site.btaState Universities Will Not Be Merged or Closed - Education Minister

There are no plans to close or merge any state higher education institutions, while for private universities such decisions are largely their own initiative, Education and Science Minister Krasimir Valchev said on Friday. Whether some universities will remain on the market is a separate matter, he noted. Speaking to journalists after the presentation of the 2025 Ranking of Higher Education Institutions in Bulgaria, Valchev stressed that the Ministry has never discussed mergers, but upcoming amendments to the Higher Education Act will include a proposal for creating university consortia or associations, a model already applied in other countries. These structures would allow universities to unite while preserving their autonomy and share resources, including facilities and academic departments.

Valchev highlighted the nationwide shortage of skilled workers across all sectors, noting that over 100,000 people retire annually while only around 60,000 young people enter the labour market. The shortage is most acute in industry, with strong demand for technical, STEM and agricultural specialists. In medicine, demand for university places is high, but 25% of graduates leave Bulgaria. This was why the Ministry proposed linking admission to medical programmes to employment contracts with Bulgarian healthcare institutions, which is a measure that has been successfully implemented in 2025 and will be expanded in the coming years.

The Minister also pointed to shortages of teachers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, information technology and special education teachers, which the Ministry continues to support. Demand for medical nurses has risen, and the specialty has been granted protected status in 2025.

The 15th edition of the Ranking of Higher Education Institutions in Bulgaria compares the performance of 51 accredited higher education institutions in Bulgaria across 52 professional fields.