How Much Does Higher Education in the Republic of Moldova Cost Us?

In 2012, the universities with the highest expenditure per student from the National Public Budget were “Nicolae Testemițanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (around MDL 47 thousand), the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts (around MDL 35 thousand) and “Grigore Țamblac” State University of Taraclia (around MDL 25 thousand per student). As regards the number of students in state universities, in 2012 the largest number of students studied at the State University of Moldova (around 16 thousand students, or 15.7% of all students in higher education); the Technical University of Moldova (14.4 thousand students, or around 14% of all students); and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (13.3 thousand students, or 12.9% of all students). Over the past five years, the share of students in public and private higher education institutions has not changed (around 19% of students in private educational institutions and 81% in public ones), while the total number of students has continued to decline (from around 115 thousand students in 2008 to 102 thousand in 2012). As for the distribution by locality, in 2012, 90.2% of all students in higher education studied in Chișinău municipality, 6.2% in Bălți municipality, 1.73% in Comrat municipality, 1.60% in Cahul town, and only 0.28% in Taraclia town.