The chances are that you can only think about the U.S. city when you hear the word “Georgia,” but there’s a small corner of the world full of beautiful traditions that have the same name. Georgia is a small country with just 3.7 million inhabitants that is located in the Caucasus region (Eurasia). It was part of the Soviet Union until its collapse and became independent in 1991.

After the Rose Revolution in 2003, when Georgians demanded a change of power, important reforms were made to improve the economic industries and military capacity of the country. And as education is a fundamental element to have better societies, the higher education system was significantly improved. Attracting international students is one of the priorities of the Georgian government, so they’ve created special programs and made efforts to achieve them.

The country obtained visa liberalization from the Schengen Area in 2017, and it is part of the Erasmus programs. The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) is in charge of promoting international cooperation in education and created the Study in Georgia program to attract students worldwide.

Universities in Georgia offer bachelor’s degrees (between 180 and 240 credits or three to four years), master’s degrees (120 credits or two years), and doctorate degrees (180 credits or three years). There are longer programs like medicine or veterinary, which require between 300 and 360 credits to obtain the degree.

Now, if you’re looking forward to studying in a European country, you can consider Georgia. You’ll be fascinated with their history and culture. Of course, you’ll also gain a quality education. In this article, let’s look at some cheap universities in Georgia. We also included some background in Georgian universities.

How Much is the Tuition Fee in Georgia (country) for International Students?

Georgia has both public and private universities which charge annual tuition fees. However, most of them are very affordable. Prices for domestic students or programs in Georgia usually go from 1,000 USD to 3,000 USD.

Programs in English for international students are slightly more expensive. Prices usually go from 2,500 USD to 5,000 USD. There are a few exceptions comprised of more specialized programs like medicine or MBA.

The tuition fee in Georgia is affordable compared to other European countries. The exact amount of tuition and school fees will depend on your chosen university and program.

How is the Admission Process at Universities in Georgia?

Domestic students have to pass the Unified National Examinations in order to be admitted to a Georgian university. However, this could not be the case for international students because some majors do not require taking any tests.

Once you’ve chosen a program and submitted the required documents, you can contact the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (MES) and the NCEQE to get more information and assistance. Those are the official institutions in charge of international programs and applicants.

The required documents may vary depending on your degree, program, and chosen university. Usually, Georgian universities will ask for your academic transcripts, language proficiency, and visa requirements. Everything can be done online, and once you’re accepted, you can fly to Georgia and secure your residence permit.

Check Also: Programs in Europe for International Students

What is the Language of Instruction at Georgian Universities?

Georgia’s official language is Georgian. It is spoken by the majority of the population and has its own writing system. This is the primary language of instruction at universities.

However, there are many programs available that are completely taught in English. Only a few combine English with Georgian.

As Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, Russian is also spoken in the country, and there are a few programs available in Russian as well. Actually, learning a little bit of Russian could help you during your free time. Unless you are in the capital city, you’ll realize that not a lot of people speak English.

Living Costs in Georgia

Georgia’s official currency is the Georgian Lari (GEL). 100 GEL is around 37 USD. You can rent a one-bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month in the capital city. In the rest of the country, 200 USD (and sometimes less) will be enough.

Having a monthly budget of 10 USD for transportation will be more than enough. You’ll need around 100 USD for food. In 2016, the cost of a basic food basket was 76 USD. A meal at a local restaurant usually costs 5 USD.

Additionally, Georgians are known for being extremely friendly with visitors. For them, guests are a gift from God, and foreign visitors are guests in their country. That’s why you may end up being invited to multiple dinners by people you just met or receiving help from people who don’t even know your name. Compared to other European countries, the cost of living here is much cheaper.

Affordable Universities in Georgia for International Students

1. Georgian Technical University

  • University Website
  • Tuition Fee Range: from 8,000 GEL/year (undergraduate) | from 9,000 GEL/year (graduate)

The first cheap university in Georgia is the Georgian Technical University. This university started as a faculty of another university, the Tbilisi State University (TSU).  It became autonomous in 1928 and was officially accredited as a university in 990.

It has 8 faculties: Mining and Geology, informatics and Control Systems, Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Transportation and Machine-Building, Power Engineering and Telecommunications, Civil Engineering, Social and Humanities, and Architecture, Urban Planning, and Design.

This university is the most important in the technical field. In recent years, it has educated 60% of scientists and engineers in the country.

It is located in the capital city, Tbilisi, and has nine campuses throughout the city. 23,000 students receive education here each year.

2. Shota Rustaveli State University

Shota Rustaveli State University is located in Batumi and was founded over 80 years ago. It has nine faculties of education, law, humanities, business and economics, social and political sciences, physics, mathematics, computer sciences, natural sciences and healthcare, technology, and tourism.

The admission procedures and document requirements are listed here. It only consists of submitting documents. Tuition fees are 11,000 GEL for bachelor’s degree programs. Because of that, Shota Rustaveli State University is considered a cheap university in Georgia. However, the majority of the programs are taught in Georgian.

3. Tbilisi State Academy of Arts

The Tbilisi State Academy of Arts is perfect for those who want to dedicate their lives to the arts. There are many specialties in all the areas of design and architecture.

This affordable university in Georgia has four faculties of fine arts, design, media arts, visual arts, architecture, and restoration, art history, and theory.

Along with the academic facilities, they have a museum with 618 paintings, a big exhibition hall, and a tapestry museum.

