The University of Malta is included in the ranking of the best universities in the world and trains specialists in various fields — from IT to art history.
Malta issues international diplomas with which you can work in the US and Europe.
We tell you how to get permanent residence or citizenship of Malta to study in the country for free.
Malta is attractive for higher education because it combines high-quality education, a safe and welcoming environment, and cost.
In Malta, there are two categories of higher education institutions:
There are public and private universities in Malta. The largest university, L-Università ta’ Malta, or the University of Malta, is one of the thousand best educational institutions in the world.
Students also study at affiliated universities in the US and the UK, such as the London School of Commerce or Queen Mary University of London. Branch diplomas are issued by the head university. If a student graduates from a Maltese branch of a British university, his diploma will be valid in the UK.
Higher education in Malta is organised according to the principles of the Bologna system. Students can earn several academic degrees:
Graduates of local schools and foreigners can enter Malta universities. Citizens of countries outside the European Union receive a student residence permit for study. Children of Malta residents can also study in the country if they have received a residence permit in Malta by investing together with their parents.
The academic year at the Malta universities consists of two semesters. The first lasts from October to mid-December, and the second — from early February to June.
Students go on holiday twice: Christmas in December and Easter in April. During the holidays, international students often travel, including around Europe. The Maltese residence permit replaces the Schengen visa.
1. Low cost of education. Education in Malta is, on average, cheaper than in other European countries. For example, studying at the Faculty of Humanities in France or Germany costs €10,000 per year, in Malta — from €3,000.
2. Teaching in English. To enter a university in Malta, you must provide an IELTS certificate. The minimum passing score for short-term courses is usually 4.5 points, for undergraduate programs — 5.0, and for master’s programs — 6.0.
3. The prospect of obtaining Malta citizenship. Students who have studied in Malta for at least six years and have lived there for four years can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. To obtain a passport, you must stay in Malta for a year before applying and pass an English and Maltese exam.
4. Availability of student exchange programs. The University of Malta is a member of the Erasmus + program, in which students can study in another country for a year or a semester. The list of program participants includes the EU countries, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
5. The opportunity to take preparatory courses before admission. Foundation Studies is an annual course in which applicants learn English to the level required for access and deepen their knowledge of core subjects. Such a course can be taken at the University of Malta. You can also learn English in one of the language schools in Malta.
6. Diplomas from Maltese universities are recognised all over the world. A graduate can work in another country — for example, in Europe, the USA or Australia, and he will not need to confirm his diploma in these countries.
7. Opportunity to work while studying. Students of courses lasting more than 90 days are entitled to work 20 hours a week. You can get a job after three months of training. To do this, students apply for a licence to work immediately after obtaining a residence permit. The Jobsplus centre handles work for students.
Prices for rooms in student dormitories and utilities are usually high. Since electricity is expensive in the country, there is no fresh water and central heating, and a room on the University of Malta campus costs €3,200 per year.
Often, additional costs for training, such as the purchase of textbooks or experiments, are not included in the tuition fee. Such fees can range from €500 to €20,000 annually and up to €56,000 in medical specialities.
Tuition prices depend on the citizenship of the applicant:
For a foreigner without a residence permit, a bachelor’s program in the field of humanities will cost €5,000 per year, and for a resident with permanent residence — from €2,000.
The highest prices are on medical programs: a year of study as a general practitioner at the University of Malta costs €20,000. The cheapest way to study is in the humanities and areas related to art and media: on average, tuition costs from €3,000.
Some specialities require additional expenses, such as research activities. Such payments range from €500 per year.
For academic excellence, students qualify for the GET Qualified Scholarship. The scholarship helps cover up to 70% of the cost of tuition and exams.
1. University of Malta. One of the oldest universities in Europe and the most popular state university in the country, it is included in the QS World University Ranking. The university teaches in English.
Campuses are located throughout the country: in Valletta, Msida, Marsaxlokk and Gozo.
The university trains specialists in various popular areas, such as programmers and lawyers. Also, at the university, you can study computer games or space and languages — Maltese, English, Spanish and others.
The University of Malta has 14 faculties, 18 research institutes, 13 research centres and three schools. The university’s pride is the university library, which stores more than a million sources in various fields.
The cost of studying at the leading university in Malta depends on the chosen speciality and starts from €8,500 per year.
2. Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, MCAST. The State College trains engineers, doctors, industrial designers, business managers and oil and gas workers. In total, the university has 180 daytime and 300 evening programs. A college education costs €5,400 per year; classes are conducted in English and Maltese.
3. Institute of Tourism Studies. The university specialises in the hotel and restaurant business and trains event organisers, chefs, managers and guides. Malta is a popular international tourism destination, so students also study foreign languages.
The curriculum for the university was developed jointly with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, located in Dubai. It is one of the best educational institutions in the field of tourism.
The cost of education for international students is from €3,200 per year. They teach at the institute in English.
