Chances of getting a place at university: Applying to the RSU
Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) evaluates each application individually. There is no numerus clausus for German applicants. Nevertheless, upper secondary school grades in natural sciences, especially biology and chemistry, are extremely important. In addition, the individual situation of the applicants is taken into account.
This affects the chances of the application
Have you just graduated from high school? Or have you already completed a degree or vocational training programme? Use our opportunity check to get an accurate assessment of your chances of getting a place at university in Riga.
Transfer of Study Credits
Applicants who have already begun or even completed a university degree will improve their chances if they can demonstrate academic achievements in the natural sciences or mathematics. It may even be possible to get previous studies recognised if there is clear overlap with the medical or dental curriculum and academic achievements from at least two full semesters can be demonstrated.
Students of human medicine or dentistry who wish to transfer from Germany to Riga must submit a rather extensive application. There is no general answer to the question of the chances of being accepted, and especially of having one's academic achievements recognised. This is an individual matter that requires an assessment of the prerequisites, A-level results and academic achievements. Please feel free to send us an enquiry.
Applications – The Selection Criteria
The application conditions for a medical or dentality place at the RSU in Riga have now been specified for 62 countries worldwide. These include all European Union countries. For Germany, there are specific requirements for individual grades in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and English. If the English grades from school are not strong enough, the University of Riga requires a successfully passed English certificate as proof of English language skills.
Riga University: Competition for University Places
There is a lot of competition for university places at Rīga Stradiņš University. In the international degree programmes in human medicine and dentistry, there were 2.7 applicants for every university place in recent years (as of March 2023). The high school leaving certificate is very important for the admission procedure at the University of Riga. A completed medical training or a degree in natural sciences can significantly increase the chances of admission.
About medical entrance tests for university places abroad
In Europe, many universities use medical entrance tests in biology and chemistry to select students for admission. These provide an alternative to the ‘grade-based’ admissions process used by medical schools in Germany and a few other European countries. The RSU, as a university in Riga, also uses the high school diploma as a basis for admission to international medical and dental degree programmes.
Other universities conduct admission tests that allow applicants with moderate or poor grades in high school and A-levels to gain a place at university. Medical admission tests in biology and chemistry are therefore often an alternative to the ‘grade-based’ admission procedure of medical schools in Germany and Europe.
You can find more information about medical entrance tests at our partner universities in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Slovakia on our Find-an-Academic website.
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