Universities in Georgia

In Georgia, a university is a higher education institution authorised by the state to award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. According to Study in Georgia, the official study portal, the country has 64 higher education institutions with more than 150,000 students, more than 30,000 of them international students. Georgian is the main language of teaching, but the portal counts 243 higher education programmes taught in English, many of them in medicine.

Georgia has been a full member of the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area since 2005, so its universities use the three-cycle structure and ECTS credits familiar from Europe. All three universities in our directory are in Tbilisi, the capital, which has the largest concentration of universities in the country.

How university study works in Georgia

One academic year is worth about 60 ECTS credits. The levels are:

• Bachelor's degree: at least 240 ECTS credits; 180 in arts, business and administration
• One-cycle programmes: Medicine (360 ECTS, Medical Doctor), Dentistry (300 ECTS, Doctor of Dental Medicine) and an integrated master's in Veterinary Medicine (300 ECTS)
• Master's degree: at least 120 ECTS credits; 60 in business and administration, including the EMBA
• Doctorate: at least three years

Institutions are authorised and programmes accredited by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE). In October 2026 NCEQE announced that its registration on the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) had been restored. Before applying, check that the university is authorised and that the programme you want is accredited, especially for regulated professions such as medicine and dentistry.

The sector combines large public universities and private institutions. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) opened on 26 January 1918 as the first university in the Caucasus; the university states that about 22,000 students study in its seven faculties. Caucasus University is a private university that grew out of the Caucasus School of Business, established in 1998 with US government funding; the business school also runs an offsite campus of Grenoble Graduate School of Business (GEM) for its MBA. Grigol Robakidze University (GRUNI) is another private university in Tbilisi with a school of medicine. The official list of institutions also includes universities in Batumi, Kutaisi and other cities.

Admission for international students

Georgian applicants enter bachelor's programmes through the Unified National Examinations and master's programmes through the Common Master's Exams. Foreign citizens follow a different route. At TSU, for example:

• the applicant applies to the university with the required documents
• the faculty reviews them and may set an exam or interview; English-taught programmes require an English language certificate
• the university issues a letter of consent
• NCEQE recognises the applicant's school-leaving or degree certificates
• after a decree from the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth, the university signs a contract with the student

Recognition of foreign education is NCEQE's job: it checks that the foreign document is authentic and compares the qualification with Georgian qualifications. For a long stay to study, foreign citizens receive a D3 immigration visa, valid for 90 days with multiple entries. The documents include an acceptance letter from an authorised institution, proof of sufficient funds, proof of accommodation and health insurance. Current rules are on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular site, geoconsul.gov.ge.

Costs and funding

Each university sets its own fees. TSU's tuition page, for example, states that fees for all its educational programmes are 1,125 GEL per semester and can be paid in instalments; ask the international office whether this rate applies to your programme. Caucasus University and other private universities publish their own fee pages. Study in Georgia lists affordable tuition and cost of living among the country's advantages but gives no official fee ranges, so compare programmes individually and budget for health insurance and the visa.

How to choose a university in Georgia

• Authorisation and accreditation: check the institution and the programme with NCEQE
• Language of instruction: Georgian, English or, at some institutions, Russian; the official list can be filtered by language
• Recognition at home: for medicine, check with the licensing authority in the country where you want to work
• Degree length: three- and four-year bachelor's degrees and one- and two-year master's degrees exist
• City: most universities are in Tbilisi, with others in Batumi and Kutaisi

Frequently asked questions

Can I study at a Georgian university in English?

Yes. Study in Georgia lists 243 higher education programmes taught in English. Universities ask for an English language certificate for these programmes.

Do international students take the Georgian national exams?

No. Foreign citizens are admitted without the Unified National Examinations or the Common Master's Exams, through the university's own review and recognition of their documents by NCEQE.

How long does a medical degree take in Georgia?

Medicine is a one-cycle programme of 360 ECTS credits, about six years, leading to the Medical Doctor degree. Dentistry is a 300-credit programme.

What visa do I need to study at a university in Georgia?

Long-term students need a D3 immigration visa, issued for 90 days with multiple entries, with an acceptance letter, proof of funds and accommodation, and health insurance.