4. Queen Mary, University of London. The branch of the British educational institution in Malta is a leading research centre. The university’s history is connected with the first medical school in England, The London Hospital Medical College.
The university is part of the prestigious Russell Group of UK universities. In the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, Queen Mary University of London is ranked 16th in the UK and 124th globally.
More than 30,000 students study at the University of London in Malta, 41% are foreigners.
The most popular areas of the university are dentistry and biology. The cost of studying in medical programs usually depends on the level of study and ranges from €20,000 per year.
5. The American University of Malta was founded in 2016 in Bormla on the model of American higher education institutions. The university offers 10 undergraduate and 3 master’s programs in business, engineering, technology and the arts.
The cost of studying at the American University of Malta for international students is €5,000 per year. Applicants also pay a fee of €1,000.
University students can receive a GET Qualified scholarship and a scholarship of €750 for recommending the university to their friends or relatives.
Documents to be submitted by the applicant along with the application:
All documents are translated into English. Foreign applicants certify scans, copies and translations of documents.
Students must put an apostille on diplomas and certificates issued in other countries. You can apply for an apostille and pay the fee on the public services portal. Still, the original document is handed over and collected from the department or local public services centre only in person. You do not need to certify a certificate or diploma at the consulate.
To enter a university, you need to pass a competitive selection. Universities publish in advance the number of available places for each direction and the requirements for applicants online.
Each educational institution also publishes the deadline for submitting documents on its website. Usually, records begin to be accepted in the fall, a year before the start of training, and the competition is closed at the end of July. For example, in the 2023 academic year, the University of Malta accepted applications from international applicants until July 20.
You need to apply for admission to a university in Malta on the website of the selected university. Applicants choose a speciality in advance and indicate it in the application.
Applicants pay a non-refundable application fee. Citizens and residents of Malta pay €23, while international students pay €95. If you miss the application deadline, the cost will increase to €125.
For admission to arts majors, students are asked to take entrance tests, such as music auditions. And to study in the direction of “Sports and Exercise” or “Dancing”, you must pass a medical examination.
The university informs the applicant about the successful passing of the exams by e-mail or in a personal account on the university website.
It would be best to have a student visa to study in Malta. Students receive a C visa if the course lasts less than three months. To survey on periods lasting more than three months, you need a long-term visa D. Such a visa costs €100 and entitles you to obtain a student residence permit upon arrival in Malta. The university helps to extend the status.
A Maltese residence permit or passport helps children of foreigners study in Europe for free. You can become a resident for investment.
Obtain permanent status under the Malta Permanent Residence Programme. The investor buys or rents a property for five years, pays government fees and makes donations. He also confirms having assets of at least €500,000, where €150,000 are liquid financial assets. The minimum investment is €150,000.
With the investor, permanent residence can be obtained by his spouse and children of any age if they are unmarried and financially dependent on the applicant.
Become a citizen of Malta by naturalisation. You must continuously live in the country for five years to do this. Investors receive a passport within one or three years if they apply for Malta citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment.
The minimum investment for obtaining citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment is €690,000, and the applicant must:
Five years after obtaining a passport, the property can be sold.
The application can include a spouse, mainly dependent unmarried children under 29, and principally dependent parents and grandparents over 55.
There is no investment-based path to Malta citizenship. Maltese nationality legislation provides for the possibility of naturalisation in cases of exceptional merit.
The statutory framework recognises exceptional contributions across various areas, such as entrepreneurship, job creation, innovation, science, education, culture, or philanthropy.
International students study in Malta for a fee. They take an English exam and collect the following package of documents:
You can apply to find out about entrance examinations and the deadline for submitting documents on the website of the selected university. Applicants also receive a student visa.
A semester at the University of Malta costs from €1,600. The most expensive specialities are related to medicine, the most accessible — to the media and the humanities.
The University of Malta issues an international diploma. You can work with it or continue your studies in Europe. There are also branches of British universities in the country. A diploma obtained in such a branch is valid in the UK.
Education in Malta at the international level. At the same time, tuition fees are lower than in Europe.
Applicants with citizenship of the EU countries study in Malta for free, while other foreigners — only on a paid basis.
With Maltese citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment, the children of the investor can study free of charge at public universities in Malta.
Malta has three official languages: Maltese, Sign Maltese and English. They teach at universities in Malta in English. At the same time, courses in the Maltese language are available for everyone.
Higher education in Malta is organised according to the British and European Bologna system model. Diplomas of Maltese universities are valid in all EU countries, Great Britain and the USA.
There are about 20 universities and colleges in Malta. Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, MCAST, is among the best colleges in Malta.
The University of Malta is one of the oldest universities in Europe and the most popular state university in the country, and it is included in the QS World University Ranking. The university teaches in English. Campuses are located throughout the country: in Valletta, Msida, Marsaxlokk and Gozo.
