Study in Niš is a good choice if you want a university city that is cheaper than Belgrade with accredited programmes in English. Niš is Serbia’s third-largest city (about 250,000 people in the urban area, 2022 census), and it is home to the state University of Niš, founded in 1965, with 14 faculties and about 23,500 students. Its best-known programmes for international students are medicine in English at €6,000 a year, dentistry at €7,200, electrical engineering and information technology in English at €3,500, and applied nursing in English. Living costs including housing are between €345 and €750 a month. This guide covers programmes and fees, housing, costs, life for Muslim students, and how to get there.

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Why do students choose Niš?

Niš combines a large state university, accredited English-language programmes and lower living costs than Belgrade and Novi Sad. Its Faculty of Medicine is one of the biggest destinations for international students studying medicine in English in Serbia; for current seat numbers, see the faculty’s admission announcement. The Faculty of Electronic Engineering (Elfak) is well known for electronics and information technology, and the city is sometimes called the “city of electronics”.

The city is smaller and calmer than Belgrade, distances are short, and most faculties are close to each other. The drawbacks: fewer programmes in English, a narrower cultural and international scene, and fewer part-time jobs in English than in the capital.

Programmes and fees at the University of Niš

The University of Niš has 14 faculties, 11 of them in Niš and three in nearby towns. Most programmes are in Serbian, and nine accredited programmes are in English. The most relevant for international students are:

Programme	Faculty	Duration	Annual fee
Medicine in English	Faculty of Medicine	6 years	€6,000
Dentistry in English	Faculty of Medicine	6 years	€7,200
Pharmacy in English	Faculty of Medicine	5 years	Check with the faculty
Applied nursing in English	Faculty of Medicine	3 years	Check with the faculty
Electrical engineering and information technology in English	Faculty of Electronic Engineering (Elfak)	4 years	€3,500
Master’s in telecommunications in English	Elfak	Master’s	Check with the faculty

The application fee at the Faculty of Medicine is €50 plus a €40 preliminary assessment fee, and at Elfak the application fee is €100, with an optional preparatory course for the exam at €350. Details at University of Niš and study medicine in Serbia.

Monthly living costs in Niš

Item	Monthly estimate
Student housing	About €95–140 (depending on the rates applied to international students)
Small flat near the faculties (Medijana)	About €250–400
Flat or room in a small city (general estimate)	€120–270
Food and daily expenses	€250–480 (excluding housing)
Total including housing	€345–750

Add each year the residence permit fee (about 23,880 dinars, roughly €204) and health insurance. Calculate your first year in your own currency in the Study cost calculator.

Housing in Niš

Student housing

Studentski centar Niš runs about 958 beds in its student residences, located near the technical faculties, the Faculty of Medicine and the law and economics faculties, with three student canteens near the faculties. The subsidised prices reported in local media (about 2,150–2,790 dinars a month) apply to Serbian students funded from the state budget, and international students who pay their own fees usually deal at a different rate, so ask the institution and your faculty directly about the conditions for international students. Places fill up completely every year, so do not rely on them without confirmation.

Private rentals

The Medijana district (around Bulevar Dr Zorana Đinđića) is central and close to most faculties, and a furnished studio or small flat there starts from about €250. Search sites such as 4zida.rs and Halo oglasi, ask for a written contract and registration of your stay with the police within 24 hours, and ask about the winter heating bill, which is often paid separately. Read the student housing guide for Serbia.

Daily life and healthcare

The university describes Niš as a safe city with cheap and varied food. Students have sports facilities, a riverside promenade and the Niš Fortress, and historic sites such as the Mediana archaeological site (the city is the birthplace of Emperor Constantine the Great). Events include the Nisville International Jazz Festival in summer. The Student Health Care institution in Niš serves students, and the university states that care is free for students under 27; check the conditions for international students and your health insurance, which is required for residence.

Life for Muslim students in Niš

In the centre of Niš is the Islam Aga Mosque (Islam-agina džamija), the working mosque of the city, which has been restored and holds regular prayers. The Muslim community in Niš is small and halal food is limited, so many students rely on cooking at home. Muslims make up about 4.2% of Serbia’s population (2022 census), mostly in the Sandžak region. Read Is Serbia right for Muslim students?

How to get to Niš and get around

Niš has an airport, Constantine the Great Airport, with low-cost flights to several European cities, but most international students arrive via Belgrade airport and continue by road (about two and a half to three hours by car or bus). Within the city, public buses operate, and distances between the faculties and housing are relatively short.

Application dates and the academic year

The academic year in Serbian universities starts in October. Applications on a self-financed basis are usually between April and June, state faculties hold entrance exams in late June and early July with a second round in September if places remain, and private universities usually accept applications until September. The World in Serbia scholarship opens once a year, roughly between May and June, through the nominating authority in your country. After your admission letter arrives, apply for a type D visa one to two months before travelling, and start preparing and translating your documents about four months before the application deadline so you do not miss it.

Procedures before you travel and after you arrive

1. Get admitted to the faculty and obtain the admission document, then apply for a type D study visa one to two months before you travel.
2. Have your secondary-school certificate legalised and translated into Serbian by a court interpreter, and apply for its recognition (the qualifications agency fee for secondary school is 8,900 dinars).
3. On arrival, register your address with the police within 24 hours, then enrol at the faculty and apply for a temporary residence permit.

Details are in study visa for Serbia and recognition of your secondary-school certificate.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a student need to live in Niš?

Between about €345 and €750 a month including housing, which makes it one of the cheapest university cities in Serbia.

Can I study medicine in English in Niš?

Yes, at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Niš for €6,000 a year, with an entrance exam in chemistry and biology.

What engineering programmes are taught in English in Niš?

A bachelor’s in electrical engineering and information technology at Elfak for €3,500 a year, and a master’s in telecommunications in English.

Is there a mosque in Niš?

Yes, the Islam Aga Mosque in the city centre.

Niš or Belgrade?

Niš is cheaper and calmer and offers medicine and electrical engineering in English, while Belgrade has more programmes and more job opportunities. Compare at Study in Belgrade.

Last updated: October 2026. University data are from its official website, fees from faculty websites (2025/2026 and 2026/2027), rents from October 2026 listings, and population figures from the 2022 census.

Sources

• University of Niš: the university today
• Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš: fees
• Elfak: fees
• University of Niš: guide for international students
• Statistical Office of Serbia: 2022 census