Latvia Sees First Student Enrollment Increase in Two Decades, Driven by International demand
Riga, Latvia – Latvian higher education is experiencing a resurgence, with student enrollment reaching nearly 75,000 in the 2024/2025 academic year – the first increase since 2005, according to a new report from the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). This growth is coupled with a rise in state-funded study places and a significant influx of international students.
The MoES report details that 48 higher education institutions across Latvia are currently educating 74,790 students. the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, and Riga Stradiņš University remain the most popular choices, collectively attracting 54% of the student body.
Key Enrollment Statistics:
- Total students: 74,790
- Bachelor’s Level: 57%
- Master’s Level: 24%
- College Level: 17%
- Doctoral Level: 2%
- State-Funded seats: 43% (up from 41% the previous year)
- International Students: 11,542 (15% of total student population)
The increase in state-budget funded study places is particularly notable in the field of education,with additional funding allocated to part-time studies for future teachers. This initiative aims to address critical teacher shortages across the country, particularly in rural areas.
International Student Demographics: The number of foreign students has risen sharply,with the largest contingents originating from:
- India: 27%
- Uzbekistan: 10%
- Sweden: 8%
- Ukraine: 8%
- Germany: 6%
A majority (55%) of international students are pursuing Master’s degrees.
Faculty & Staffing: Latvian universities and colleges employ 5,066 teaching staff, filling 6,937 academic positions.The most prevalent roles are senior researchers (22%), assistant professors (20%), and researchers (17%).
Gender Distribution: Significant gender disparities exist across academic fields. “Education” and “Health care and social welfare” programs are overwhelmingly female-dominated (91% and 81% respectively), while “Engineering, manufacturing and construction” and “Natural sciences, mathematics and information technology” programs see a majority male enrollment (73% and 71% respectively).
This positive trend in latvian higher education signals a growing attractiveness of the nation’s universities to both domestic and international students, perhaps bolstering the country’s knowledge economy and future workforce.
