Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University was founded in 1918 and is the oldest university in Georgia and in the wider Caucasus region. It is a public, comprehensive university with faculties covering the humanities, social and political sciences, economics and business, exact and natural sciences, law, medicine and psychology.

The university operates within the European Higher Education Area, so its degrees follow the bachelor's, master's and doctoral cycle and use ECTS credits, which makes the qualifications straightforward to read against European programmes.

A number of programmes are taught in English for international students, alongside the main Georgian-language provision. Which programmes those are changes over time, so the specific course listing is the thing to check.

Admission is document-driven and generally simpler than in Western Europe, but the requirements that exist are applied firmly.

• A completed secondary qualification with the subjects the programme requires, and a recognised bachelor's degree for master's entry.
• Legalised and translated academic documents, commonly requiring apostille certification.
• Evidence of English ability for English-taught programmes — an English-medium schooling certificate or an internal assessment is accepted for some programmes, but confirm this in writing.
• A valid passport and the documents the university's international office lists for the study visa and residence permit.
• A medical fitness certificate where the programme requires one.

Georgian fees are among the lowest of any destination on this list, which is a large part of why international students come — but the figures are published per programme and change.

• Set per programme and published annually by the university.
• English-taught programmes may be priced differently from Georgian-taught ones.
• Substantially lower than Western Europe or North America, which is the main financial argument for studying here.
• Merit-based tuition discounts are available and decided by the university, in several cases reassessed each year on results.
• Living costs in Tbilisi are low by international comparison, which compounds the fee advantage.
• Additional costs — residence permit, health insurance and document attestation — are modest but real.

Work from the university's programme page for your intake, which we will confirm directly with them for your specific programme and year of entry — it is the only figure that will be correct for you, and it is republished every year. We will confirm the current cost and what it includes before you commit to an application.

Funding for international students at Tbilisi State is decided by the university rather than through a national scheme, and takes the form of tuition discounts on academic performance. State-funded places are directed principally at Georgian citizens.

• Merit tuition discounts — decided on academic record, and in several cases reassessed each year.
• Faculty reductions — offered by individual faculties and published with the programme.

There is no central scheme to apply to. Budget for the published fee and treat any discount as a reduction on top — we will ask the university directly what is open in your intake.

Georgia's oldest and largest university, in a capital city that is inexpensive, welcoming and increasingly used to international students.

• Several faculty buildings across Tbilisi, with the main historic building in the city centre.
• A growing international cohort, particularly in medicine, with support services developing alongside it.
• Tbilisi is very affordable — accommodation, food and transport are all low by European standards.
• A distinctive city with a strong food and café culture, and mountains within easy reach.
• Limited university accommodation, so most international students rent privately — which is inexpensive and straightforward.
• Georgian is the local language; English is common among students and in the centre, less so in administration.

Be prepared for administration to be less streamlined than in Western Europe, and for some processes to need in-person follow-up. It is manageable, and worth expecting rather than being surprised by.