Estonia plans more paid enrollment in master's and doctoral studies
The Ministry of Education is planning more paid enrollment in master's and doctoral programs as part of a push to make Estonia's higher education system more flexible.
Amendments to the Higher Education Act would give universities the option to charge tuition for one-year Estonian-language master's programs and for some doctoral students from outside the EU.
The Ministry of Education and Research says the change is aimed at flexibility, not cost savings.
Kristi Raudmäe, head of higher education at the ministry, explained that currently, universities can only charge master's tuition under limited conditions — such as part-time study, programs taught in a foreign language or when the student has already studied at the same level.
The change, she noted, will create a new flexible option for people who already hold a master's or have work experience that can count toward their studies.
"In other words, we're making higher education more flexible for working people," she added.
Those not seeking a full degree could still opt for microdegrees, which don't require a thesis.
Raudmäe argued that the change benefits younger students, since future continuing education students wouldn't take up tuition-free enrollment and crowd out first-time master's students whose main focus is studying.
Doctoral studies, meanwhile, would remain free for most students. Only non-EU candidates with existing scholarships from their home country or an international fund would be asked to pay.
"Until now, we had no way of accepting such funding," the ministry official noted, stressing that tuition-free doctoral enrollment would still be offered as well to ensure programs are filled.
The Education Ministry downplayed the financial impact, calling it modest. The focus, Raudmäe said, is on giving universities more options, including whether to offer part-time, foreign-language or shorter master's degree programs.
But she warned that "there isn't enough room in the Estonian market for three similar paid master's programs."
The bill's authors also stressed that allowing paid one-year programs should not come at the expense of tuition-free master's enrollment, which could otherwise leave certain fields with only paid options, limiting access to the programs.
Continuing tuition-free two-year master's programs is also vital to maintaining a pipeline for doctoral studies and research and development.
Estonian universities already offer around 20 shorter master's programs, Raudmäe noted, including in teacher training and healthcare, where tuition will remain free as demand for graduates in these fields remains high.
"We still expect the number of paid programs to remain small," she added.
TalTech rector: Don't restrict foreign doctoral students
Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) rector Tiit Land supported the overall push to bring in private funding but cautioned against limiting access.
One-year programs, he said, are "reasonable" for working people or those with prior master's degrees, but it's still important to continue offering sufficient enrollment in tuition-free two-year degree programs.
In terms of doctoral studies, Land said he only favors charging tuition when it's covered by foreign scholarship funds.
"The problem isn't too many doctoral students from third countries," he said. "It's too few doctoral students from Estonia — and that won't be solved by restricting foreign doctoral students."
Estonia should invest more in measures encouraging them to remain in Estonia after earning their degree, the rector said.
The amended law is slated to take effect September 1, 2026.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
