Vytautas Magnus University
Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
Lithuania's liberal arts university in Kaunas, where students shape their own study plan and can add a free minor.
- Students
- 8,381
- International
- 19%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 10.6:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €3,400
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1922
About VMU
Vytautas Magnus University opened in Kaunas in 1922 as the University of Lithuania and took the name of Grand Duke Vytautas in 1930. The Soviet authorities closed it in 1950, and some of its faculties became the basis of today's Kaunas University of Technology and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. It was re-established in 1989 by Lithuanian and diaspora scholars as the country's first autonomous university and the first to introduce Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees. In 2019 Aleksandras Stulginskis University and the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences merged into it.
VMU's identity is its liberal arts model, which it calls Education 360°. Students can plan which subjects to take and when, switch programmes, and add a minor alongside their Bachelor's degree free of charge. The university offers courses in 30 modern and classical languages, from Ancient Greek and Hebrew to Japanese and Korean, and runs 33 degree programmes in English (17 Bachelor's, 16 Master's).
Today VMU has faculties from humanities, law and political science to informatics, natural sciences and the arts, plus an Agriculture Academy, an Education Academy and a Music Academy. Times Higher Education data list about 8,400 students, around a fifth of them international, and VMU says it welcomes more than 1,800 incoming students from abroad each year. It suits students who want a broad, flexible education and a small, internationally minded community at a moderate cost.
Why students choose VMU
The liberal study system lets you shape your own timetable, change programme and take a free minor alongside your Bachelor's degree.
Bachelor's tuition for non-EU students is 3,400 to 4,400 euros a year for most English-taught programmes (2026-27), with 25% to 90% waivers for citizens of priority countries.
You can study any of 30 modern and classical languages, and more than 500 courses are taught in English.
VMU runs 14 double-degree and 3 joint-degree programmes with foreign partners and has over 500 Erasmus+ partners in 50 countries.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 intake (academic year 2027-28)
Selectivity
VMU does not publish an acceptance rate. International applicants need a minimum 60% average (55% for Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, 65% for Egypt), B2 English and a successful motivational interview, and are then ranked on a programme-specific admission score that combines exam grades with the motivation letter.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school certificate | Minimum 60% average, recognised as equivalent to Lithuanian secondary education; certified and, where needed, apostilled and translated into English. |
|---|---|
| Admission score (examples, 2026 rules) | Informatics Systems: 0.4 Mathematics + 0.3 motivation letter + 0.3 English. Political Studies: 0.3 History/Geography/IT/Economics + 0.3 English + 0.1 Mathematics + 0.3 motivation letter. English Philology: 0.8 average of all exams + 0.2 English. |
| English language | IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 87 B2 English unless you are a native speaker or were educated in English: TOEFL iBT 87-109, IELTS 5.5-6.5, Cambridge First 161-180, PTE Academic 59 or Duolingo 100-125, among others. VMU does not run its own English test. Accounting and Finance (first year taught in Ukrainian/Russian) requires A2. |
Deadlines
- Bachelor's, non-EU applicants (2026 intake, past) Non-binding Passed1 May 2026
For 2026 entry, Bachelor's applications from non-EU countries ran 1 December 2025 to 1 May 2026.
- Bachelor's, EU and visa-free applicants (2026 intake, past) Non-binding Passed1 July 2026
For 2026 entry, applicants from EU and visa-free countries could apply until 1 July 2026.
- Autumn 2027 intake opens Non-bindingEarly November 2026
VMU says applications for the 2027-28 intake open at the beginning of November 2026; studies are preliminarily set to start on 23 August 2027.
The 2027 rules and deadlines had not been published when checked on 30 September 2026; VMU says they will be updated in time. Past cycles suggest a non-EU deadline around 1 May and an EU deadline around 1 July. Non-EU students should apply early, because a temporary residence permit takes at least 2-3 months.
How to apply
Apply online through DreamApply, choosing up to two programmes in order of preference. Pay the 150 euro non-refundable application fee (Ukrainian citizens are exempt), then upload your school certificate and transcript, English certificate, motivation letter (1,200-3,000 characters), CV, passport and photo. After an online interview, VMU recognises your qualification within 20 working days and the faculty decides within 5 working days. Admitted students sign a study agreement and pay the full first-year tuition before non-EU students can start the residence permit process.
What admissions looks for
- School results of at least 60% on average, with strong grades in the subjects that count towards your programme's admission score.
- B2-level English, proven by a recognised certificate or English-medium schooling.
- Clear motivation, assessed through the motivation letter and an online interview, often weighted at 30% of the score.
- Readiness for university study, sometimes checked with an online mathematics test.
Tips for applying to VMU
- 1 Treat the motivation letter seriously: for programmes such as Informatics Systems and Political Studies it makes up 30% of your admission score.
- 2 Use both programme choices on your DreamApply application; the second is considered if you don't get an offer for the first.
- 3 If you are from a priority country (for example Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia or much of Latin America), apply for the 25-90% tuition waiver, which requires at least an 85% GPA and a separate application.
