According to preliminary data, 3,690 international students are studying in full-time programs in universities and colleges in Lithuania this year. There were 3,341 last year.
The Education and Science Ministry said the number has gone up by a factor of almost five since 2005.
This year, people from 92 countries are studying in Lithuania: more than half of them (65 pct) are from countries of the CIS and one sixth (17 pct) are from the European Union (EU).
Most international students come to Lithuania from Belarus (1,593), Russia (229), Ukraine (152), Nigeria (128), Poland (112), and Azerbaijan (102).
In addition to the European Humanities University, which is intended for Belarusian students, and the LCC international university in Klaipėda, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences attracts the biggest number of foreign nationals. 530 international students are enrolled in the university this academic year.
Lithuanian universities and colleges offer 180 study programs to foreigners, mainly in the English language, but also in Russian, German, and Polish. Millions of litas from EU structural funds were invested in updating and adapting study programs for the English language over the past few years, the number of programs has nearly doubled.
