University of Belgrade

Key facts

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

About the University of Belgrade

The university traces its origins to 1808, when Dositej Obradović founded the Higher School. Its own history page divides the development into the Higher School (1808–1813), the Lyceum (1838–1863), the Higher School again (1863–1905) and the University from 1905.^[6] Serbia has 18 universities, of which 8 are state and 10 are private; the University of Belgrade is one of the state universities.^[1]

The university is organised into three kinds of member: faculties, institutes and the university library.^[6] It has 31 faculties.^[2] The Rectorate is at 1 Studentski trg in Belgrade.^[6]

How is the University of Belgrade ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Belgrade is in the 801–850 band. We read this on a ranking aggregator’s copy of the 2027 table, because topuniversities.com blocks automated access; QS gives exact positions only for the top of the table and bands further down.^[3]

The university’s own ranking page lists other tables in its own words, among them CWUR 2026 (393rd of 19,788 universities); the page carries no date.^[8] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Belgrade?

Teaching is organised by 31 faculties.^[2] Studies run in three cycles: academic or vocational studies in the first cycle, master or specialist studies in the second, and doctoral academic studies in the third. The university has no vocational doctorates.^[2]

The official language of instruction is Serbian, but the university says there are numerous accredited curricula in English and a few in other European languages.^[2] Two examples from 2025–2027 calls: the Faculty of Economics announces international master’s programmes in English in quantitative finance, taxation, business informatics and applied economics,^[4] and the Faculty of Medicine runs a six-year integrated Medicine programme in English (360 ECTS).^[5] Browse the full list on the university’s study programmes page.

How much does the University of Belgrade cost for foreign students?

There is no single university-wide price. Foreign citizens pay tuition fees for non-nationals, and the fee varies by faculty.^[2] The two faculty calls below are the only fee schedules we could read; they are examples, not an average.

The Faculty of Economics offers partial scholarships of up to 25% or 50% of the fee to the best-ranked Serbian-citizen candidates; the call states this for Serbian citizens only.^[4] The Faculty of Medicine call also lists an entrance-exam fee of €140, payable in dinars.^[5] Medicine candidates who are foreign citizens additionally need proof of regulated residence and health insurance when they enrol.^[5]

Fees for other faculties are not given on the university’s central pages, which refer applicants to each faculty’s website.^[2] For living costs, see our Serbia guide.

How do you apply to the University of Belgrade?

General enrolment requirements for foreign citizens are the same as for Serbian citizens. The university publishes its enrolment call on its website; the call sets the eligibility criteria for each study level.^[2] The university describes the route for degree-seeking foreign candidates in four steps:^[2]

1. Find a study programme (in Serbian or English) at the university.
2. Have your previous diploma recognised by the competent authority.
3. Read the current enrolment call and check the general and specific requirements for foreign citizens.
4. Apply at the faculty that runs your programme and pass the entrance exam, if there is one.

Recognition of foreign documents

The university’s recognition page says that foreign higher-education documents are recognised by the university itself, through the recognition office. The request is sent by post to the Rectorate or handed in at the office, with two copies of the form, notarised copies of the diploma and supplement, certified Serbian translations by a sworn court interpreter, proof of the administrative fees and, where relevant, proof of a name change.^[9] The administrative fee is 33,000 RSD or €300, and the Republic administrative fee is 14,900 RSD; the page gives no year for these amounts.^[9] The page says the Agency for Qualifications deals with foreign secondary-school certificates and with recognition for employment, not for further study.^[9] An older university brochure names the Ministry of Education instead for secondary-school documents,^[2] so follow the recognition page and ask the faculty which body applies to your case.

We give no deadlines here, because they change every year and differ by faculty. Check the call of your faculty. General admissions information: admissions page.

Which language level do you need?

Foreign degree candidates must be fluent in Serbian or in the language of instruction of the programme they choose.^[2] For programmes in English, the Faculty of Economics requires proof of English at level B2 (a Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English or IELTS) or completed secondary education in English.^[4] The Faculty of Medicine sets the same B2 requirement for its English-language Medicine programme.^[5] B2 is upper-intermediate on the CEFR scale, the European scale from A1 to C2. Which other certificates a faculty accepts is not stated in the sources we read, so ask the faculty before you book a test.

More about studying in Serbia

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

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