Why study in Latvia?

Here are eight reasons for making your choice to study in Latvia. 

1. Small but spacious

Latvia is a friendly and welcoming country. Even though the typical Latvian is not an open book and more often smiles internally, we are good at building lifetime friendships. It is also very easy to get contacts, get introduced to like-minded people and build a career regardless of age or previous job experience. Latvia is not over-crowded with huge megapolises and unbelievable traffic-jams or mile-long lines. Instead, it offers a serene environment for studying and working, where you can choose how much buzz or peace and quiet you need. Latvia ranks high on the Global peace index as a country with low crime rates, a stable political scene and almost zero natural disasters[1].

2.Great value for money

The prices for studying and living in Latvia as a Northern European country are friendly, and students can afford to have more for less. Studies, including outstanding programmes in business, law, ICT or medicine, are available for reasonable tuition fees. Even elite university programmes are available for comparatively reasonable tuition fees. Studying here will enable students to get an internationally-recognized diploma and will serve as a springboard for excellent career and further education choices. Graduates will be equipped with relevant knowledge and core practical skills required to succeed in labour market. Moreover, the cost of living in Latvia is relatively low, so students can cover their expenses easily.

3.Knowledge base

Latvians are driven by the capacity to invent, adjust and evolve. Joint research and innovation hubs have stimulated the production of new products and technologies in such knowledge specialization areas as bio-economics, smart materials and engineering systems, smart energetics, bio-pharmacy and bio-medicine, ICT and others. Latvia can indeed be proud of its innovative technological solutions for cancer treatment, world’s best studio microphones, smart fabrics, drone jumps, wind tunnels and many others. The close cooperation between universities and industry practitioners facilitates the modelling of students’ competency using modern learning recourses.

4.Entrepreneurial hotspot

Latvia’s location provides a strategic position for business operations across the continent. One of Latvia’s competitive advantages is its dynamic and rapidly growing start-up environment that boosts student idea-testing and entrepreneurial mind-set. Newcomers are offered a pool of business incubators and co-working spaces, a diverse range of institutional investors and business angels, as well as social gatherings and meetups. Latvia has more than 400+ start-ups making it a home for great ideas. Latvia has been announced as one of the Europe’s entrepreneurial hotspots ranking 1st in Europe in early entrepreneurial activity[2] and is the 14th best country where to do business[3]. So…when there is an idea, there’s a way to make it happen!

5. Inspiring talents

Believe it or not, but the average Latvian adult speaks three languages, makes crafts, is a member of a dance group or music troupe and grows their own greens. The talents of Latvians are indeed appreciated across the globe – we have Olympic champions, NBA players, including one of the world’s greatest basketball players, contemporary artists, inventors and discoverers, sports, music and art legends. We even invented jeans, the camera drone “Airdog” and 3D holograms, not to mention being the birthplace of the original “Crocodile Dundee”.

6.Excellent travel hub

Latvia is geographically located at the heart of the Baltic region connecting the West and East.  This makes it easy to access any type of transport and jump in for a travel adventure across the continent. You can make it a starting point for many discoveries with most European and Asian destinations at your fingertips. The capital Riga hosts some of the biggest universities and is also the biggest city in the Baltics. At the same time, it is easy to access regional universities and commute between the cities.

7. Enchanting four seasons

Latvia has boundless opportunities to enjoy all four seasons. You can experience sub-zero temperatures and cross-country skiing in winter and spectacular spring blossoms and boating trips in spring. Summers here are mild and pleasant with various outdoor festivals, and autumn brings amazing views of boldly coloured tree-tops while hiking or picking mushrooms. The seaside, forests and idyllic countryside are all within a 30 minute drive from the capital. You are welcome to explore the 500 km long coastline with clean and pleasantly uncrowded beaches. More than half of Latvia’s territory is wooded, making it the 4th most forested country in Europe – so amazingly green.

8. Vibrant culture

Latvia is a multi-ethnic country with amazing folk traditions and culture, which makes it an attractive and stimulating environment. There is a wide range of open-air cultural events happening in forests and meadows, on beaches and water. A unique event in Latvia is the national song and dance festival comprising more than 40 000 singers and dancers. For the lovers of the classics there are opportunities to meet Grammy-award winning musicians and New York Metropolitan opera divas. We have plenty of traditional and modern craftspeople who create Latvian design, characterized by an exceptional combination of various materials – clay, linen, beeswax, wood and others. So everyone can find a suitable cultural event, masterpiece or design item for any taste.