Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is a public university in western Ukraine whose history goes back to a charter granted to the Jesuit college in Lviv on 20 January 1661.[1] It has 19 faculties.[2] In the QS World University Rankings 2027 it is in the 1201–1400 band.[3]
For 2025/2026 its international office lists first-year tuition of UAH 77,526 for full-time bachelor’s and UAH 85,279 for full-time master’s study, payable in hryvnia.[4] The pages we read list only a few degree programmes in English, all at master’s level, so most international students study in Ukrainian or start with the university’s preparatory school.[5][6]
Key facts
| Official name | Львівський національний університет імені Івана Франка (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv)[7] |
| Location | Universytetska Street 1, Lviv, 79000[8] |
| Type | Public university[7] |
| Founded | 20 January 1661, when King John II Casimir granted the Jesuit college in Lviv the dignity of an academy and the title of a university[1] |
| Reopened | 16 November 1784 under Austrian rule, with four faculties[1] |
| Faculties | 19, plus an Institute of Postgraduate Education and Pre-University Training[2] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Band 1201–1400 (unchanged from the year before)[3] |
| Tuition 2025/26, bachelor’s, first year | UAH 77,526 full-time; UAH 54,270 part-time[4] |
| Tuition 2025/26, master’s, first year | UAH 85,279 full-time; UAH 59,697 part-time[4] |
| Not included in tuition | Books, trips and medical insurance[4] |
| Degree programmes in English | Master’s level: Postwar Landscape Reconstruction, plus three double-degree master’s programmes with partner universities[5] |
| Languages of instruction | Ukrainian (majority of courses), English (courses available on an individual basis), per the university’s Erasmus information sheet[8] |
| Preparatory school | Preparatory School for International Students (International Education Center), Pasichna Street 62b, Lviv[6] |
| Official website | lnu.edu.ua |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 10 November 2026.
About Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
The university’s history page dates its university status to 20 January 1661, when King Jan II Kazimierz granted the Jesuit college in Lviv the dignity of an academy and the title of a university; King Augustus III confirmed the diploma in 1758. After the Jesuit Order was dissolved in 1773 the university was shut down, and under Austrian rule it was reopened with a grand opening on 16 November 1784 and four faculties: philosophy, law, medicine and theology.[1]
Wikipedia adds that the institution took its present name, after the writer Ivan Franko, in 1940, and that it was called Jan Kazimierz University in the interwar period.[7] Today the university lists 19 faculties, among them Applied Mathematics and Informatics, Economics, International Relations, Law, Philology and Physics, and an Institute of Postgraduate Education and Pre-University Training.[2]
How is Ivan Franko National University of Lviv ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the university is in the 1201–1400 band, with no change from the year before. It is the fifth Ukrainian institution in that list, behind Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (791–800), Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and Karazin Kharkiv National University (both 851–900) and Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (1001–1200).[3]
Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one band as one view. How we compile rankings. More universities in our Ukraine guide.
What can you study at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv?
The university has 19 faculties.[2] The international office separates “Degree studies in Ukrainian” from “Degree studies in English”.[6] The English list we read is short and at master’s level:[5]
- Postwar Landscape Reconstruction (Faculty of Geography), a master’s programme taught in English.
- Double-degree master’s in International Security and Human Rights with Tuscia University, Italy (Faculty of International Relations).
- InterMaths, a joint MSc in Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics with the University of L’Aquila, Italy.
- Double-degree Master in Law with Vilnius University, Lithuania.
