Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

The university was founded in 1860 and calls itself the oldest higher education institution in Romania. It has over 24,000 students, cooperates with 500 universities worldwide and is located at Bulevardul Carol I nr. 11 in Iași.^[1] Wikipedia gives 26 October 1860 as the founding date, by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and reports 24,047 students in 2019–20.^[2]

The university has 15 faculties: Computer Science; Economics and Business Administration; Geography and Geology; History; Law; Letters; Mathematics; Orthodox Theology; Philosophy and Social-Political Sciences; Physical Education and Sports; Psychology and Education Sciences; Roman-Catholic Theology; Biology; Chemistry; and Physics.^[1] It offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes and also programmes taught in foreign languages.^[1]

How is Alexandru Ioan Cuza University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the university is in the 1201–1400 band, together with POLITEHNICA Bucharest and West University of Timișoara. The University of Bucharest (801–850) and Babeș-Bolyai (851–900) are the only Romanian universities in the top 1,000.^[3] The University of Bucharest’s release also names UAIC in the 1201–1400 band.^[7]

Wikipedia lists the 2026 edition at 1001–1200,^[2] so the 2027 band is lower. The ranking publisher’s own page could not be read because it blocks automated access, so the band comes from Romanian press. Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study in English or French at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University?

The page on degrees in English and French lists 9 bachelor’s programmes (7 in English, 2 in French) and about 23 master’s programmes (about 20 in English, 3 in French). Bachelor’s examples are Computer Science, Business Administration and Physics; master’s examples are Software Engineering, Finance and Risk Management, and Biophysics and Medical Physics.^[5]

The page does not give a count for doctoral programmes.^[5] Students who take courses in English or French do not need the Romanian language course. Students of Romanian-taught courses take a Romanian course: one year at bachelor’s level, at least six months for master’s and doctoral levels.^[6]

How much does Alexandru Ioan Cuza University cost for non-EU students in 2026/27?

Amounts are per year in euros for the 2026/27 academic year, from the university’s fee page for non-EU citizens (page dated 19 November 2025).^[4] The overview page for non-EU applicants gives a master’s maximum of €4,200, while the fee table tops out at €4,000; we show the table and flag the difference.^[6][4] The preparatory year of Romanian costs between €2,400 (social sciences, humanities, psychology) and €8,775 (film) a year, depending on the field.^[4] The fee page lists no application or registration fee.^[4]

Admitted students pay the tuition after they receive the Letter of Acceptance; the payment is needed for the study visa.^[6] For living costs in Iași, see the Romania guide.

How do you apply to Alexandru Ioan Cuza University?

Non-EU applicants do not apply online. The page dated 9 October 2026 gives this route:^[6]

1. Send your application file by email to the International Relations Office (the contact named on the page is gabriela.bargaoanu@uaic.ro).
2. The committee of the faculty you applied to accepts or rejects the file.
3. For selected candidates the International Relations Office requests the Letter of Acceptance from the Romanian Ministry of Education.
4. After you receive the Letter of Acceptance, you pay the tuition fee, which you need for the study visa at the Romanian embassy in your country.

Separate pages list the required documents for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral applicants; open the registration page for non-EU citizens.^[8] We give no deadlines here because they change every year.

Which language level do you need?

The university offers courses in English and French at all study levels. For English- or French-taught courses, certificates such as Cambridge, TOEFL or IELTS are recommended, but the page does not state them as mandatory and gives no minimum level.^[6] If you study in Romanian, you must complete the Romanian language course first (one year at bachelor’s level, at least six months for master’s and doctoral levels).^[6]

More about studying in Romania

• Romania: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Romania

• Babeș-Bolyai University
• Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy
• University of Bucharest
• National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest