. Sc. Degree". Masters and Doctoral degrees are also offered.
The Bulgarian marine education was [Detailed Information]
TUV has been founded in 1962 with a Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Peoples Republic of Bulgaria and Act of the National Assembly. The purpose of the creation is to ensure conditions for education of engineering staff for the shipbuilding, transport, machine building, electric power engineering and communications. These will be necessary for the needs of the growing industrial complexes in the North-East part of the country, profiling in heavy chemistry, shipbuilding and ship repair, [Detailed Information]
Vasil Levski National Military University is the oldest and the largest military educational institution in Bulgaria. It was first established on September 6th, 1878 in the town of Plovdiv in the wake of Bulgaria’s Liberation War from Turkish rule. Alexander Dondukov Korsakov, the Russian imperial commissary in Bulgaria at the time, signed order No. 14 on September 1st 1878 of the Military Command of the Bulgarian Land Force Army, appointing the first commanding staff of the future military [Detailed Information]
