University of Ljubljana
Univerza v Ljubljani
Slovenia's oldest and largest university: 26 faculties and academies in a compact, walkable capital.
- Students
- 38,383
- 25,050 undergraduates
- Tuition
- €2,400
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1919
- QS World Ranking
- #530
- 2027 edition
About UL
The University of Ljubljana was founded in 1919 and is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia, with 38,383 students and 26 member faculties and academies, 23 faculties and three art academies. Its main building, the former Carniolan Provincial Mansion, stands on Congress Square in the centre of Ljubljana, and most faculties are in or close to the city centre.
UL covers almost every field, from medicine, dentistry and veterinary science to engineering, computer science, law, economics, the humanities and the arts. It runs 173 undergraduate programmes and 8 single-cycle master's programmes (such as Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy and Architecture), with 25,050 students in these first-cycle and single-cycle degrees.
Teaching at bachelor's level is almost entirely in Slovene; the one full English-taught bachelor's option for non-EU applicants is the University Degree Programme in Business and Economics at the School of Economics and Business. Full-time study is free for Slovenian, EU/EEA and Swiss students, while most other international students pay fees. UL suits students who want a broad public university in a small, safe and green capital, and who are prepared to learn Slovene or study business in English.
Why students choose UL
Full-time bachelor's and master's study carries no tuition fee for Slovenian, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, and for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo under bilateral agreements.
The School of Economics and Business offers a full English-taught bachelor's option in Business and Economics for international applicants.
Almost every discipline sits in one university, from medicine and veterinary science to the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television.
Living costs are moderate by EU standards: the university suggests at least 700 euros a month, and a student city-bus pass costs 20 euros a month.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (2026/27 dates shown; 2027/28 Call for Enrolment not yet published)
Selectivity
Admission is by points based on school results. If applications greatly exceed places, an enrolment limitation is set and applicants are ranked; minimum points for each programme are published after each round. Some programmes (arts, architecture, sport and others) also require tests of ability, and applicants from countries with a higher migration risk who need a visa must pass an interview first.
Typical entry requirements
| Slovenian general Matura | Direct entry; ranking by Matura and school results for restricted programmes |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma or European Baccalaureate | Treated as equivalent to the Slovenian general Matura; no separate recognition procedure needed |
| Other foreign secondary school certificates | Must go through UL's recognition procedure for foreign secondary education; the decision is issued within about two months of a complete application |
| English language | Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Slovene. Several programmes require proof of Slovene at B2 level by 31 July of the application year. The English-taught Business and Economics bachelor's is available to non-EU citizens and Slovenians abroad; English requirements are set by the School of Economics and Business. |
Deadlines
- First application period 2026/27 (past) Non-binding Passed18 March 2026
Opened 18 February 2026 for all applicants. Non-EU applicants who had finished school had to upload final certificates by 18 March; other proof, such as Slovene B2, by 31 July 2026.
- Second application period 2026/27, Slovenian and EU citizens (past) Non-binding Passed27 August 2026
20 to 27 August 2026, for remaining places only.
- Second application period 2026/27, non-EU citizens (past) Non-binding Passed3 September 2026
2 and 3 September 2026, run by the faculties for remaining places.
The Call for Enrolment for 2027/28 has not been published yet (the 2026/27 call was published on 30 January 2026). Expect the first application period again from mid-February to mid-March 2027; the 2026 dates above are past and shown for reference.
How to apply
Apply online through the national eVŠ portal (portal.evs.gov.si/prijava), in Slovene or English, listing up to three programmes in order of preference in the first application period. Applicants with foreign school certificates upload their certificates, transcripts and translations and go through UL's recognition procedure. You are admitted to the highest-ranked programme for which you meet the requirements and reach the minimum points.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary school qualification that gives access to higher education in the country where it was issued, recognised by UL.
- Enough points from your school results to reach the programme's minimum when places are limited.
- Passing the programme's aptitude test where one is required.
- Slovene at B2 level for programmes that require it, such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Law.
Tips for applying to UL
- 1 List your three choices carefully in the first round: you are placed in the highest-ranked one where you reach the minimum points.
- 2 If you have an IB Diploma or European Baccalaureate, you skip the foreign-certificate recognition procedure.
- 3 Check the published minimum points and enrolment limits from the previous year before choosing programmes.
- 4 If you want Medicine or Law, start learning Slovene early: B2 proof is due by 31 July, and the UL Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language runs the exam.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Tuition is waived for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, for citizens of countries with bilateral agreements, for permanent residents who are Slovenian taxpayers, and for people with international or temporary protection. Holders of Slovenian state scholarships (CMEPIUS, the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund) are also exempt. Non-EU students usually pay the full year's fee at enrolment.
