Market report Romania

Market Report Romania – The Romanian Study Abroad Market

In this market report on Romania we cover key socio‑economic, educational, and student mobility trends shaping outbound recruitment. Since Romania joined the EU in 2007, its economy has expanded significantly, with GDP growing by roughly 40% over the past decade‑plus and sustained above‑average growth within the EU. While government expenditure on education remains below the EU average (at around 8–9% of total public spending versus the EU average of ~10%), funding has increased in recent years, reflecting rising demand for quality schooling and skills development. Investments in infrastructure, healthcare, job creation, and business support continue to feature prominently in national development strategies, underpinning economic resilience.

Romania’s education system has broadened access over the past two decades, yet challenges remain around quality, labour market alignment, and investment levels, especially in higher education and research capacity. This has driven stronger interest in international study pathways, particularly among academically ambitious and career‑oriented students. Romania’s outbound mobility rate has climbed significantly since EU accession, rising from just over 2% in 2007 to roughly 6–7% today, with around 36,000 Romanian students studying abroad in recent cycles. These students are increasingly targeting programmes that combine solid academic outcomes with strong English‑medium instruction and clear employability prospects.

Looking toward 2026 and beyond, Romanian student mobility is expected to remain robust and gradually increase, driven by several key trends:

• Expanding demand for English‑taught programs: Romanian families increasingly prioritise international education pathways earlier in the secondary cycle, not just at tertiary level.
• Enhanced economic incentives: Continued GDP growth and rising household incomes support greater participation in study abroad, particularly in Western and Northern Europe.
• Shift toward employability outcomes: Students are seeking programmes that offer tangible career links, internships, and post‑study work pathways ,boosting interest in degree destinations with structured employment opportunities.
• Diversification of destination markets: While traditional destinations (e.g., Italy, UK, France and Germany) remain strong, neighboring EU markets and Scandinavia are attracting growing cohorts due to reputation, language options, and cost/value considerations.

For international recruiters and institutions, Romania represents a growing and increasingly mobile outbound market with a large youth population, expanding tertiary participation, and rising aspirations for global education. Demand is strongest for value‑for‑money options, robust support services, and programs that clearly articulate career relevance and progression.

Market Report Romania – The Romanian Education System

Secondary education

Education in Romania is compulsory for 11 years, from the primary school to Grade 10 of upper secondary education. Grade 12 is the final year of upper secondary school.

At the age of 14, at the end of lower secondary education (Grade 8), Romanian students take a national examination (Evaluarea Națională), which assesses their performance in mathematics and Romanian language and literature. Results in this exam, their average grade at the end of each year of lower secondary and students’ individual school choices determine the upper secondary school and the type of program students will attend. Students may be assigned to one of three types of high school: technological, theoretical or vocational.

Technological high schools combine academic and vocational programs. In 2018 44.1% of 15-18 year-olds were enrolled in this option. The theoretical and vocational high schools both follow an academic program, but the latter have a special focus on arts, sports, theology or the military. In 2018, 45.1% of 15-18 year-olds were enrolled in theoretical and vocational high schools.
Admission to Higher Education

At the end of upper secondary education, students from all three types of high school must pass the baccalaureate examination if they wish to access tertiary education. The baccalaureate pass rate varies widely across the different types of high schools. Source: OECD

Higher Education

Higher education in Romania is organized in universities, study academies, institutes, higher education schools. Higher education institutions may be state or private and are subject to accreditation by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.

Since 2005, the higher education system in Romania has been organized in three cycles: Bachelor the first degree programs, master programs and doctorate programs compatible with the European qualification framework.

University level studies:

First Cycle: Bachelor/undergraduate programs
Depending on the type of bachelor’s program, studies have a different duration.

6 semesters (3 years) for sciences, humanities, economic and social sciences, political sciences, etc.;
8 semesters (4 years) for engineering, technique;
12 semesters (6 years) for general medicine, dental medicine, veterinary medicine and architecture.

Upon completion students are awarded a Diploma de Licenţă: a bachelor’s degree (240 credits).

Second cycle: Master’s programs
Master-degree studies take 2-4 semesters, are finalized by a dissertation and recognized through a Diploma de Master.

Third Cycle: PhD programs
Doctoral Diploma is the highest academic degree awarded in all domains after 3-4 years of study and original research. It follows the first academic degree (or master’s degree) and requires the passing of examinations and the submission of an original thesis. The holder of a doctoral diploma is granted the Ph.D. title in the respective field of science or arts. (Source: EACEA / European Union)

Types of Higher Education Institutions in Romania

There are 6 types of Higher Education Institutions in Romania:

• Universities are multidisciplinary research institutions, public or private. These are the largest HEIs, offering a wide range of programs, giving higher degrees in sciences and the professions, and carrying out both teaching and research activities.
• Academies offer specialist training, usually in a single broad field such as Music.
• Politechnics offer programs that emphasize training in technical and practical fields.
• Institutes offer professional degrees in limited specializations. Training is usually a combination of study and practical experience.
• Colleges offer two or three year diplomas which cannot be used to enter higher levels of tertiary education. They may be autonomous institutions or sections of Universities.
• Postgraduate schools offer programs in one of six Graduate Schools which are independent of the Universities.

Latest Romanian Higher Education study abroad stats

At this point a total number of 35,973 students from Romania are studying abroad (source: UNESCO). The most popular study abroad destinations for Romanian students are:

IB schools in Romania

• Lycee Francais Anna de Noailles – Bucharest – https://lyceefrancais.ro/
• King Oak British School – Bucharest – https://kingsoakschool.ro/
• Maria International School – https://www.misb.ro/
• Verita International School – Bucharest – https://www.veritaschool.ro/
• American International School of Bucharest – https://www.aisb.ro/
• Bucharest Christian Academy – https://www.bcaromania.org/secondary
• France International School of Bucharest – https://efibucarest.org/?lang=en
• Bucharest-Beirut International School – https://bbischool.ro/
• International British School of Bucharest – https://ibsb.ro/
• British School of Bucharest – https://www.britishschool.ro/
• Mark Twain International School – Bucharest – https://www.marktwainschool.ro/
• Avenor College – Bucharest – https://www.avenor.ro/ro
• Cambridge School of Bucharest – https://www.cambridgeschool.ro/
• Acton Academy – Bucharest – https://actonbucharest.ro/

Scholarships for Romanian students