Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“
Bulgaria's oldest university, founded in 1888, with 16 faculties and a small set of English-taught degrees.
- Students
- 21,579
- International
- 8%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 7.4:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €3,300
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1888
About Sofia University
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is the first higher education institution in Bulgaria. It began on 1 October 1888 as a pedagogy course attached to a Sofia gymnasium, was turned into a High School by act of parliament in December 1888, and grew into a university with faculties of history and philology, physics and mathematics, and law. Its main building at 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, funded by the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev, opened in 1934.
Today the university has 16 faculties plus a branch in Burgas, covering the humanities, law, economics, the natural sciences, mathematics and informatics, theology, education and medicine. Science faculties such as Mathematics and Informatics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are on separate campuses around the city. The University Library is the largest academic library in Bulgaria, with more than 2.5 million items.
Most teaching is in Bulgarian, and non-EU students without B2 Bulgarian spend a preparatory year learning the language first. A small group of bachelor's programmes is taught fully in English, including Medicine, Pharmacy, Quantum, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Philosophy, African Studies, and European Union and European Integration. The university suits students who want a broad, traditional public university in a capital city at a modest cost, and who are ready for a document-heavy, Bulgarian-style application process.
Ipsa scientia potestas est
“Knowledge itself is power” — university motto
Why students choose Sofia University
Non-EU tuition is modest by European standards: most bachelor's programmes cost 3,300 euros a year in 2026-27, with Medicine at 8,000 euros.
English-taught bachelor's degrees include Medicine, Pharmacy, Quantum, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Philosophy, African Studies, Climate Change and Management, and an ICAEW-accredited Accounting, Finance and Digital Applications degree.
Bulgarian and EU students on state-funded places pay only 0 to 480 euros a year in 2026-27.
The university has about 6,300 dormitory beds in Studentski grad, Sofia's student district.
Admissions
Entry autumn 2027 (2027-28 academic year)
Selectivity
Sofia University does not publish an acceptance rate. Bulgarian and EU applicants are ranked on a score built from entrance exam or state matriculation exam results plus relevant school grades. Non-EU applicants are ranked on their documents (Medicine in English and some other programmes also require an entrance exam) and need at least 62% of the maximum grade in the subjects that count for their programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Non-EU secondary school certificate | A school-leaving certificate that gives access to university in the country where it was issued, recognised in Bulgaria, with at least 62% of the maximum grade in the subjects that count for the programme; documents must be legalised and translated into Bulgarian. |
|---|---|
| EU/EEA citizens | Apply on the same terms as Bulgarian citizens: ranked on university entrance exams or Bulgarian state matriculation exams plus school grades. |
| English language | English-taught programmes require English at CEFR B2; the university does not list minimum IELTS or TOEFL scores. For Accounting, Finance and Digital Applications, applicants without proof of English sit an English exam at the university. Applicants without the required language level otherwise take a one-year preparatory language course (3,500 euros in 2025-26). |
Deadlines
- Bulgarian and EU applicants: ranking registration (2026 intake, past) Non-binding Passed2 July 2026
Online registration ran 12 June to 2 July 2026. Entrance exam registration closed on 31 March 2026 (first session) and 1 June 2026 (second session).
- Non-EU applicants, programmes starting in the winter semester (2026 intake, past) Non-binding Passed11 September 2026
Documents were accepted from 27 July to 11 September 2026. The 2027 dates had not been published when checked.
- Non-EU applicants, programmes starting in the summer semester Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027
From the 2026-27 admission rules; applies only to programmes that start in the summer semester.
The dates above are from the 2026-27 admission rules; the rules for 2027-28 entry had not been published when checked on 30 September 2026. Non-EU applicants should allow time for Ministry processing and a type D visa, which takes at least a month.
How to apply
Non-EU applicants submit documents in person or through a notarised representative to the university's Student Admissions sector: application form, legalised and translated school certificate with its recognition, proof of the right to university study at home, passport copy, two photos, a language certificate and proof of the application fee. The university forwards the file to the Ministry of Education and Science, which issues a certificate used to apply for a Bulgarian type D visa. Bulgarian and EU applicants register online at online.uni-sofia.bg for exams and ranking.
What admissions looks for
- School grades of at least 62% of the maximum in the subjects that count towards your chosen programme.
- For Bulgarian and EU applicants, strong results in the university's entrance exams or the state matriculation exams, combined with relevant school grades in a ranking score.
- B2 English for English-taught programmes, or B2 Bulgarian for Bulgarian-taught programmes (otherwise a preparatory year).
- For Medicine in English, a good result in the entrance exam, which is used for ranking.
Tips for applying to Sofia University
- 1 Start legalising and translating your school documents early: they must be translated into Bulgarian and certified before you can apply.
- 2 If you have no B2 Bulgarian, budget for the preparatory language year before your degree starts, or choose one of the English-taught programmes.
