Graduates in Bulgaria have an average taxable income of €1,625, up from €1,417 last year, according to the 2026 edition of the University Ranking System. Education and science minister Prof Georgi Valchev and Georgi Stoychev of the Open Society Institute – Sofia presented the data. The institute belongs to the consortium that compiles the ranking.
This article follows our earlier report on the upcoming presentation of the University Ranking System, in which we said the education ministry would release the data on 8 October at 10:00.
In 2016, young graduates had an average taxable income of €543, so today's figure is nearly three times higher. The ranking looks at people who graduated in the past five years. Applicants use it to choose where to study. It tracks income, social insurance cover, unemployment and work in the field of study.
The data shows that 61% of Bulgarian graduates who finished their studies in Bulgaria work in a job that requires a degree or practise a profession by vocation. The share is the same as last year. In 2014 it was 46%. Unemployment is just over 2%, and about 1% among those with a master's degree taken straight after secondary school. In Bulgaria, 13% of graduates pay no social insurance, the lowest share so far. In 2014 it was over 25%.
The ranking links a higher level of education to better job prospects. In graduate-level jobs or in a profession by vocation work 86% of those with a master's degree straight after secondary school, 69% of those with a master's after an earlier degree and 51% of bachelor's graduates. Among PhD students, 93% work in a job that matches their qualification. Their incomes are almost twice as high as those of people with only a bachelor's degree. Master's graduates earn more, are more likely to be insured and are less likely to be unemployed than bachelor's graduates.
Big gaps remain between fields of study. Unemployment is below 1% in military studies, medicine, pharmacy, mathematics and dentistry. It is highest in tourism (3.58%), social work (3.34%), psychology (3.2%), pedagogy (3.11%) and teaching methodology (2.84%).
More than 90% of graduates work in their field in military studies, medicine, dentistry, education theory and management, and pharmacy. The lowest share is in tourism, at 25%. In education theory and management, pharmacy and military studies, over 94% of graduates are insured in Bulgaria. The fewest insured in Bulgaria are graduates of transport, shipping and aviation, and of fine arts (under 76%).
Average taxable income is highest in military studies (€3,747), followed by informatics and computer science (€2,553). Incomes are also above €2,000 in national security, metallurgy, communications and computer engineering, energy, mathematics and public health.
The ranking says there are also big gaps between universities, even within one field. Master's graduates in administration and management at the American University earn the most, at €5,591. Next come military studies at the Georgi Stoykov Rakovski Military Academy (€4,913), informatics and computer science at Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski (€4,368) and the same field at New Bulgarian University (€4,194).
Among bachelor's graduates, the highest incomes go to those in national security at the Interior Ministry Academy (€3,766) and in informatics and computer science at Sofia University (€3,563). Next are military studies at the Georgi Benkovski Air Force University (€3,373) and at the Vasil Levski National Military University (€3,343).
New first-year students have an average secondary school diploma grade of 5.16 nationwide, up from 5.14 last year. It is the highest since 2013, when tracking of this data began. Grades are highest in medicine (5.72), pharmacy (5.70), dentistry (5.68) and mathematics (5.65). They are lowest in materials science (4.36), mining and mineral processing (4.71) and animal husbandry (4.71).
In 2026, the most students are in economics (28,997), pedagogy (15,824), medicine (13,643) and administration and management (12,811). The fewest, 78, are in theory of the arts. Sofia University has 20,205 active students, the University of National and World Economy 18,486 and Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski 17,005. The eight biggest universities teach half of all students. The other half study at the remaining 43 accredited institutions. Thirteen institutions have fewer than 1,000 students, and three of them have fewer than 100.
Private universities teach almost 12% of students in Bulgaria. Their share is highest in theatre and film arts (67%), fine arts (43%), administration and management (40%), psychology (38%) and national security (32%).
The number of foreign students is also rising. In 2016 they made up 4.7% of active students. Now they are nearly 9%, almost double. Their share is highest in medicine (58%), dentistry (49%) and veterinary medicine (31%). They also make up over 10% in four other fields: pharmacy (15%), tourism (13%), transport, shipping and aviation (13%) and music and dance (10%).
There are 114 joint programmes with foreign institutions, and 44 of them are active, meaning they have at least one current student. Active programmes exist in 21 fields. Altogether, 3.3% of all active students have studied in them.
Since 2025 the ranking has also included indicators on attendance at lectures and seminars. In a survey, 69% of students agreed or mostly agreed that most of their peers go to seminars regularly. For lectures the share is 50%. Some 75% of students consider seminar attendance compulsory, and 48% say the same about lectures.
One in three students at Bulgarian universities is a first-generation student, meaning neither parent has a degree.