Romania offers a wide range of ways to study abroad: a computer science degree in Cluj-Napoca, business study in Bucharest, or an English-taught medical programme with a substantial practical component. For many students, the attraction is a combination of interesting courses, lively university cities and the possibility of a manageable overall budget.
The best choice starts with what you want to learn. Tuition, accommodation and admissions vary considerably, so the phrase “study in Romania” covers very different experiences. This guide helps you compare them, with a strong focus on bachelor’s and master’s options taught in English.
Revisado: 18 de outubro de 2026. The dated fee examples use published 2026–27 or 2026 admissions information. Future intakes may have different fees and deadlines.
Romania at a glance
- Moeda: Romanian leu, abbreviated RON. Some university fees are quoted in euros.
- English-taught study: available in areas including business, computing and medicine.
- Fee categories: EU and non-EU applicants may follow different admission and payment arrangements.
- Living costs: depend heavily on the city and whether you obtain a dormitory place or rent privately.
- Funding: university support and government scholarships have different eligibility and language conditions.
Can you study in Romania in English?
Yes. The official Study in Romania programme search lets you compare subjects, cities, degree levels and teaching languages. Choose English as part of your search, then explore the exact course on the university website.
It is worth separating the language of lectures from the language used in practical work and everyday life. An English-taught computing programme and an English-taught medical programme can have very different expectations when students begin working with local organisations or patients.
You can start by learning in English and gradually add Romanian to your experience. Language classes, friendships and simple everyday conversations make the country more accessible. Ask how the university supports this, particularly if a practical placement forms part of your course.
Universities and English-taught course examples
Computing in Cluj-Napoca
Babeș-Bolyai University’s Computer Science bachelor’s programme has an English-language route, normally taking three years and carrying 180 ECTS. Its 2026–27 English syllabus includes programming, mathematics, algorithms, databases and later specialist work.
Read a curriculum like a preview of the skills you will practise. If you enjoy solving problems and making things, look at the projects and internship component. If you are considering a future master’s degree, pay attention to the mathematical and theoretical foundation as well.
Business and specialist master’s study in Bucharest
The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, often called ASE, offers foreign-language study at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Its English-taught master’s list includes Applied Finance, Business Strategy and Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics and Digital Business and Innovation, among other subjects.
That variety gives you a chance to choose a direction within business rather than treating every management course as interchangeable. Someone who enjoys turning data into decisions may want a very different programme from someone developing a family business or a new venture.
Medicine and healthcare
O 2026 international admissions information from Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca includes Medicine in English over six years and 360 ECTS, and Nursing in English over four years and 240 ECTS. It also describes its other language and programme options.
For healthcare study, spend time understanding the experience: laboratory teaching, clinical placements, contact with patients, the progression between years and language learning. If you already have a destination in mind for professional practice, include that country’s practical training and entry requirements in your planning.
These examples are starting points, not a national ranking. The university’s teaching approach, support and course content matter more than collecting a long list of names.
Which Romanian city should you choose?
Begin with the course, then consider the life around it. Bucharest may appeal if you want a capital-city setting and a wide range of activities. Cluj-Napoca offers a different university environment, including the computing and healthcare examples above. Iași, Timișoara and other university cities are also worth exploring through the national programme search.
Compare the actual campus location with the accommodation you can afford. A room close to your teaching building may be more useful than a cheaper apartment that adds a long commute. For a course using several hospitals or teaching sites, ask where you will spend each year.
Try to picture an ordinary week: lectures, shopping, study time, a club or sport, and an evening with friends. Choosing somewhere you can enjoy that routine is part of choosing a successful study experience.
Tuition fees in Romania
Fees vary by university, subject, teaching language and applicant category. The national orientação de admissões explains that EU applicants compete under the same conditions as Romanian applicants, including access to state-funded places where eligible. This does not mean every English-taught course is free: fee-paying routes also exist.
For concrete comparisons, the following published examples are more useful than one country-wide average:
- ASE undergraduate admission, non-EU route, 2026–27: €3,500 tuition per year plus a €350 registration fee, as listed on its página de admissões.
- ASE master’s admission, non-EU route, 2026–27: €4,500 tuition per year plus a €450 registration fee. Special MBA programmes have their own fees.
- UMF Cluj international admissions, 2026: the published fee information lists €10,000 annual tuition and a €300 processing fee. Match the course and campus to the relevant admission route.
These are not interchangeable fee categories. An EU student should not simply use a non-EU quotation, and a specialist MBA should not be budgeted using a general master’s fee. Ask for the annual total, payment dates and the conditions attached to any deposit.
