According to the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS), 3,954 international students were enrolled in degree programs in Estonia during the past academic year, including 1,251 new arrivals.

Foreign students can apply to Estonian universities via the international DreamApply platform.

The most popular fields of study among foreign students include business, administration and law, humanities and arts, and ICT.

During the past academic year, the University of Tartu (TÜ) hosted the most international students (1,461), followed by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech, 797) and Tallinn University (TLÜ, 658). Most students came from Finland, Ukraine, India, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Ülle Tensing, internationalization adviser at the University of Tartu, said most English-language programs are at the master's level.

"The largest number of admitted students come from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, China, India, Georgia, Latvia and the U.S.," she noted.

The number of graduates remaining in Estonia to work after graduating is also growing.

Annual tuition at TÜ ranges from €4,000 to €13,200, with the highest tuition in med school. Some top students, however, may study tuition-free. Interest remains strongest in the university's IT master's programs.

According to Tensing, the school is expecting a modest increase in international students this fall, although exactly how many has not yet been finalized. She noted that most international students don't bring family members with them, although doctoral students do sometimes explore the option to do so.

Meanwhile, TalTech received 552 international applications this year, with the highest number — 134 — coming from Azerbaijan. Program director Katrin Arvola said the school also received applications from Ukraine, Georgia, Bangladesh and the U.S.

She noted that many students have prior ties to Estonia or are drawn by its reputation as a digital and business-friendly country. "Estonia is known worldwide as a digital state that supports entrepreneurship," she added.

International tuition at TalTech varies by program, but is €3,000 per semester in business, for example, and the school doesn't offer any tuition-free spots for international students. Few, in turn, apply to Estonian-language programs.

Most international students at the school study in the School of Business and Governance, but there are also international students in IT and engineering.

Classical music popular with Chinese students

At the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EMTA), 77 international students from 25 countries have been accepted for the upcoming academic year, according to vice rector Margus Pärtlas. Currently, around 160 international students study at the school.

Pärtlas noted that final enrollment depends on whether students accept their offers and enroll, but also whether they are issued visas. This year, EMTA attracted higher numbers of candidates from countries including Latvia, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey and China.

The vice rector said Chinese students have shown a strong interest in studying classical music in Estonia, and have been attending EMTA for two decades already. "We've typically had six or seven Chinese students each year," he added.

Annual tuition for EU and Ukrainian students at EMTA is currently set at €1,600; for others, tuition is typically €7,500.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook, Bluesky and X and never miss an update!