- 3 Applicants to Medicine in English must sit an entrance exam on set dates, so check the exam schedule as soon as the 2027 rules appear.
- 4 EU citizens pay the same low state-funded fees as Bulgarians, but go through the Bulgarian exam and ranking process with its spring and early-summer deadlines.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Bulgarian and EU students can compete for state-funded places with very low fees. Enrolled students can apply each semester for state merit scholarships and scholarships for priority fields, and outside funders such as the Eureka Foundation offer annual scholarships. Students with dual Bulgarian citizenship pay half the foreign-student fee.
- 3,500 euros
- Preparatory language course (2025-26)
- About 6,300
- Dormitory beds in Studentski grad
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (winter and summer)
Medicine (in English)
Taught in English at the Faculty of Medicine, with five years of study plus an internship year; entry by exam; 8,000 euros a year for non-EU students in 2026-27.
Quantum, Nuclear and Particle Physics (in English)
English-taught physics BSc focused on subatomic physics, accelerators, dosimetry and computational science, with research in faculty departments encouraged from the first year.
Accounting, Finance and Digital Applications (in English)
English-taught economics degree accredited by the ICAEW, requiring B2 English and good school mathematics.
European Union and European Integration (in English)
Four-year BA aimed at non-EU students, combining EU law, international relations, politics and economics with three European languages.
African Studies (in English)
The only programme in Bulgaria offering English-taught African studies with French or Portuguese and one or two African languages.
Pharmacy (in English)
Taught at the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy; 6,000 euros a year for non-EU students in 2026-27.
Research
- The University Library is Bulgaria's largest academic library, holding more than 2.5 million items and receiving a legal deposit copy of every Bulgarian publication since 1925.
- The university's Astronomical Observatory, founded in 1897, was the first in Bulgaria and the first building constructed for the university.
- The Sofia University Mountains on Alexander Island, Antarctica, were named after the university in recognition of its contribution to Antarctic exploration.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Slavic Studies
- Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology
- Faculty of History
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Medicine
Student life
Sofia University is spread across the city: the historic main building stands on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, while several science faculties have their own campuses. Students in university housing mostly live in Studentski grad, the city's student district, where the university has about 6,300 dormitory beds. Every 8 December Bulgaria marks the Day of Bulgarian University Students, a holiday that grew out of the university's own celebration of its patron, and 25 November is kept as the feast of St. Kliment Ohridski.
- 8 December, the Day of Bulgarian University Students, began as the university's own celebration.
- About 6,300 dormitory beds in Studentski grad, allocated through an annual ranking.
- The largest university library in Bulgaria, with more than 2.5 million items.
- Erasmus exchanges and long-standing partnerships with universities abroad.
Housing. Dormitory places in Studentski grad are allocated each year through a ranking and then a placement procedure, with dates set by order of the Rector.
Location
Sofia is Bulgaria's capital and largest city, set in the Sofia Valley at the foot of Vitosha mountain. The university's main building sits on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard in the city centre, and other faculties and the Studentski grad dormitories are spread across the city. University fees are set in euros, and the university advises non-EU students to arrange health insurance before arriving.
Nearest airport: Sofia Airport (SOF)
Notable alumni
- JK Julia KristevaPhilosopher, literary critic and psychoanalyst; studied at the University of Sofia before moving to France
- TT Tzvetan TodorovHistorian, philosopher and literary theorist; degree in philology (1963)
- ZZ Zhelyu ZhelevFirst democratically elected President of Bulgaria; studied philosophy (graduated 1958, PhD 1974)
- GP Georgi ParvanovPresident of Bulgaria 2002-2012; history graduate (1981)
- IS Ivan StranskiPhysical chemist, founder of the Bulgarian school of physical chemistry; chemistry graduate (1922)
- DS Dimitar SasselovHarvard astronomy professor; studied astronomy and earned a doctorate in physics at Sofia University
- EB Elisaveta BagryanaPoet; studied Slavic philology
Frequently asked questions
How much does Sofia University cost for international students?
For 2026-27, non-EU students pay 3,300 euros a year for most bachelor's programmes, rising to 8,000 euros for Medicine. EU students on state-funded places pay 0 to 480 euros a year.
Does Sofia University teach in English?
Mostly in Bulgarian, but several bachelor's degrees are taught in English, including Medicine, Pharmacy, Quantum, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Philosophy, African Studies, Climate Change and Management, and European Union and European Integration.
When is the Sofia University application deadline for international students?
For the 2026 intake, non-EU applicants submitted documents between 27 July and 11 September 2026. The 2027 dates had not been published when checked, so watch the admissions pages from early 2027.
Do I need to speak Bulgarian to study at Sofia University?
Only for Bulgarian-taught programmes, which require B2 Bulgarian. Without it, you first take a one-year preparatory language course (3,500 euros in 2025-26).
Is there an entrance exam for Medicine at Sofia University?
Yes. All applicants to Medicine in English sit an entrance exam and are ranked on the result.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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