The average taxable income of recent Bulgarian university graduates has increased to EUR 1,625, while unemployment remains just above 2% and the proportion of international students continues to grow, according to the 2026 edition of Bulgaria’s University Ranking System.
The findings were presented at a news conference at the Education and Science Ministry on Thursday, attended by Education Minister Georgi Valchev and Georgi Stoychev of the Open Society Institute – Sofia, representing the consortium responsible for compiling the rankings.
The latest edition shows that higher academic qualifications are associated with better employment prospects and earnings, although substantial differences remain between fields of study and individual universities.
Graduate Employment and Earnings
Among Bulgarian citizens who graduated from universities in Bulgaria over the previous five years, 61% work in positions requiring higher education or in occupations corresponding to their qualifications, unchanged from last year but up from 46% in 2014.
Unemployment among recent graduates remains slightly above 2%, while the share not covered by Bulgaria’s social insurance system has fallen to a record low of 13%, compared with more than 25% in 2014.
Average taxable income has increased from EUR 1,417 last year to EUR 1,625, nearly three times the EUR 543 recorded in 2016.
Employment outcomes vary considerably by degree level. Some 86% of graduates from integrated master’s programmes entered directly after secondary school work in positions requiring higher education or in occupations corresponding to their qualifications. The proportion is 69% among graduates from master’s programmes undertaken after a previous university degree and 51% among bachelor’s graduates.
Doctoral graduates have particularly strong employment outcomes, with 93% working in positions corresponding to their qualifications and average earnings almost twice those of bachelor’s graduates.
Unemployment is below 1% among graduates in Military Studies, Medicine, Pharmacy, Mathematics and Dental Medicine. The highest rates are recorded in Tourism (3.58%), Social Work (3.34%), Psychology (3.2%) and Education (3.11%).
The highest average taxable incomes by field are recorded among graduates in Military Studies (EUR 3,747) and Computer Science (EUR 2,553). Graduates in National Security, Metallurgy, Communications and Computer Engineering, Energy, Mathematics and Public Health also earn more than EUR 2,000 on average.
At individual university and programme level, the highest average taxable income is recorded among master’s graduates in Administration and Management at the American University in Bulgaria (EUR 5,591), followed by Military Studies graduates from the Georgi Rakovski Military Academy (EUR 4,913).
International Students and University Enrolment
The share of international students in Bulgarian higher education has almost doubled over the past decade, rising from 4.7% in 2016 to nearly 9% in 2026.
International students account for 58% of enrolment in Medicine, 49% in Dental Medicine and 31% in Veterinary Medicine. Their share also exceeds 10% in Pharmacy, Tourism, Transport, Shipping and Aviation, and Music and Dance.
Economics remains the largest field of study, with 28,997 students, followed by Education (15,824), Medicine (13,643) and Administration and Management (12,811).
Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski has the largest student population at 20,205, followed by the University of National and World Economy with 18,486 and Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski with 17,005.
Half of all students in Bulgaria attend the country’s eight largest universities, while the other half are distributed among 43 institutions. Nearly 12% study at private universities.
Student Background and Academic Performance
One in three students at Bulgarian universities is a first-generation university student, meaning neither parent has completed higher education. However, fewer than 2% come from families in which their parents have only primary education or less.
The average secondary-school diploma grade among newly admitted university students has reached 5.16 on Bulgaria’s six-point grading scale, up from 5.14 last year. This is the highest level recorded since the ranking system began tracking the indicator in 2013.
Students entering Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine and Mathematics have the highest average secondary-school grades, ranging from 5.65 to 5.72.
Student survey results also indicate that attendance at practical classes is more common than attendance at lectures. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents agree or somewhat agree that most of their fellow students regularly attend practical classes, compared with 50% who say the same about lectures.
Three quarters of students regard attendance at practical classes as compulsory, compared with 48% for lectures.
University Rankings
Sofia University ranks first in 22 of the 29 professional fields in which it participates, while the Technical University of Sofia leads in six of its 11 fields.
Medical University – Sofia ranks first in all five fields in which it offers education. The University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy and the Agricultural University in Plovdiv each lead in three fields.
Universities based in Sofia occupy first place in 44 field-specific rankings, compared with 12 led by institutions outside the capital. Some rankings have joint leaders.
The 2026 University Ranking System compares 51 accredited higher education institutions across 52 professional fields. It uses indicators covering teaching, research, learning conditions, accessibility, institutional reputation and graduate employment outcomes.
The system draws on data from universities, national education and statistical institutions, social insurance and tax authorities, international research databases and surveys of students, employers, academic staff and university administrators.
Bulgarian University Graduates’ Earnings Rise, Foreign Student Numbers Grow, 2026 Rankings Show THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-08 09:28:00
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