Top Universities in Romania for Indian Students: 2026/27 Rankings, Fees and Visa

Key Facts at a Glance

• Ranked universities: 23 (8 in QS 2027, 22 in THE 2027, 0 in ARWU 2026).
• Tuition range, per Romania's official study portal: from €400 to almost €9,000 a year depending on the field. The page has no recent update date, so treat it as a rough range.
• English-taught medicine at UMF Cluj: €10,000 a year for 2026/27, with a €300 processing fee.
• Living costs, per the official portal: about €600 a month.
• Visa: a long-stay study visa (type D), applied for through Romania's e-Visa portal. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the fee at €300 for applications from 27 April 2026, up from €120.
• After arrival: apply for a residence permit within the first 30 days.

How We Counted 23 Universities

We used the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published June 2026, eight Romanian universities, down from ten the year before), the THE World University Rankings 2027 (published 30 September 2026, 22 Romanian universities) and the ARWU 2026 ranking (no Romanian university). Seven universities appear in both QS and THE, and Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava is in QS only, which makes 23. Both rankings give bands, not exact positions, beyond the top few hundred, so two universities in the same band are not ranked against each other.

Romanian Universities in the 2026/27 World Rankings

• University of Bucharest (Bucharest): QS 801-850, THE 801-1000.
• Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca): QS 851-900, THE 1201-1400.
• Bucharest University of Economic Studies, ASE (Bucharest): THE 801-1000.
• Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Bucharest): THE 801-1000.
• Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Cluj-Napoca): THE 1001-1200.
• University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova: THE 1001-1200.
• Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (Iași): QS 1201-1400, THE 1801-2000.
• National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest: QS 1201-1400, THE 1601-1800.
• West University of Timișoara: QS 1201-1400, THE 1401-1600.
• University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: THE 1201-1400.
• Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu: THE 1401-1600.
• Technical University of Cluj-Napoca: QS 1401+, THE 1601-1800.
• Transilvania University of Brașov: QS 1401+, THE 1601-1800.
• Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava: QS 1401+.
• Dunărea de Jos University of Galați: THE 1601-1800.
• George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology (Târgu Mureș): THE 1601-1800.
• Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Iași): THE 1801-2000.
• Politehnica University of Timișoara: THE 1801-2000.
• University of Craiova: THE 1801-2000.
• University of Oradea: THE 1801-2000.
• Gheorghe Asachi Technical University (Iași): THE 2001+.
• Ovidius University of Constanța: THE 2001+.
• University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest: THE 2001+.

A world ranking measures research output and reputation across a whole university. It says little about the one programme you will study, so use it to shortlist and then judge each programme on language of instruction, fee, entry rules and whether a Romanian-language preparatory year comes first. Be cautious of anyone who calls a Romanian university top-ranked in the world, since the best-placed sits around 800th.

Which Universities Suit Which Goals

• Broad subjects (sciences, humanities, social sciences): University of Bucharest, Babeș-Bolyai University, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University and West University of Timișoara.
• Business and economics: ASE Bucharest, whose English-taught bachelor's programmes include Business Administration, Finance and Banking, International Business and Economics, Marketing, Management and Economic Informatics. ASE lists €3,500 a year plus a €350 registration fee for non-EU bachelor's students for 2026/27.
• Engineering and technology: Politehnica Bucharest, the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Transilvania University of Brașov and Politehnica University of Timișoara.
• Medicine and dentistry: Carol Davila (Bucharest), Iuliu Hațieganu (Cluj-Napoca), UMF Craiova, George Emil Palade (Târgu Mureș) and Grigore T. Popa (Iași) are the medical universities ranked by THE. Read the medicine section below before you apply.

How Much Does It Cost?

• Finance (bachelor's), West University of Timișoara: €1,980 a year, as listed on Romania's official programme portal.
• Computer Science (bachelor's), West University of Timișoara: €2,430 a year, same portal.
• Civil Engineering (bachelor's), Iași: €3,500 a year, same portal.
• Business programmes (bachelor's), ASE Bucharest: €3,500 a year plus a €350 registration fee, per ASE.
• Medicine in English (six years), UMF Cluj: €10,000 a year plus a €300 processing fee, per UMF Cluj. A place is confirmed with 50% of the first year's tuition, which is non-refundable.

Romania's official guide estimates living costs at about €600 a month, covering a hostel room, food, transport and insurance, and Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca cost more than smaller cities. We have not given rupee figures because the euro rate moves. Convert at the current rate when you plan your budget, and add a margin.

How Admission Works for Indian Students

• Apply directly to the university, usually online. You will need your passport, birth certificate, Class 10 and 12 certificates and mark sheets, a medical certificate, proof of address and a language certificate. Academic documents need a certified translation into Romanian, English or French, and an apostille, as India is a Hague Convention country.
• The university forwards your file to Romania's Ministry of Education. The official portal says the review typically takes 30 working days.
• Confirm your place and pay the fee the university asks for. The Ministry then issues a Letter of Acceptance to Studies.
• Apply for the visa with the Letter of Acceptance.

Some programmes start with a Romanian-language preparatory year, so check whether yours does before you budget. Deadlines vary. For 2026/27, UMF Cluj closed its first session on 20 May 2026 and its second on 16 July 2026, and many programmes on the official portal showed 19 May 2026. Plan to apply between March and May for an October start.

Student Visa and Residence Permit

You need a long-stay study visa (type D). Apply through Romania's e-Visa portal, then lodge the application at the Romanian Embassy in New Delhi. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the type D fee at €300 for applications submitted through the e-Visa portal from 27 April 2026, up from €120 before that date, and some older embassy pages and Indian visa guides still show the old figure. After you arrive, apply for a residence permit at the local office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration within the first 30 days. The official guide states that the long-stay visa lets you enter Romania only.

Can You Work While Studying?

Yes, part time. Romania's official study portal says non-EU students can work 6 hours a day without a separate work permit, and that working more needs a permit from the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Some legal and consultancy sources still quote 4 hours a day, so confirm the current limit with the Inspectorate. Do not plan to fund your tuition from part-time work.

Studying Medicine in Romania: What Indian Students Must Check

Romania is an EU country, and its six-year English-taught medicine degrees are well established. But to practise in India, the degree must also satisfy India's National Medical Commission (NMC). NMC's own page states that it does not endorse any list of foreign medical institutions or universities, so no Romanian university is "NMC-approved" in the sense some agencies claim. NMC also states that Indian citizens who qualify abroad on or after May 2018 must have qualified NEET, and that Indian graduates of foreign medical courses must qualify the prescribed screening test to register in India.

NMC's 2021 regulations for foreign medical graduates are reported to require a course of at least 54 months, at least 12 months of internship at the same foreign institution and English as the medium of instruction, followed by a supervised internship in India. Before paying any deposit, ask the university in writing whether its English programme includes the full clinical internship at the same institution, because some European programmes are structured differently from Indian MBBS, and check the current rules on nmc.org.in.

Who Romania Suits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere

• It may suit you if you want an EU degree at a lower cost than Western Europe, you are applying for business, engineering or sciences and can find an English-taught programme, and you are comfortable in a country where daily life outside campus is in Romanian.
• Look elsewhere if a top-500 global ranking matters for your career plans, you need a post-study work route as clear as the UK's Graduate Route, or you are counting on part-time work to pay your fees.

IMA (International Multilingual Academy) in Faridabad counsels students on European destinations, including Romania. We can help you shortlist programmes, check fees and entry rules on each university's own page, prepare documents and plan the visa steps. Admissions, Ministry decisions and visas belong to the universities and the Romanian authorities, and IMA does not guarantee them.