The page lists no English-taught bachelor’s programmes and gives no fees or English-level rules for them.[5] For other fields you would normally study in Ukrainian; the Erasmus information sheet states that most courses are in Ukrainian and that English courses are available on an individual basis.[8]
How much does Ivan Franko National University of Lviv cost in 2025/26?
| Level (first year) | Full-time per year | Part-time per year |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | UAH 77,526 | UAH 54,270 |
| Master’s | UAH 85,279 | UAH 59,697 |
These are the fees for international students for the 2025–2026 academic year on the international office’s page.[4] At the exchange rate printed there (1 USD = UAH 41.84 on 15 July 2025, National Bank of Ukraine) they come to about USD 1,850 and USD 2,040 for full-time study.[4] All payments are made in hryvnia, and books, trips and medical insurance are not included.[4] The page does not say whether the amounts apply to Ukrainian- or English-taught programmes, and it lists no fees for the preparatory school.[4]
The state application portal adds a one-time application fee of UAH 3,100.[9] We found no 2026/27 price list; confirm the amount for your intake with the international office.
How do you apply to Ivan Franko National University of Lviv?
The international office’s admission page describes the rules for degree-seeking foreigners; it refers to the “Full Admission Rules 2025”, so the details may change for your intake.[10]
- Invitation: foreigners are enrolled through the national unified information system. The electronic invitation is valid for no more than six months.[10]
- Documents: application form, the previous education document and its appendix (original and copy), passport copy, health insurance, four 3x4 cm photos and, if you have them, the preparatory school certificate and a Ukrainian-language certificate. Documents other than passport and photos need a notarised Ukrainian translation, and education documents must be certified and legalised in the issuing country.[10]
- Remote option: identity checks and entrance exams can be done remotely with video recording; originals are handed in on first entering Ukraine.[10]
- Recognition: recognition of your foreign degree or qualification is mandatory during the first year.[10]
- Entrance exams: for bachelor’s, Ukrainian language, mathematics and history of Ukraine, plus a creative competition where required. For master’s, an exam in the language of study and one in the specialty, with a competitive score of at least 110 points.[10]
Citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus without a residence permit in Ukraine are admitted only with individual permission from the Ministry of Education and Science.[10] The national portal describes the offer-and-invitation steps and the Type D visa.[9] We give no deadlines because they change every year.
Which language do you need at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv?
Applicants “must be proficient in the language of instruction” at a level sufficient for their field. Ukrainian proficiency can be shown by a state language certificate, a university certificate or a CMI certificate, and the result counts as the Ukrainian-language entrance exam score.[10] Foreign citizens who do not speak Ukrainian can prepare at the Preparatory School for International Students.[6]
The pages we read name no English test or minimum level for the English-language master’s programmes.[5] Contact the international office before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Ivan Franko National University of Lviv cost for international students?
How is Ivan Franko National University of Lviv ranked?
It is in the 1201–1400 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, unchanged from a year earlier.[3]
Can I study in English at the University of Lviv?
Only in a few programmes on the pages we read: the master’s “Postwar Landscape Reconstruction” and three double-degree master’s programmes with partner universities.[5]
Do I need to speak Ukrainian?
Can I take the entrance exams remotely?
According to the admission page, identity checks and entrance exams can be done remotely with video recording, while originals of documents are handed in on arrival.[10]
More about studying in Ukraine
- Ukraine: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Ukraine
- Bogomolets National Medical University
- Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
- V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Sources
[1] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: History of the University (page without a date)
[2] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: Faculties (page without a date)
[3] education.ua: Ukrainian universities lose places in the world ranking (QS 2027; QS publishes at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article dated 18 Jun 2026)
[4] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, International Cooperation: Academic information and fees (fees for 2025–2026; exchange rate of 15 Jul 2025; page without a date)
[5] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, International Cooperation: Degree studies in English and double-degree diplomas (page without a date)
[6] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: Centre for International Cooperation (page without a date; news up to 10 Nov 2026)
[7] Wikipedia: University of Lviv (status, names and interwar history; secondary source)
[8] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: Erasmus information sheet (UA LVIV01) (document marked 2025; address and languages of instruction)
[9] Study in Ukraine (Ukrainian State Center for International Education): How to apply (page without a date; copyright 2026)
[10] Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, International Cooperation: Admission requirements (page without a date; refers to the Full Admission Rules 2025)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.