Overall, 2026 marked a departure in the way Romanian young people view university studies abroad, with more countries arising as study destinations.
When they chose, students took into account academic offerings, English-language programs, study and living costs, professional advantages, and international experience.
“Young people are beginning to move from ‘preferred country’ to ‘right country.’ They no longer necessarily start from the idea that they have to study in a particular destination because it is popular among their generation, but are looking for the university and program that match their academic profile, interests, and career plans. It is a sign of a more mature approach,” said Alexandra Bădescu, Deputy General Manager, IntegralEdu, cited by Economedia.
Diversification can also be seen in the difference between the countries initially selected in application files and the destinations where young people eventually register at the end of the process.
As such, the top initial choices are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain, while the ranking of concrete final registrations is led by the Netherlands, followed by Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and France.
Moreover, IntegralEdu data showed that, overall, the number of options for the destinations analyzed increased by 2.7% compared with autumn 2025. The relevant change, however, is their distribution among several countries.
The Netherlands continues to be the main destination chosen in application files, but recorded a 10% decrease.
At the same time, Denmark records an increase of almost 170%, Ireland 160%, Italy approximately 120%, France 110%, and Germany 45%. The United Kingdom is also returning to growth, with more than 20%.
Fields of Study
The change can also be seen at the level of fields of study. Computer Science ranks first among the choices of young people applying through IntegralEdu, followed in order by Electrical Engineering, Global Law/Law and Aerospace Engineering.
International Business, one of the fields traditionally highly sought after in previous years (ranked first in 2025), is overtaken this year by these specializations and reaches fifth place. The top also includes architecture, tourism/hospitality, and Data Science.
The distribution of options indicates interest in different specializations, from technology and engineering to law, architecture, and the hospitality industry. In this context, choosing a field simply because it is perceived as “the future” or because it is popular among peers can be replaced by a more careful analysis of the compatibility between the specialization and the student’s individual profile.
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