Serbia stands as a mythical place with traces of medieval heritage filling its countryside. From Roman to Byzantine architecture present in many of the royal cities, monasteries, castles, and medieval fortifications give the illusion of ancient times.

Its dominating geography is of mountains, lakes, hills traversed by rivers, and the even Alps in the West and South-West region of the country along with a humid and subtropical climate. Serbian climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and Eurasian landmasses. It offers cold winters and hot humid summers.

Serbia is ranked 66th on the Human Development Index, 45thon Global Peace Index, and 45th on Social Progress. It provides a universal health care system as well as social security and an upper-middle-income economy. What else could you ask for as an international student?

How are Serbian universities?

Serbia has divided its higher education into two types of systems: academic studies and applied studies.

Academic studies are organized at universities and have a three-cycle system that includes bachelor studies, master studies, and doctoral studies (Ph.D.). All of them are three-year-long studies.

Applied studies in Serbia are organized at universities or at colleges of applied studies. This system is of two cycles which include bachelor programs that last for three years, specialist applied studies (one year), and master applied studies (two years).

Do I have to learn Serbian to study there?

Serbian is the official language of instruction in Serbia for all educational levels. However, there are programs for international students in English and other languages. Possibilities to study in foreign languages depend on each institution.

It is highly recommended to study at least a basic level of Serbian as study groups and activities are mostly made in Serbian. It is true that there are professors that organize consultations in foreign languages but for a full cultural experience, the best is to study in Serbian. There are intensive preparatory courses of Serbian of one-year or one-semester long that may help to learn the language in a short period of time.

Check Also: Programs in Europe for International Students

Is the admissions process difficult at Serbian Universities?

For applying to higher education institutions in Serbia, it is required a Secondary School Certificate for Bachelor’s level studies and a Bachelor’s level diploma for Master’s level studies.

Foreign students must have a series of legal documents such as a valid travel document, a valid visa in the passport, and a certificate of vaccination. It is also mandatory to prove that you have sufficient funds for staying in Serbia and to have health care insurance.

Are Serbian universities cheap?

Tuition fees in Serbia tend to be low but they vary from institution to institution and desired faculty. Prices normally go from 2,000 USD to 5,000 USD per year.

Besides tuition fees, what else should I budget for?

Living in Serbia is not expensive. Their official currency is the Serbian dinar (RSD). 10,000 RSD is around 933 USD. However, you’ll often see that prices are in Euros for international students.

Renting a one-bedroom apartment can cost between 200 USD and 300 USD. This will depend on the area of the city and the size of the place.

Eating is also affordable. Regarding groceries, a monthly budget of 130 USD will the job. A meal in a cheap restaurant costs 4 USD and eating a single meal in a nice restaurant can cost up to 17 USD.

Utilities will definitely depend on the season and the place you are living in. During winter, you could pay around 70 USD in utilities because of heating. However, there are buildings with other facilities like parking, which could cost more.

As for transportation, you would spend around 30 USD per month if you use public transportation every day.

Moving to Serbia also includes paying for certain legal procedures like student visas or residence permits.

Cheap Universities in Serbia

1. University of Belgrade

The University of Belgrade is one of the most prestigious institutions in the capital of Serbia. It has endured time for already two centuries and continues to offer high-quality education for Serbian and international students.

It is a university of public interest in the country as its scientific, cultural, political, educational, and economic activities are directly linked to Serbia’s development in multiple matters.

The University of Belgrade has 31 faculties that are classified into four main groups:  Faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculties of Medical Sciences, Faculties of Sciences and Mathematics, and Faculties of Technology and Engineering Sciences. These faculties work as independent units that establish their own tuition fees.

Tuition fees at this cheap university in Serbia go from 1,000 EUR (1,100 USD approx.) to 5,000 EUR (5,500 USD approx.). Click here to see which programs are available in English. Check their international students’ section to learn more about admissions.

2. University of NoviSad (UNS)

The University of Novi Sad (UNS) is recognized for its excellence in technical innovations. It has programs in almost all scientific fields. It offers 400 accredited study programs at Bachelor, Master, Specialist, and Doctoral study levels.

UNS cares about the future of its students. It collaborates with other institutions that are in the European higher education and research areas and other prestigious institutions around the globe.

This institution currently 15 has faculties. However, there are only five of them offer programs in English. These are the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Technical Sciences, and the Faculty of Sciences.

To get more information about programs, admissions, and requirements, visit the international student’s section. Each faculty has its own website where they post detailed information about programs and tuition fees. In general, tuition fees go from 2,000 EUR (2,200 USD approx.) to 5,500 EUR (6,015 USD approx.).

3. University of Nis

Along with Belgrade University and Novi Sad University, the University of Nis is one of the few universities in Serbia to have the third cycle of accreditation of higher education. It received full accreditation in 2009.

