Why study a Bachelor or Master in Estonia

Study in Estonia

Estonia might not be one of the top destinations you think of while studying abroad but there are several reasons why you should study there. Read on to learn why many students decide to study in this Eastern European country, and how much it would cost if you choose to study in Estonia too. 

 

Why should you study in Estonia? 

There are many reasons why you should choose to study in Estonia. Here are some of the reasons why most international students who study there decided to make that choice:

• Estonia has over 100 English degree programs that are of great quality. 
• It offers internationally approved diplomas after graduation 
• They have many state scholarships and financial aid to help support International students flying in and encourage them to study in Estonia
• The English language is spoken by many people there so you won’t have a problem communicating with the locals if you speak good English 
• Great and exciting student life 
• Students are permitted to work during their studies and stay in the country post-graduation for 6 months, looking for work 
• An affordable cost of living when compared with other countries in Europe

 

How much does it cost?

In order to study in Estonia, for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, you’ll pay on average a reasonable fee of 1750 dollars a year. However, if you choose to study medicine, these fees will be higher as it’s typically more expensive than other degree programs. 

Living in Estonia

When living in Estonia, you can rest assured that you will be getting a good standard of living at a reasonable cost. A beautiful country to live in that is safe and well-priced, Estonia is a great choice, no matter what your study abroad budget. This section talks about the accommodation types available for international students and how much it will cost you to live there in general, while studying. 

 

Accommodation

There are several types of student accommodation available for international students living in Estonia. Here are the most popular kinds and their costs: 

• Student dormitories have either single rooms or shared ones with two or three students. You can expect to pay rent starting 100 dollars a month when staying in a student dorm room. 
• You can also rent private accommodation there. How much you will pay will depend on how big the house is and the size of it. If you are renting a private flat alone, you’ll pay anywhere from 200 to 500 dollars, depending on whether you are living in the city centre or outside of it. 
• You can also choose to share a bigger apartment with other students and split the costs between you. This is a popular option as costs of rent and utility are split among students and are therefore cheaper than renting a private apartment.  

 

Other costs of living

You will also need to factor in other costs of living when deciding on your budget when you study in Estonia. This will cost you anywhere between 300 and 550 dollars, depending on your lifestyle and factors such as whether you eat out or at home. Food will cost you between 200 and 250 dollars a month. You’ll also need to pay around 200 for utilities like water, heat, cooling and garbage systems if it’s not included in your rent. Internet will cost you another 25 dollars per month for high-speed internet packages. Some good news is that public transport is free for students if you live in the capital of Tallinn, including international students. 

Universities in Estonia

There are some great universities in Estonia, with the University of Tartu one that is famous around the world. If you decide to study in Estonia, you should look into the top-ranked universities which we will talk about in this section. You’ll also learn about the different degree types that are available in the Estonian higher education system. 

Degrees available

In the Estonian higher education system, there are two cycles, following the Anglo-Saxon approach. For example, the first cycle contains bachelor’s level studies and the second cycle has master’s level degree studies. It’s important to note that in some study degrees, the program has been moulded to only include one cycle. For example, study degrees in the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutical, veterinarian, architecture and civil engineering are made up of a single cycle that is long and lasts up to 6 years, based on the subject. 

 

Top-ranked universities

The top-ranked universities in Estonia that international students should consider are the following: 

1. University of Tartu

Location: Tartu 

The University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia and is located in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the only classical university and is the biggest and oldest, founded with the name Academia Gustaviana in 1632. Almost 15,000 students study there, with about 1,500 of them being foreign students. Most degree programs are taught in Estonian but some like semiotics, applied measurement science, computer science, information technology law, and European Union–Russia studies are taught in the English language. 

1. Tallinn University of Technology

Location: Tallinn,Tartu,Kohtla-Järve

Founded in the year 1918, Tallinn University of Technology, sometimes named TalTech, is the only technological university in the country. Subjects offered there are engineering, business, public administration and maritime affairs. The university currently has almost 22,000 students and offers unique English degree programs. Examples of these are Digital Learning Games, Crossmedia in Film and Television, Estonian Studies, and Social Entrepreneurship degrees.

1. Estonian University of Life Sciences

Location: Tartu

The Estonian University of Life Sciences was previously known as the Estonian Agricultural University. The university was established in 1951 and then was renamed and reorganized and relaunched in the year 2005. It is considered one of the top universities in the world in the subject areas of agriculture and forestry. 

