Student cities 2026
Where to study in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the cities compared
Universities, living costs, flights, climate and student life in each city, from advisers who place students there every year.
The best student cities in Bosnia are Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and Foča. They differ in size, teaching language, climate and price, with living costs between about €400 and €750 a month.
- Most English-taught programmes: Sarajevo (4 universities)
- Medicine in English: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Foča
- Lowest living costs: Foča, Tuzla, Zenica, Bihać, from about €400 a month
- Highest living costs: Sarajevo, up to about €750 a month
- International airports: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Mostar
- Mediterranean climate: Mostar; all other cities are continental
- Distances: the four largest cities lie within about four hours of each other
Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Study in Bosnia editorial team
What are the best student cities in Bosnia?
The best student cities in Bosnia for international students are Sarajevo for English-taught degrees in almost every field, Banja Luka and Mostar for English-taught medicine in mid-sized cities, Tuzla for low costs and cheap flights, and Foča for a focused, affordable medical degree. Which one is best depends on your subject, your budget and the kind of daily life you want for the next three to six years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is small. Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka and Tuzla are all within roughly four hours of each other by road, so you are never far from the capital, the Adriatic coast or the mountains. What changes from city to city is the language on the street and in local-language programmes, the weather and the rent.
What we see in practice: students rarely regret their university, but some regret their city. A student who loves nightlife and an international crowd can feel isolated in a town of 15,000; a student who needs quiet to pass anatomy can find Sarajevo's café culture a distraction. Choose the city on purpose, then the programme.
The best student cities in Bosnia compared
The table compares the five main university cities by universities, English-taught programmes, monthly living costs, airport and climate. Living costs cover rent, food, utilities, transport and phone for one student.
| City | State-accredited universities | English-taught programmes | Living costs per month | Airport | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | 4 | Almost every field; Medicine and Dentistry | approx. €450 to 750 | Sarajevo, 12 km | Continental, snowy winters |
| Banja Luka | 4 | Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Business | approx. €450 to 650 | Banja Luka, 25 km | Continental, green and mild |
| Mostar | 3 | Medicine | approx. €500 to 700 | Mostar, 10 km | Mediterranean, hot summers |
| Tuzla | 1 | Master of Health Studies, PhD, English studies | approx. €400 to 600 | Tuzla, 15 km | Continental |
| Foča | 1 (faculty of East Sarajevo) | Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing | approx. €400 to 550 | Sarajevo, about 1.5 h | Continental, river valley |
Living costs are our estimates for 2026 and exclude tuition. For a detailed breakdown of the capital, see cost of living in Sarajevo.
Sarajevo: the capital and the most international choice
Sarajevo is the largest student city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city where you can study almost any subject in English. About 275,000 people live in the city, and the University of Sarajevo alone has around 22,000 students.
- Universities
- University of Sarajevo (public), IUS, International Burch University, SSST
- In English
- Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, engineering, IT, business, psychology, law, international relations, design, film
- Living costs
- approx. €450 to 750 per month
- Airport
- Sarajevo International, about 12 km from the centre; a record 2.2 million passengers in 2025, with direct flights to Istanbul, Vienna, the Gulf and many low-cost routes
- Climate
- Continental, about 500 m above sea level; warm summers, cold and snowy winters
The city runs along one valley, and tram line 3 ties it together, from Ilidža in the west, where IUS, Burch and SSST have their campuses, to Baščaršija, the Ottoman old town, in about 35 to 40 minutes. Student life happens in the cafés of Ferhadija and Marijin Dvor, at the Sarajevo Film Festival every August and on the Olympic mountains Igman, Bjelašnica and Jahorina, where you can ski within an hour of the centre.
Two practical points. On still winter days the valley traps smog, so students with asthma should pick a flat higher up or in Ilidža. And rents in the centre are the highest in the country; many international students live in Ilidža or Novo Sarajevo and save €50 to 100 a month.
Banja Luka: green, calm and good value for medicine
Banja Luka is the second-largest city in the country, with about 185,000 people, and the administrative centre of the Republic of Srpska. Wide avenues of chestnut and linden trees and the Vrbas river through the centre give it the nickname "city of greenery".
- Universities
- University of Banja Luka (public), Apeiron, Banja Luka College, University of Business Studies
- In English
- Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy (about €4,500 a year), Nursing (about €3,070), Economics and Business Management
- Living costs
- approx. €450 to 650 per month
- Airport
- Banja Luka International, about 25 km north; direct flights to Vienna, Memmingen, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Basel, Dortmund, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Belgrade; Zagreb about 3 hours by road
- Climate
- Continental, warm summers and cold winters
Student life centres on University City on the river bank and the pedestrian street Gospodska ulica near the Kastel fortress. In summer students raft and kayak on the Vrbas a few kilometres from campus. The local language is Serbian, and you hear less English on the street than in Sarajevo, which pushes students to learn the language faster.
Sarajevo vs Banja Luka: which is better for students?
Sarajevo is better if you want the widest choice of English-taught subjects and an international crowd. Banja Luka is better if you study medicine, dentistry or pharmacy in English and want lower fees and a calmer city. Medicine in English costs about €4,500 a year at Banja Luka and about €6,135 at the University of Sarajevo, and rents in Banja Luka are a little lower. What we see in practice: students who pick Banja Luka tend to settle in quickly, because the university and the city centre are within walking distance.
Study in Mostar: sun, the Old Bridge and the coast
To study in Mostar is to study in the warmest university city in the country, on the Neretva river about 60 km from the Adriatic. Mostar has about 105,000 inhabitants, and its Old Bridge has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
- Universities
- University of Mostar (public, Croatian), Džemal Bijedić University (public, