Bulgaria is taking part in a Europe-wide survey of university graduates on how they fare in the job market. The Ministry of Education and Science said the Eurograduate 2026 survey starts on 2 November.
Bulgaria is in the third phase of the study. Students in the sample get an email with a link, sent to the address they gave to the register under Article 10, paragraph 2, item 3, letter "v" of the Higher Education Act. Taking part is voluntary, and the survey is anonymous.
Graduates will be asked if they are happy with their studies, how they paid their way while at university, whether they travelled abroad and how they have done in their careers. Two groups will be surveyed: those who graduated in the 2020/2021 academic year and those who graduated in 2024/2025.
Seventeen European countries take part: Austria, Germany, Greece, Estonia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. The survey is part of the GRADE II project, which is funded by the Erasmus+ programme. In Bulgaria the ministry is responsible for it. It will monitor and analyse how graduates fare, using the relevant technical and organisational measures.
The aim is to learn how university study affects graduates' working lives and their role in society as European citizens. The ministry says the data will allow a comparison of higher education systems across Europe. This will help find ways to improve them, so young people leave better prepared for the job market and for public life.
Results will be presented only as combined figures. Answers are confidential and cannot be linked to any one person. The data is handled under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. It is known as the General Data Protection Regulation and repeals Directive 95/46/EC. The Personal Data Protection Act and other applicable laws also apply.
On 8 October, education and science minister Prof Georgi Valchev presented the 2026 Ranking System of Universities in Bulgaria. He said the quality of higher education is judged in three ways. The National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency checks what each university offers and how well it teaches. The universities have their own assessment systems. The Ranking System shows how well graduates do in their careers.
Prof Valchev said the ranking is the best guide to help future students and their families choose a university on the basis of good information.