The number of young people from Burgas starting university abroad this year rose by 66%, and interest in studying outside Bulgaria among Burgas students is up 12%, an analysis by Integral Bulgaria shows.

The top choice for Burgas applicants is the Netherlands, followed by Austria, Italy, Germany and Ireland. Computer science, art and design now beat business and economics, while tourism, psychology and engineering also rank high.

Across Bulgaria, 9% more students are heading abroad to study. For the third year running, the Netherlands leads with a 32% share, up 5% on the previous period. Spain is second with 16%, and the number of Bulgarians enrolling there has doubled.

Besides Madrid and Barcelona, Bulgarians are increasingly choosing Valencia, Seville, Murcia, Alicante and Malaga. More than 95% of those who want to study in Spanish apply to state universities, while English-language courses split 70-30 between state and private schools.

Austria and Italy each take a 10% share, Germany 9%. Austria stays in the top five thanks to early admissions at universities of applied sciences, where applications for German- and English-language courses run from March to June. Germany is strong in engineering, medicine, economics, architecture and law, all taught in German.

Annual tuition in Ireland runs from 2,500 to 5,000 euros. As EU citizens, Bulgarians can cover it with income-based grants. Most applicants there want to study music, 3D animation, visual effects, film and directing.

In Belgium, the share of Bulgarian students for the 2026/2027 academic year is up 21%, with annual tuition of 1,181 euros. Business, computer science, art and design are most in demand, drawn by low costs, hands-on teaching and cheaper housing. France also has lower fees, while Finland, Sweden and Denmark offer free tuition. Applicants are also looking at Monaco, Malta and Hungary.

Business, economics, computer science, technology, engineering and design remain the top fields, and interest in law and psychology is growing this year. Education experts say these are areas where people still matter most and where artificial intelligence will have less impact.

Varna saw the biggest rise in Bulgaria, with 69% more students starting university abroad this autumn. Varna students are choosing the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, Spain and Germany, in subjects such as aviation engineering, international and European law, international relations, shipbuilding and marine engineering, and media and communications.

In Plovdiv and the surrounding region, the rise is 25% on last year. The top five destinations are the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Italy and Belgium, in business, economics, computer science, engineering, design and medicine. Most students leaving come from the language schools, the Mathematical High School and the Vocational High School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, followed by the "Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov" Language School and "Akademik Boyan Petkanchin" Natural Sciences High School, both in Haskovo.

This past season, Spain overtook Britain for language holidays for the first time, taking 22% of bookings against 21%, with the US third at 10%. Spain is up more than 10% on last season, and the biggest surprise is Switzerland, up more than 30%. English stays the top language choice, but Spanish has pushed German out of second place.

Secondary school pupils aged 14 to 19 make up more than 77% of those going on language holidays, children under 14 almost 19%, and adults about 4%. Sixteen-year-olds are the largest group at 22.63%, followed by 15-year-olds at 20.39%, 17-year-olds at nearly 17% and 14-year-olds at 12%. Two-week programmes account for more than 76% of bookings, one-week programmes 18%, and longer stays 6%.

For secondary education abroad, the top three destinations are Britain, Switzerland and Spain, with Portugal and Italy emerging as new options. Consultants say higher tuition and living costs are moderately cooling demand. Even so, families see boarding school as a long-term plan and compare school systems, admission terms, costs and surroundings in detail. Some are putting off sending their children until later.

Top Swiss schools and International Baccalaureate programmes often require entrance exams held in Switzerland itself, and leading schools are making their exams tougher and adding more paperwork for admission. Austria draws families with its closeness to Bulgaria, in-depth German teaching and winter sports. Vienna stands out as a top cultural and education hub.

At the autumn edition of the "World Education" exhibition, Integral Bulgaria will launch for the first time a new career-guidance package to help students spot their strengths, choose a track and subject, and test their choice through an interactive course. Every visitor will be able to get a 10-20% discount on the IELTS prep course and on career-guidance services. The Plovdiv edition will draw a record number of participants and more than ten universities from Austria, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Germany and South Korea.

In 2027, the company is considering adding Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii, Vietnam and Bali to its current list of more exotic destinations, Japan and South Korea.