Some of the programs offered include drawing, sculpture, painting, civil architecture, environmental design, interior design, graphic design, digital media, photography, etc. They also offer preparatory courses.

In order to be admitted, prospective students interested in studying in the faculties of architecture, fine arts, media arts, and design must take an exam and a test in artistic skills. This last test is not required for the rest of the faculty.

Tuition fees are 2,250 GEL for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

4. Shota Rustaveli Theater and Georgia State Film University (TAFU)

  • University Website
  • Tuition Fee Range: from 2,000 GEL/year (undergraduate) | from 2,000 GEL /year (graduate)

Next on our list of cheap universities in Georgia is the Shota Rustaveli Theater and Georgia State Film University (TAFU). It specializes in performing and visual arts. It was founded in 1923 and has brought together professionals from the whole Caucasus region.

It is a public university and has more than one thousand students. There are three faculties of art sciences, media and management; film and television; and drama.

The university has two academic buildings in the capital city of Tbilisi. It has a theatre, a publishing house, a library, a film studio, a training center, and a museum.

They offer bachelor’s degree programs in the areas of mass communication, art history and theory, art management, cultural tourism, acting, film, theatre director, audiovisual director, and different performing arts specializations. They also offer different master’s and doctorate programs.

To learn more about admissions and tuition fees, contact the university staff.

5. Tbilisi State Medical University

As it happens with the first university on our list, Tbilisi State University was originally a faculty of TSU. Nowadays, it is the biggest and most important healthcare university in Georgia.

It was founded 100 years ago and has more than 10,000 students with a small percentage comprising of international students. There are five clinics for academic teaching, practices, and rotations.

It has seven faculties, namely, physical medicine and rehabilitation, nursing, pharmacy, stomatology, medicine, public health, and a second medicine faculty which is international. All of them offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. The nursing faculty also offers professional programs.

The university is affiliated with more than 120 universities around the world and is the founder of the Eastern European Medical Association. They offer programs in Georgian, English, and Russian. There are a few offered in French.

International students pay much more than domestic students, and the programs in English are the most expensive ones. Visit their admissions section to learn how to apply.

6. The Agricultural University of Georgia

  • University Website
  • Tuition Fee Range: from 2,000 GEL /year (undergraduate) | from 2,600 GEL/year (graduate)

The Agricultural University of Georgia is a private university that has between 4,000 and 5,000 students and is one of the cheapest universities in Georgia.

It has three schools of agricultural and natural sciences, business and administration, and technology and engineering. They offer 18 programs in total. Bachelor’s programs include agronomy, chemistry, biology, forestry, food processing, construction engineering, mechanical engineering, liberal arts, business and administration, electrical and computer engineering, and viticulture and enology.

Master and doctorate programs include agricultural science, natural science, engineering, and veterinary.

The university has modern facilities with 50 scientific labs, 17 research centers and institutes, and a library. There are student residences, a theatre, and a sports center.

7. Caucasus University

Caucasus University is a private university that was originally founded as the Caucasus School of Business in 1998. In 2004, it became what it is today.

This cheap university in Georgia has eight schools of law, media, business, governance, technology, social sciences, health care, and tourism. The university has modern facilities that include a court hall, an architecture workshop, a media studio, a start-up lab, an online radio, and much more!

The School of Business has interesting options. It offers double master’s degrees and joint degrees (bachelor’s and master’s) in affiliation with universities abroad, such as Georgia State University (the U.S.), Robinson College of Business (the U.S.), and the Grenoble Graduate School of Business (France).

It has a great employability rate as 98% of its graduates are employed.

8. Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA)

Established in 1994, the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) was created with the objective of developing the areas of policies and public administration in Georgia. It was founded with the investment and help of different official agencies and education institutions in the U.S.

It has four schools: Law and Politics, Social Sciences, Journalism and Media Management, and Government. It also has a social sciences Ph.D. program and a department of rural development. Each major has different admission procedures and tuition fees. Check the detailed information on each program here.

The university has great employability statistics, with 90% of graduates working in both private and public sectors.

9. International Black Sea University

We end our list of cheap universities in Georgia with the International Black Sea University. Founded in 1995, the International Black Sea University was created with the objective of fostering social and economic development in the region.

It has five faculties of social sciences, education and humanities, computer technology and engineering, business management, and law. Over 2,000 students receive education in one of the 24 bachelor’s programs. Additionally, there are 12 master’s programs and 4 doctorate programs.

They are very interested in the professional and personal growth of their students, so they have 33 clubs, different sports teams, and research units that organize multiple events each year.

Programs are available in English and Georgian. Tuition fees for international students are 3,000 USD. Learn more about admissions here.

 

If you’d like to learn even more about higher education in Georgia and your study opportunities there, check the website of the program Study in Georgia which was created by the NCEQE.

We hope that this article on the cheap universities in Georgia was helpful. To learn more information on studying abroad, check out the Programs in Europe for International Students.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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2 Comments

  1. Pragati - Reply

    Hello, I’m Indian and looking forward to pursue my education in Tbilisi, Georgia. I’ve completed my 12th from Indian high school from arts. I would like to know which course would charge me less academic fees. Waiting for your reply.

    • Hyun Lee - Reply

      Hello, Georgian universities don’t charge different based on subjects, unless it is specialized degrees like medicine, dentistry, etc. So, there are no variance in tuition fees.

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