Studying in Riga and/or Germany

The German medical admissions process is still in a state of upheaval in some respects in 2024. The Master Plan 2020 and the reorganisation of the Numerus Clausus procedure are leading to changes, but the basic situation for applicants looking for a place at university remains the same:

The number of students enrolled in medicine or dentistry in Germany is low compared to the number of applicants. In the winter semester of 2022/23, there were 35,567 applicants for 9,948 places on human medicine courses.

• Due to the fact that the admission procedure is still heavily focused on the Abiturschnitt, many suitable and highly motivated applicants cannot be considered – despite the reform and change of the procedure in Germany.

• The demand for trained medical professionals in Germany is high and will continue to rise in the coming years.
• For many years, medical studies in Latvia have attracted students from Germany. In 2022, there were almost 900 Germans studying medicine or dentistry in Riga.

You can find more information about studying at RSU Riga here.

 Medical Studies in Latvia

Those studying medicine or dentistry in Riga, Latvia, usually do so in small groups and in close contact with professors and lecturers. 

Prospective doctors and dentists from all over the world work together here intensively and lay the foundation for a successful medical career - including at the international level.

At RSU in Riga

Studying Medicine or Dentistry

The RSU now has more than 2,500 international medical students (as of February 2022), over 40 per cent of whom come from Germany. The majority of those studying medicine or dentistry in Riga are enrolled at RSU Riga. There is also an international medical degree programme at the Latvia University (Latvijas Universitate), although it is significantly smaller.
Here you will find information about the costs and tuition fees and the chances of getting a place at RSU in Riga.

Developments since 2010

Over the past 15 years, more and more Germans have been going to other European countries to study medicine and dentistry in English, usually at state universities that have opened up to international students.
These students are willing to pay tuition fees, which usually range from €6,000 to €15,000 per year. 

In recent years, an increasing number of German medical students have also been drawn to Latvia. English-language medical programmes have been available in Riga, the Latvian capital, since the early 1990s.