The Netherlands remains the top pick for Bulgarian school-leavers who want to study abroad, and applications for courses starting in September 2027 are already open, says Nikolay Hristanov, higher education manager at Integral.

The fair is run by Integral and also stopped in Burgas this time. It has taken place twice a year for the past 20 years in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas and Varna, always starting with a spring edition. This Burgas edition was the 40th in the series.

At the fairs, universities present their degree courses to 12th-grade students. Hristanov says applying early also means an earlier reply from universities, giving applicants a clearer idea of their next steps.

Besides the Netherlands, some Italian universities are already taking applications, and Spain has opened an early round. Other countries, including Finland, are set to open their systems soon. Applicants to Oxford and Cambridge have until October 15 to apply.

The UK still draws some applicants even after leaving the EU. "I've also noticed interest in Ireland, where you can study for free," Hristanov told Bulgarian National Radio.

Hristanov says the top choices have stayed the same for the past eight or nine years: business and management, economics, computer science, media and communications, and psychology. Engineering is popular too, especially robotics and artificial intelligence, while some students pick dietetics and biomedicine. He also pointed to renewed interest in law, architecture, journalism and medicine abroad.

Two 11th-grade students came to the Burgas fair already thinking about where to study abroad. One is looking at public relations and communications in Italy, while the other wants to study entrepreneurship and technology in Spain. "I'm glad there's a fair like this in Burgas too — it helps us decide," one of them told Bulgarian National Radio.

The next World Education fair will be held in spring next year.