- 4 Get your documents certified and apostilled early: scans of copies or phone photos are rejected and stop your application.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Citizens of priority countries and foreigners of Lithuanian origin can apply for tuition waivers of 25%, 50%, 75% or 90% for the whole Bachelor's programme (GPA at least 85%, B2 English, an offer from VMU and a separate scholarship application). Former VMU exchange students get 15% off and family members of VMU students or alumni get 25% off automatically. The 150 euro application fee is waived for Ukrainian citizens.
- 25%, 50%, 75% or 90% of tuition for the whole programme
- Priority-country Bachelor's waiver
- 25% tuition waiver
- Family members of VMU students or alumni
- 150 euros, non-refundable
- Application fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring), each with 15 weeks of lectures and two weeks of exams; the year runs from late August to the end of June.
Political Studies: World Politics and Economy (BA)
One of two English-taught politics tracks from the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, at 3,400 euros a year for non-EU students.
Informatics Systems (BA)
A four-year, 240-ECTS programme where Mathematics counts for 40% of the admission score.
Biology and Genetics (BA)
English-taught life-sciences degree ranking applicants on English, Mathematics, Biology or Chemistry and the motivation letter.
English Philology (BA)
Draws on VMU's language focus, with 30 languages on offer across the university.
Music Production (BA)
A 3.5-year programme from the Faculty of Arts, with a written test, interview and portfolio in the admission score.
Choreomundus (MA)
An Erasmus Mundus joint Master's in dance and movement heritage; 30 places a year are covered by Erasmus+ funding.
Research
- Six research institutes, including the Bioeconomy Research Institute, the Lithuanian Emigration Institute and the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute.
- VMU runs the Kaunas Botanical Garden, whose buildings make up about 11,755 square metres of the university's premises.
- VMU is a member of the Transform4Europe European University alliance and belongs to associations including the EUA, EAIE and ECOLAS.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Economics and Management
- Faculty of Catholic Theology
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Informatics
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Agriculture Academy
- Education Academy
- Music Academy
Student life
VMU's buildings are spread through central Kaunas, with the Agriculture Academy in nearby Akademija. International students join a large exchange community: more than 1,800 students come from abroad each year, and a mentor programme and orientation days help new arrivals settle in. About thirty student organisations and clubs are active, alongside long-running artistic groups such as the Women's Chamber Choir, the dance group Žilvitis and the folk ensemble Linago. Dormitory places for international Bachelor's students are limited and allocated first come, first served.
- Free minor studies alongside any Bachelor's programme.
- Courses in 30 modern and classical languages through the Institute of Foreign Languages.
- Mentor programme and autumn orientation days for international students.
- Artistic groups including the dance group Žilvitis and folk ensemble Linago.
Housing. VMU offers dormitory places to newly admitted international full-time Bachelor's students who have signed their study agreement and paid tuition (booking opens in early July), but places are limited and not guaranteed; Master's students must find private housing.
Location
Kaunas is Lithuania's second-largest city and served as the temporary capital between 1920 and 1939, the period when the university was founded; its interwar Art Deco architecture is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. VMU's faculties sit in and around the city centre. Living costs are modest by EU standards: VMU estimates 300 to 1,000 euros a month, and a monthly public transport pass costs 5.60 to 7.60 euros with a student card.
Nearest airport: Kaunas Airport (KUN)
Notable alumni
- SN Salomėja NėrisPoet; graduated in Lithuanian and German language and literature (University of Lithuania, 1928)
- BB Bernardas BrazdžionisPoet; graduated in 1934
- AJ Algirdas Julien GreimasSemiotician and literary theorist; studied law at VMU before graduating from the University of Grenoble
- AŠ Adolfas ŠapokaMedieval historian; graduated from the Faculty of Humanities in 1929
- JB Jurgis BlekaitisPoet, theatre producer and Voice of America editor; theatre degree
- SK Simonas KairysLithuanian Minister of Culture 2020-2024; BA in political science, 2007
- RV Robert van VorenDutch human rights activist and Sovietologist; PhD in political science, 2010
Frequently asked questions
How much does Vytautas Magnus University cost for international students?
For 2026-27, non-EU students pay 3,400 to 4,400 euros a year for most English-taught Bachelor's programmes, and 9,600 euros for Music Production and Performing Arts. EU/EFTA citizens pay 3,250 to 9,184 euros. There is also a 150 euro application fee.
When can I apply to VMU for 2027?
VMU says the autumn 2027 intake opens at the beginning of November 2026, with studies starting around 23 August 2027. In 2026 the Bachelor's deadline was 1 May for non-EU applicants and 1 July for EU and visa-free applicants.
What English score does VMU require?
B2 level, for example IELTS 5.5-6.5, TOEFL iBT 87-109, PTE Academic 59 or Duolingo 100-125, unless you are a native speaker or were educated in English.
Does VMU have an interview?
Yes. All applicants are invited to an online motivational interview, and some may also take an online mathematics test; certain arts programmes add their own tests or portfolios.
Does VMU offer scholarships to international students?
Citizens of priority countries, including Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia and many Latin American countries, can apply for 25-90% tuition waivers for their whole Bachelor's degree if they have at least an 85% GPA and B2 English.
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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