Living costs: affordable does not mean effortless
O oficial Study in Romania living-cost page gives accommodation examples starting from about €80 a month in dormitories, rooms in shared apartments below €250, and whole apartments around €400–€650 in major cities. Those examples depend on availability and the type of housing. A low advertised dormitory price is useful only if you actually have a place.
The same source gives food examples of €150–€400 a month and utilities of €80–€150. Build your plan from the offer you receive, including whether utility costs are shared and which services are included.
Illustrative monthly plan: €350 for a room, €80 for utilities, €250 for food, €25 for transport, €20 for a phone, €50 for insurance and €125 for personal spending and a reserve totals €900. These are planning assumptions for one student, not official averages or an immigration minimum.
Twelve months at €900 comes to €10,800. With the ASE non-EU undergraduate example above, €3,500 tuition and a €350 registration fee bring the first-year subtotal to €14,650. Travel, a deposit, document preparation and other arrival expenses are additional. Students with a confirmed lower-cost dormitory place may construct a smaller budget; those renting alone may need more.
Allow for currency conversion if your income or savings are held outside Romania. It is also worth keeping a small reserve for the start of term, when several costs can arrive together.
Scholarships: match the funding to the teaching language
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship is often mentioned in study-abroad searches. Its 2026–27 call is aimed at eligible non-EU applicants, but bachelor’s and master’s study under this scheme is in Romanian. A preparatory language year is available where needed.
Medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy are excluded from that call. The application deadline was 31 March 2026, so that round is closed. It should not be advertised as an open scholarship for an English-taught medical or business degree. A future round needs its own published dates and conditions.
Other possibilities include university awards, exchanges and funding linked to particular partnerships. Use the official scholarship overview and each institution’s information alongside our growing Catálogo de bolsas de estudo.
A useful funding comparison asks four questions: what does the award cover, when is it paid, how long does it last, and what will you still need to fund? An award that covers tuition alone can make a real difference, while still leaving a separate living-cost budget.
Applications and documents
Applications are organised by the university and the relevant applicant route. Start with your chosen course rather than assuming there is one national deadline. The official admissions overview explains the general routes, but the university supplies the detailed calendar and selection method.
For undergraduate study, prepare your school-leaving qualification and results. For a master’s, prepare the relevant bachelor’s documents and any requested evidence of subject preparation. English-language evidence, an interview, a test, a portfolio or a motivation statement may also form part of the application.
Some institutions have additional eligibility conditions. ASE’s current non-EU guidance, for example, includes limits on the time since the previous qualification. If you are returning to education after working, discuss your situation with the admissions team early.
As you plan the next intake, distinguish current fee information from future application dates. Keep a simple calendar for admission, any scholarship application, accommodation and arrival arrangements. This helps you move steadily without leaving everything to the final few weeks.
Visas and residence in Romania
For non-EU applicants, permission to visit Romania for a short trip is not the same as permission to live there for a degree. The General Inspectorate for Immigration’s study guidance describes the long-stay study visa and subsequent residence process.
The standard visa document list includes acceptance for study, payment of at least one year’s tuition, evidence of financial means and medical insurance, with applicable exceptions. Use the current official route for your situation instead of an old universal figure for proof of funds.
For EU/EEA/Swiss citizens staying longer than three months, the official residence guidance explains local registration. The university’s international office can help you organise the practical sequence after admission.
Work, internships and life after study
The immigration authority states that people holding a temporary right of residence for study may work without a separate employment permit under a part-time employment contract of no more than six hours a day. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens follow the applicable free-movement arrangements.
That can create room for experience and additional income, but a job is not guaranteed. Your course workload, language skills and the kind of work available all matter. Clinical placements, laboratories and examinations may make some weeks much less flexible than others.
Ask your department about projects, internships, student organisations and links with employers. The useful question is what you will actually do: build software, analyse a business problem, support a research project or practise working with people. Those experiences can help you discover strengths and interests that were not obvious when you first applied.
Common questions about studying in Romania
Is studying in Romania free?
There are state-funded places and scholarships for eligible applicants, alongside fee-paying programmes. The answer depends on your course, admission route and funding outcome. Living expenses still need to be covered.
Can I study medicine in English?
Yes. UMF Cluj’s published international offer includes Medicine in English. Look at the full six-year experience, practical teaching, language learning and the costs across the degree.
Will €600 a month be enough to live on?
It may work for some students with inexpensive accommodation and careful spending, but it is not a reliable promise for every city or housing situation. Begin with an actual room offer, then add food, utilities, transport, insurance and a reserve.
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