- None
- Tuition for EU/EEA students (full-time)
- About 197 euros a month on average
- Student dormitory, economic price
- At least 700 euros a month
- Recommended living budget
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Business and Economics (University Degree Programme)
UL's English-taught bachelor's option for international applicants, with specialisations in management, international business and marketing; 3,400 euros a year for non-EU students.
Computer and Information Science
Taught at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, whose graduates include machine-learning researcher Marinka Žitnik.
Medicine (single-cycle master's)
A six-year, 360-ECTS programme at the Faculty of Medicine, taught in Slovene with a B2 language requirement.
Law
The Faculty of Law trained Slovenia's president Nataša Pirc Musar and Marko Bošnjak, a former President of the European Court of Human Rights.
Cognitive Science (MEi:CogSci joint master's)
An English-taught joint master's with the University of Vienna, Comenius University Bratislava and Eötvös Loránd University Budapest.
Research
- UL is Slovenia's central research institution and a member of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and the Utrecht Network.
- The university reports 7,269 employees, including teachers, researchers and assistants, across its 26 member institutions.
- Philosopher Slavoj Žižek earned his MA in philosophy at Ljubljana and is a senior researcher at its Institute for Sociology and Philosophy.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Law
- School of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Computer and Information Science
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Biotechnical Faculty
- Faculty of Architecture
- Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television
Student life
UL does not run its own housing; most students live in state student dormitories (Študentski dom Ljubljana) or private rooms, which cost 200 to 500 euros a month and can be hard to find. The city is compact and most faculties are central, so students get around by subsidised city bus (20 euros a month) or the city bike scheme. Subsidised student meals cost around 5 euros. International students have a welcome month, an international student ambassador programme and Erasmus Student Network Ljubljana, which runs welcome weeks with city tours, parties and a buddy scheme.
- Welcome month and ESN Ljubljana welcome weeks for international students.
- Subsidised student meals, around 5 euros each.
- Year Plus and other courses for learning Slovene.
- International student ambassadors and study reviews published in 15 languages.
Housing. The university has no housing of its own; foreign students can apply to the Študentski dom Ljubljana dormitories at the economic price (about 197 euros a month on average plus about 30 euros in extras) or rent privately for 200 to 500 euros.
Location
Ljubljana is Slovenia's capital, a small and green city with a pedestrian old town along the Ljubljanica river. The university's main building faces Congress Square in the centre, and most faculties are within reach by bike or bus. The Alps and the Adriatic coast are both close, and the university suggests budgeting at least 700 euros a month.
Nearest airport: Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU)
Notable alumni
- SŽ Slavoj ŽižekPhilosopher and cultural critic; MA in philosophy from Ljubljana (1975)
- JD Janez DrnovšekPrime Minister and later President of Slovenia; economics graduate (1973)
- BP Borut PahorPresident of Slovenia 2012-2022; studied political science at the Faculty of Social Sciences
- NP Nataša Pirc MusarSlovenia's first woman president; studied law at the Faculty of Law
- RG Robert GolobPrime Minister of Slovenia 2022-2026; PhD in electrical engineering (1994)
- TP Tomaž PisanskiMathematician in graph theory; BSc, MSc and PhD from Ljubljana
- MŽ Marinka ŽitnikMachine-learning and biomedical AI researcher; graduate of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science
- MB Marko BošnjakPresident of the European Court of Human Rights (2024-2025) and since 2025 a judge at the EU Court of Justice; law graduate (1999)
Frequently asked questions
Is the University of Ljubljana free for international students?
Full-time study is free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens and for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo. Other non-EU students pay 2,400 to 16,400 euros a year for bachelor's and single-cycle programmes in 2026/27.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at the University of Ljubljana?
Almost all bachelor's programmes are in Slovene. The University Degree Programme in Business and Economics at the School of Economics and Business can be taken in English by non-EU applicants and Slovenians abroad.
When do applications open at the University of Ljubljana?
In 2026 the first application period ran from 18 February to 18 March via the eVŠ portal, with a second period in late August or early September for remaining places. 2027 dates will be in the Call for Enrolment, expected around the end of January 2027.
Do I need to speak Slovene to study at the University of Ljubljana?
For most bachelor's programmes, teaching is in Slovene, and some programmes such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Law require a B2 Slovene certificate by 31 July of the application year.
Does the University of Ljubljana have student housing?
The university itself does not, but international students can apply to the Študentski dom Ljubljana dormitories, which cost about 197 euros a month on average at the economic price, or rent privately for 200 to 500 euros.
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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