 

The university structure is made up of research and development institutes or institutions. At the present time, there are five schools that offer degree programs and research programs. ​

1. Tallinn University

Location: Tallinn

Tallinn University is a public university in Estonia and is one of the three biggest universities in the country. It was founded in 2005 and currently has 8,000 students. It is Tallinn’s leading university to offer programs in the field of humanities and social sciences. The university has 38 English language degree programs. 

Examples of other universities

Other good universities, if you want to study in Estonia to look into, are the University of Nord, the International University of Estonia, the Estonian Business School and the Estonian Academy of Arts. 

Student Visa - Estonia

When it comes to study visas, all students who aren’t Estonian or EU citizens (including EEA countries and Switzerland) will need a study visa and temporary residence permit to study in Estonia. Those from EU or EEA countries should also  apply for a temporary right of residence in the country. Read on to learn how to apply for the student visa and residence permit if you need one.

 

Application Process

The application process should begin after acceptance to the study program of choice. You’ll need the acceptance document to be able to apply for your visa. has been accepted to study on chosen programme and after university has forwarded required acceptance documents to the student.

 

You’ll need to contact your nearest embassy and make an appointment to submit a Type D visa application, for long-term stay visas. The processing procedure may take from 10 to 30 days so please keep this time frame in mind when making travel plans to Estonia. 

 

If you need to stay in Estonia longer than a year, you’ll need to apply for a temporary residence permit for studying. However, you apply for it in Estonia after beginning your studies. You apply through reserving an appointment with one of the Police and Border Guard Board service offices. After handing in the document, you’ll be granted the residence permit within a period of 60 days after submitting your application forms. 

Required documents

In order to apply for a study visa for Estonia, you will be required to hand in the following documents to study in Estonia:

• Filled out visa application form
• A valid passport
• Two passport photos
• Copies of any previous visas
• Proof of health insurance with a minimum of 35,500 dollars for the EU continent
• A letter of motivation, stating why you want to study and stay in Estonia
• Flight confirmation documents
• Proof of accommodation in Estonia
• Birth certificate
• Proof you can support yourself during the entire study period
• Letter of acceptance from an Estonian University
• A no-objection document from your school (if applicable)

How to apply - Estonia

When applying to a university in Estonia, you’ll need to follow several steps to be able to enroll. You’ll first choose a degree program and university and apply online on the website, then check that you fulfill the requirements needed. This section talks about the requirements and deadlines to study in Estonia, so that the process is simple and breezy for you. 

Requirements

Anyone applying for an undergraduate program needs to hand in a valid high school diploma and transcripts with grades as this will qualify you to study in Estonia. 

 

When it comes to Masters, you’ll need to hand in a bachelor’s degree certificate with a good transcript of grades. For PhD studies, you’ll need to hand in proof of good master’s degree grades and a diploma for your master’s degree, proving you have obtained it.

If students will study in a program in the English language, they’ll need to present proof of English language proficiency. Tests such as the IELTS and TOEFL, with minimum cutoff scores of 5 in the IELTS and 70 in the TOEFL, are accepted but some universities may require you to pass an assessment of their own to prove language skills. 

Application deadlines

Most application deadlines to study in Croatia are between April and August, though there are some exceptions. Please check with the institution and degree program you are applying to for specific deadlines. 

Scholarship in Estonia

You might be curious about scholarships to study in Estonia. Sometimes, students are exempted from tuition fees if they have bad financial circumstances or have above average academic performance. Read on to learn about some great scholarships to apply to. 

Government of Estonia scholarships

The government of Estonia offers scholarships for short term programs at several universities in Estonia, offering 500 euros to students to pay their tuition fees. They will also offer 25 euros a day to students to help cover costs of living. 

Estonian national scholarships

This scholarship is offered to international master’s students to study in Estonian Universities. It is handed out by the Education and Youth Board of Estonia.The scholarship is offered to those who want to pursue Master’s studies in many fields. It offers recipients 350 euros a month to help support them financially during their studies. 

University scholarships

Several universities also offer scholarships to their applicants directly on their websites, especially those in dire financial need or who have excellent academic grades or unique skills. You can find them on their websites or you can directly contact the university admission office to ask about them.

 

Universities that offer good scholarships worth researching are theUniversity of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn University,the Estonian Business School, the Estonian Academy of Theatre and Music, the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Estonian University of Life Sciences.