Moldova boosts university funding to €56 million for 2026
Moldovan state-funded universities operating under financial autonomy will receive a total of €56.1 million (approx. 1.1 billion MDL) in 2026.
This marks a significant increase of roughly €5.5 million compared to 2025, according to the Ministry of Education and Research. The funding model prioritizes standard operations, performance achievements, and infrastructure upgrades.
Top institutions lead the rankings
The Technical University of Moldova (UTM) secured the largest allocation for 2026, totaling €15.2 million.
The "Nicolae Testemițanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMF) follows with €11.1 million. The Moldova State University (USM) rounds out the top three with €9.4 million.
Other institutions, including "Ion Creangă" Pedagogical University and the Academy of Economic Studies (ASEM), will receive combined funding ranging from €2.5 million to €4.7 million.
Rewarding academic excellence
The 2026 budget allocates over €10 million specifically for performance-based funding. These grants are awarded based on 17 distinct quality indicators.
The Ministry evaluates universities on teaching quality, scientific research output, internationalization efforts, and graduate employability. USMF and UTM remain the leaders in achieving these performance targets.
Rising student enrollment
This financial boost coincides with a growing academic population. National statistics show 62,923 students are currently enrolled for the 2025/2026 academic year.
This represents a 6.8% increase compared to the previous year. The surge of 4,000 additional students underscores the growing demand for higher education in the region.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
