Rīga Stradiņš University

About Rīga Stradiņš University

Rīga Stradiņš University traces its institutional beginning to 1 September 1950, when the Rīga Medical Institute opened after the separation of medical and pharmacy units from Latvia State University. The institution subsequently broadened beyond its original medical specialization. Its senate approved the current name in 1998, and Latvia’s parliament approved the university constitution in 2002. RSU remains closely connected to health-professions education, but its scope now includes pharmacy, rehabilitation, nursing, public health, sports science, business, communications, law, politics, and other social-science fields. A 2024 reorganization consolidated its academic structure into five faculties: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health and Sports Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Latvian Academy of Sport Education was also integrated into RSU in 2024 as RSU LASE. The university is a state institution and appears on the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science’s register of higher-education institutions. Official RSU material shows active admissions for the 2026/2027 academic year, providing current evidence that it continues to operate and accept students. Its programme structure encompasses bachelor’s and master’s degrees, long-cycle professional education in Medicine and Dentistry, and doctoral study. Applicants should review the award attached to an individual programme rather than assuming that every undergraduate-entry course leads to a bachelor’s degree.

RSU maintains separate processes and requirements by programme, level, citizenship category, and teaching language. For English-taught undergraduate-entry programmes, applicants need completed secondary education that provides access to university study, together with a diploma and academic transcript. RSU accepts only applications showing passing grades across the secondary-school record and applies programme-specific subject criteria. For 2026/2027, Medicine applicants are expected to have English and mathematics and to have studied biology and/or chemistry, with stated thresholds applying to required subjects. Dentistry has higher stated thresholds in biology and chemistry and gives priority to applicants who completed both. The business bachelor’s requires English and mathematics; Latvian is required only for applicants holding the specified Latvian school credential. English-language evidence and exemptions are governed by the detailed admissions procedure. Deadlines differ according to citizenship and visa-assessment category. As of 20 August 2026, the September 2026 international intake was closed. Applications for the February 2027 intake in Medicine and Dentistry were scheduled to open on 1 September 2026, with deadlines of 1 October for applicants from additional-assessment countries, 1 November for other non-EU/EEA applicants, and 1 December for EU/EEA and visa-free-country applicants. Applicants should use the live deadline page because programme availability and nationality categories affect the correct date.

RSU’s academic identity is centered on health care and life sciences, complemented by social sciences and business. The university’s 2026/2027 English-taught undergraduate-entry options include six-year Medicine, five-year Dentistry, and the three-year bachelor’s programme in International Business and Start-up Entrepreneurship. Medicine awards an MD and Dentistry a DDS; RSU classifies these as second-level professional higher-education programmes rather than bachelor’s programmes. English-taught master’s options listed for 2026/2027 include Health Management, International Relations and Diplomacy, Digital Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Management, and Biostatistics. The English-language selection is narrower than RSU’s Latvian-language catalogue, so language and intake availability should be checked at programme level. The university also offers doctoral study in Health Care and Social Sciences. Its official history page confirms provision from bachelor’s through doctoral level, alongside continuing education. Teaching in the clinical programmes is not confined to a single campus building. RSU states that tuition supports access to its laboratories and equipment and to departments, wards, and lecture rooms at several Riga hospitals. This is particularly relevant to prospective medical and dental students evaluating the practical setting of their education. Programme pages should be used to confirm the precise award, accreditation period, study language, workload, and study location because these details differ across disciplines and credentials.

Key Highlights

• Public higher-education institution listed by Latvia’s Ministry of Education and Science
• Institutional history dates to the opening of the Rīga Medical Institute in 1950
• Current name was approved in 1998
• Five-faculty structure has been in place since the 2024 reorganization

Student Life & Environment

International students entering in September 2026 receive a Welcome Week before teaching begins. RSU describes this as an introduction to study groups, university systems, academic processes, health and safety information, and immigration procedures. The International Student Association participates in orientation, while students also elect a group leader during the week. This structured start may be particularly useful for students arriving in Latvia for the first time. RSU’s international incoming-student guidance identifies two hostels offered to incoming international students: Dzirciems, beside the main university building, and Āgenskalns, approximately 15 minutes away by public transport. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so an offer of admission does not guarantee university accommodation. RSU notes that many international students instead rent privately and that demand for reasonably priced housing is high. The university’s 2026/2027 calendar places the first semester from 1 September 2026 to 24 January 2027 and the second from 1 February to 27 June 2027. Students should therefore consider housing availability across the full academic year rather than only during orientation. International students must also complete formal enrolment steps, including delivery of qualifying educational documents in the required paper form.

Location & Surroundings

RSU’s main building is at 16 Dzirciema iela in Riga, Latvia’s capital. The university uses an urban, multi-site model: its main administrative and teaching base is in Dzirciems, while clinical education can involve departments and teaching rooms in several Riga hospitals. Students in health programmes should therefore expect travel between study bases rather than assuming that every activity occurs in one complex. The Dzirciems hostel is next to the main building. The Āgenskalns hostel is near Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital and is described by RSU as approximately 15 minutes from the main building by public transport. This makes accommodation choice relevant to commuting patterns and clinical placements. RSU advises that eligible students can apply for a personalized municipal public-transport e-ticket using their student card, identification, and university confirmation. Its 2026 incoming-student guidance states that this provides a 70% discount on routes operated by the municipal transport company. Students should confirm eligibility and the current application procedure after arrival.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026/2027 English-taught study, RSU lists annual tuition of EUR 13,500 for Medicine and EUR 15,500 for Dentistry. The International Business and Start-up Entrepreneurship bachelor’s is listed at EUR 3,300 per year. Published annual master’s fees range from EUR 3,400 for International Relations and Diplomacy to EUR 5,000 for Biostatistics and Digital Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Management, with Health Management at EUR 4,500. Doctoral tuition is listed as EUR 20,000 per year for Health Care and EUR 6,000 for Social Sciences. International students pay tuition by semester before each semester begins. RSU also lists a non-refundable EUR 100 application fee for most applicants. A separate EUR 1,800 registration administration fee applies to students beginning Medicine or Dentistry. These figures do not include personal living costs, and RSU does not publish a single guaranteed room-and-board amount on the cited admissions pages. Hostel availability is limited, so applicants should budget for the possibility of private rental. Career outcomes depend strongly on the programme. Medicine and Dentistry lead to regulated professional qualifications, and graduates planning to practise outside Latvia should verify licensing, language, internship, and recognition requirements with the competent authority in their intended country. The business, social-science, biostatistics, and health-management awards lead to different professional paths; no unsupported placement rate, salary, or employer claim should be inferred from the programme titles.