Burgas Free University enters another international higher education ranking
Burgas Free University has been included in another international ranking – EduRank. In EduRank 2026 for Europe, BFU is positioned in the first half of the 2,785 higher education institutions (HEIs) featured in the ranking, taking the 1,370th place. Globally, BFU is ranked 5,604th out of 14,131 HEIs included in the classification (according to UNESCO, accredited HEIs worldwide exceed 25,000).
The ranking evaluates scientific output, citation impact, academic influence, and societal contribution of universities. Unsurprisingly, the top three positions in Europe are held by the British institutions: the University of Oxford (3rd globally), the University of Cambridge (6th globally), and University College London.
For the university of our city Burgas, with only a 35‑year history, this is a remarkable achievement. BFU ranks ahead of several established Bulgarian universities, including the National Military University “Vasil Levski”, the Agricultural University – Plovdiv, the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts – Plovdiv, the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts “Krastyo Sarafov” – Sofia, the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics – Svishtov, the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy – Sofia, the University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”, Burgas State University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov”, and others.
BFU demonstrates particularly strong performance in specific scientific fields. In Machine Learning, BFU ranks 8th in Bulgaria and 956th in Europe. In Engineering and Computer Science, the university is also among the leading institutions in the country. In Management, BFU is 19th nationally and 1,207th in Europe. In both fields, publication activity in impact‑factor journals and citation rates of BFU’s academic staff have increased nearly tenfold over the past 12 years.
In 2026, Burgas Free University achieved another significant recognition – for the first time it entered the prestigious QS Europe ranking, where it is placed 901st in Europe and 162nd in Eastern Europe. Only 12 Bulgarian universities are included in this ranking.
In just two months, Burgas Free University will celebrate its 35th anniversary. September 18 is the date on which the Grand National Assembly decided to establish the first three non‑state higher education institutions after the democratic changes – BFU, as the ideological successor of the Free University founded in 1920, was among them.
