Daugavpils University

About Daugavpils University

Daugavpils University traces its institutional history to a pedagogical school opened in 1921 to train teachers for Latgale. It subsequently operated as a teachers’ institute, pedagogical institute, and pedagogical university before adopting its current name in 2001. The university describes itself as Latvia’s largest regional state university, confirming both its public character and its continuing regional mission. Today, teaching and research are organized principally through the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Healthcare, supported by corresponding research institutes. This structure reflects an institution that has broadened beyond teacher education while retaining education as an important field. The university identifies life sciences, languages, social research, regional economics, psychology, and nanotechnology among its areas of activity. Prospective students should distinguish the university’s overall portfolio from the smaller set marketed in English to international applicants. The 2026/2027 international admissions page listed English-taught bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral options, but availability varied substantially by level. Students intending to study in Latvian should consult the domestic program and admissions material separately rather than assume the international process applies. The university’s central address is 13 Vienības Street, with additional academic premises on Parādes Street and a sports complex on Kandavas Street. This is an urban, multi-building setting integrated into Daugavpils rather than an isolated residential campus.

International degree applicants for the autumn 2026 intake used the university’s online application system. The published application period for 2026/2027 began on 5 January 2026 and, following an extension, closed on 30 April 2026. That deadline has passed as of 20 August 2026 and must not be assumed for a later intake. Applicants seeking 2027 entry should wait for the next official cycle rather than reuse the 2026 dates. Entry documentation depends on the degree level. Bachelor’s applicants submit a secondary-school credential and transcript; master’s applicants submit their bachelor’s diploma and supplement; doctoral applicants submit bachelor’s and master’s credentials, a CV, and a research project. The university stated a minimum 60% pass mark in relevant subjects for the applicable prior qualification. Foreign education documents must be provided in their original language with notarized English copies and, where required, legalized. Applicants must also provide a passport copy, photograph, and evidence of English proficiency unless exempt as native English speakers. For 2026 admissions, accepted evidence included IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 78 with stated section minimums, Cambridge English 160, and several B2-level alternatives. These thresholds are specific to the published 2026 rules. After a complete application is submitted, the university sends foreign qualifications to Latvia’s Academic Information Centre for recognition; the university estimated one to four months. Incomplete applications are not reviewed. Admission does not replace immigration requirements, so non-EU students should separately plan for visa or residence-permit processing.

Daugavpils University’s academic scope combines its long-standing strengths in education and languages with natural sciences, healthcare-related study, economics, management, psychology, history, and other social-science fields. The university’s current structure consists of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Healthcare. Its Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences and Institute of Life Sciences and Technology provide a research setting alongside degree teaching. The official 2026/2027 international admissions catalogue showed two bachelor’s programs in English: Language and Culture Studies and Business and Financial Processes. English-taught master’s choices were Biology, Education Sciences, Philology and Applied Linguistics, and Smart Economics and Innovations. The doctoral selection was broader, including Biology, Economics, Educational Sciences, History and Archaeology, Language and Literature Studies, Management Science, Mathematics, Psychology, and Solid State Physics. These lists are intake-specific and should not be treated as permanent offerings. Program design and entry requirements differ by level. For example, the university’s History bachelor’s page describes a three-year, 180-ECTS full-time degree, while its History master’s is a two-year, 120-ECTS course requiring a relevant prior qualification. Applicants should therefore review the dedicated program page for workload, specialization, award, and prior-study requirements rather than relying only on the general catalogue. International mobility is available through Erasmus+. The university holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education for 2021–2027, and its mobility information covers both study exchanges and traineeships. Bachelor’s students normally become eligible for study mobility from their second year.

Key Highlights

• Public regional university founded in 1921
• Current university name adopted in 2001
• Organized around two faculties and two corresponding research institutes
• Offers degree studies at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across university buildings and the surrounding city. The Daugavpils University Students’ Council has an office at the main Vienības Street building and provides a formal channel for student representation. International and exchange students can also connect through Erasmus activities, with the university coordinating incoming and outgoing study periods and traineeships. University-managed housing is available at Sporta Street 8, Sporta Street 6, and Parādes Street 11. Together, these residences provide more than 350 places. Accommodation ranges from beds in shared rooms to single rooms, and internet is available in each residence after registration with the university’s IT center. Housing is not automatically implied by admission: students submit a dormitory application, and the rental agreement is concluded after admission with the residence manager. The residences differ in layout, price, and accessibility. Parādes Street 11 includes facilities intended for students with limited mobility. Full-time international students must make an initial payment equal to two months’ rent, with one month serving as the security deposit. Students should confirm availability and the final VAT-inclusive charge directly, since published prices are stated before VAT and room inventory is finite. Beyond campus, Daugavpils offers museums, cultural venues, sports facilities, and a multilingual urban environment. Students looking for the breadth of clubs and services found at a very large capital-city institution should examine the current student organizations before enrolling.

Location & Surroundings

Daugavpils University is embedded in central Daugavpils, in southeastern Latvia’s Latgale region. The university’s principal address is 13 Vienības Street, with additional teaching buildings on Parādes Street and a sports complex on Kandavas Street. Several residences are within the same urban area, allowing many students to move between housing and academic buildings on foot. Daugavpils is Latvia’s second-largest city and the principal urban center of Latgale. The city government describes it as multi-ethnic and multi-confessional, with a strong role in regional education, culture, industry, and sport. The Daugava River, historic center, Daugavpils Fortress, and Rothko Museum shape the local cultural environment. The city is considerably closer to Lithuania and Belarus than to Riga. Official municipal information places Riga 232 kilometres away by road and the railway station 218 kilometres from Riga by rail; Lithuania’s border is about 25 kilometres away. Rail and intercity bus services connect Daugavpils with other destinations, while municipal buses and trams serve local travel. This setting offers a regional-city experience with cross-border geographic context, but students who need frequent access to Riga should account for the travel distance.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For international degree study in 2026/2027, tuition depended on level and program. The two listed English-taught bachelor’s programs charged €3,000 per study year. The four listed English-taught master’s programs charged €3,300 per year. Most listed doctoral programs charged €3,900 per year. Exceptions included Management Science at €2,990 per year and Educational Sciences, which had different rates for EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens versus other international students. Applicants should verify the fee against their exact program and citizenship category before making a payment. The 2026 international application fee was non-refundable: €100 for EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens and €250 for applicants from other countries. These are dated 2026/2027 figures, not promises for a future cycle. University dormitory prices published in August 2026 ranged from €85 per month for a bed in a three-person room to €200 per month for a single room, before VAT. Other shared-room configurations were priced between those points. Bed linen, an electronic key, and specified private electrical appliances could attract additional charges. Full-time international students were required to pay the equivalent of two months initially, including a one-month security deposit. Food, transport, insurance, immigration, and personal expenses are additional and are not included in these housing figures. The university does not publish reliable graduate salary or placement outcomes on the reviewed pages, so no employment rate should be inferred. Career-relevant opportunities that are documented include Erasmus+ traineeships and program-based practical experience. Students should assess employability through the curriculum, language requirements, professional recognition where applicable, and access to placements in their intended field.