This institution’s mission is to offer high-quality education for Serbian and foreign students to develop their capacities and become professionals that are capable of joining the job market with ease.

There are 14 faculties with over 24,000 students at this cheap university in Serbia. Each faculty establishes their own tuition fees. These are usually separated into two payments and cost up to 5,500 EUR (6,015 USD approx.).

Regarding admissions, international students must present a validated Secondary School diploma, English or Serbian language proficiency (at least B2 level), validation of payment of the entrance exam fee, and file an application form. They also provide information about other legal procedures you must complete.

4. University of Kragujevac

The University of Kragujevac has its roots in the first higher education institution that ever existed in Serbia, the Lyceum of the Principality of Serbia that was established in 1838 by decree of Prince Milos Obrenovic. This institution would come to life as a university in 1976 under the concept of a dispersed institution that encompasses 12 faculties in six different towns of the Central Serbia Region.

This university is a research center and a modern educational institution that offers students, teachers, and researchers opportunities to expand their scientific, artistic and general knowledge.

Its Faculty of Engineering offers two study programs in English. The first one is a one-year opportunity to study for a Master’s academic degree in Bioengineering. And there’s a three-year Doctoral academic studies opportunity on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. 

There are exchange programs in the University of Kragujevac that allow exchange students to study for one or two semesters without the need of paying tuition fees.

To learn more about admissions, click here. Tuition fees go from 1,125 EUR (1,230 USD approx.) to 3,000 EUR (3,300 USD approx.).

5. StateUniversity of NoviPazar

The State University of Novi Pazar is a public university founded in 2006 and located in Novi Pazar, a city of the Raska District on the southwest region of the country.

This cheap university in Serbia has 16 different study programs divided into 10 departments. The State University of Novi Pazar offers the best campus facilities such as a painting studio and a Sports Center that includes a sports hall, a pool, and sports courts. It also has activities for students from the Department of Biomedical Sciences students at the Hospital for Muscular and Neuromuscular Diseases.

There are exchange programs for students, teachers, and the administrative staff. Students that are actively participating in any of these programs are exempted from paying tuition fees.

6. University of Pristina

The University of Pristina was founded in 1969 using Serbian and Albanian as languages of instruction. Nowadays, it is provisionally located in KosovaMitrovica.

Its mission is to offer high-quality education and to prepare students to have proper perspectives for their future professional lives.

The University of Pristina is divided into ten faculties. Click here to learn more about their programs.

This institution organizes lessons and exercises in small groups in order to establish well-based relations between students and professors. This also makes learning processes easier.

When it comes to the enrolment criteria, it is compulsory to have successfully completed Secondary Education and have a document that proves so. It is also necessary to pass an entry exam (there are different entrance exams for each faculty), show evidence of payment of the test fee, and have a valid passport. Contact them to learn more.

7. Singidunum University

Singidunum University was the first private university in Serbia to operate under the new higher education law of the three levels of studies: Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. It has modern teaching methods and curricula in the three scientific fields of Social Sciences and Humanities, Technical and Technological Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

They try to share and broaden the students’ contemporary knowledge as well as teach the most recent innovations in scientific methods and techniques.

Study programs at this cheap university in Serbia are available in both Serbian and English for all three levels of study. Singidunum University also cooperates with other American and European prestigious higher educational institutions for international exchange study programs.

The university has five faculties. These are the Faculty of Business in Belgrade, the Faculty of Informatics and Computing, the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Management, the Faculty of Technical Sciences, and the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Their facilities include 20 lecture halls, 16 amphitheaters, and 9 computer rooms. More than 10,000 students receive education at one of their buildings. To learn more about programs in English and admissions, click here.

8. Union University

Union University was established in 2005 in KosancicevVenac Street in the historical part of the city of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It has study programs that are in accordance with the Bologna Declaration.

They specialize in four different scientific fields: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Technical Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Arts. They offer programs in the three levels of study of higher education. The only exception is Arts, which only offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs.

This institution teaches Serbian and traditional European values to its students but still cooperates with non-European universities for international study programs.

Union University has four faculties: a School of Computing, a School of Law, the Belgrade Banking Academy, Faculty of Law and Business Studies. Contact them to learn more about admissions and tuition fees.

9. International University of Novi Pazar

The International University of Novi Pazar is a private university established in 2002 in the city of Novi Pazar. It is affiliated with the State University of Novi Pazar.

They focus on developing scientific research and pushing higher educational excellence throughout their academic programs. They also have a good reputation for emphasizing the importance of employability,  so they prepare students to have a successful career in their future professional fields.

This cheap university in Serbia offers programs in Fine Arts, Law Studies, Pedagogical and Physiological Studies, Computer Studies, Economic Studies, and Philological Studies. At the end of their website, you can find more information about their academic offer.

If you’d like to study here and would like to learn more about admissions and fees, contact them by sending a message through their website.

 

We hope that this article on the cheap universities in Serbia was helpful. To know more about studying abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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