Study In Kosovo

Best universities to study in Kosovo

Kosovo is a landlocked country located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula in Southern Europe. Actually, Kosovo is the youngest country in Europe. It is known for its high & beautiful mountains, hospitable people, delicious food, religious tolerance, young population and more. Also, Kosovo is a very affordable country to live and to study as well.

But first, let’s see some geographical facts about Kosovo:

  • Area: 10,908 km²
  • Population: Around 1.8 million
  • Official languages: Albanian & Serbian
  • Capital: Pristina
  • Currency: Euro (€)
  • The highest point: Gjeravica Mount
  • It shares borders with: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia & North Macedonia.

So, if you are a foreign student, looking forward to studying in a cheap country but yet in a quality university or college, you should consider Kosovo as well.

Five reasons why you should study in Kosovo:

There are a lot of reasons why you should choose Kosovo to continue your academic journey, but for starters let’s go with 5 of them:

  1. It’s a cheap country, with affordable living costs;
  2. It has cheap universities but yet qualitative;
  3. It has a young population & hospitable people;
  4. It has beautiful mountains & great places to visit;
  5. There are many international organizations and companies where you can work.

There are several universities where you can study in Kosovo, but you would like to choose the best one for you, right? Thus we have chosen the two top universities in both the public and private sector in Kosovo. 

Both of these universities cooperate with international educational institutions worldwide and their diplomas are also recognized internationally.

Top Kosovo’s university in the public sector

University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” (UP) is ranked first university in Kosovo by Webometrics Ranking of World Universities*. Also it is known as one the best universities in the Balkans region. UP was established on November 18, 1996. Now, it has over 42,000 students, about 900 academic staff, 300 employees in the administration and it has 14 faculties. 

If you want to study in this university, you can choose a respective program in one of these faculties:

  • Faculty of Philosophy
  • Faculty of Mathematical-Natural Sciences
  • Faculty of Philology
  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Economics
  • Faculty of Civil Engineering
  • Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Faculty of Arts
  • Faculty of Agriculture
  • Faculty of Sports Sciences
  • Faculty of Education
  • Faculty of Architecture

How much does this university cost?

Because it is a public university, fees are more affordable, especially for BA and MA students.

  • Bachelor studies (for regular students): 50€ per semester
  • Bachelor studies (for correspondence students): 250€ per semester
  • Postgraduate studies – Academic Master: 300€ per semester
  • Postgraduate studies – Professional Master: 600€ per semester
  • Doctoral studies – 800€ per semester

Also, there is a fee you must pay for thesis defense:

  • Academic Master: 400€
  • Professional Master: 900€
  • Doctoral dissertation: 800€

Meanwhile, for different administrative services prices vary from 5€ to 40€. More information about tuition fees in UP, you can find here. University of Pristina also offers scholarships for students who show great academic performance.

You can apply online as well, but if you are an international student, make sure to choose the “Other” option  at the top of the application, then fill it up. Click here to see which study applications are currently open at UP.

Top Kosovo’s university in the private sector

AAB University is ranked the first non-public university in Kosovo by Webometrics. It is also the first non-public institution of higher education in Kosovo, which was established in 1999. In its beginnings, AAB offered different study programs in the field of Art and Mass Communication and now it offers the most demanded program studies in 14 faculties.

Given that the main language in Kosovo is Albanian, most of the lectures in this university are held in Albanian. But AAB is very generous when it comes to foreign or international students as well. This institution offers English language lectures in the English Language Department and in the Computer Sciences Department as well. Also, other departments adapt to the needs of its students. Moreover, AAB offers courses in Bosnian language as well.

If you want to study in this AAB College, you can choose a respective program in one of these faculties:

  • Faculty of Public Administration
  • Faculty of Architecture
  • Faculty of Arts
  • Faculty of Economics
  • Faculty of English Language
  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports
  • Faculty of Mass Communication
  • Faculty of Computer Sciences
  • Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Faculty of Psychology
  • Faculty of Nursing
  • Faculty of Radiology
  • Faculty of Dentistry

AAB College is a well known education institution in  the region and more. It has cooperation and agreements with international universities in Europe & USA. Moreover, AAB is a member of:

  • Magna Charta Observatory
  • Danube Rectors’ Conference (DRC)
  • The Balkan University Association (BUA)

How much does this university cost?

Depending on the study level or program you choose, tuition fees at AAB College are starting from 990€ per an academic year. Depending on the cost of tuition at respective faculties, AAB offers these facilities for its students:

  • Monthly payment
  • Payment in 6 installments
  • Payment in 4 installments
  • Payment in 2 installments

 

Also, AAB College offers:

  • 10% discount for students who had achieved excellent grades during high school studies;
  • 10% discount for students who are from the same family.
  • Scholarships for students who achieve an average grade of studies above 9.5.

 

Extra benefits of studying in AAB University:

  • For students enrolling for the first time, AAB College offers a free driving course.
  • For all its students, AAB College provides free transportation from Pristina to Fushë Kosovo (location of AAB) and vice versa.
  • Helps its students get employed and/or offers them jobs in the college
  • Flexible lecture schedule for students who are working
  • and more…

You can apply online as well. Find the application form here.

Rents and living costs in Kosovo

According to Expatistan, living costs for a single person in Kosovo are about 660€ per month. However, according to a research conducted by ORCA, it seems that monthly living costs for students in Pristina can be lower than 660€. ORCA has organized 13 focus groups with 176 students from 13 academic units of the University of Prishtina. The research results showed that:

  • Students who travel daily from their home residence to Pristina, spend an average of 129.31€ per month.
  • Students who are permanent residents in Pristina, spend an average of 139.26€ per month.
  • Students who live in the Student Center dormitories, spend an average of 140.22€ per month.
  • Students who rent an apartment in Pristina during their studies, spend an average of 220.23 € per month.

*Some countries and institutions still do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Therefore, occasionally, some information about Kosovo is still listed under Serbia’s name.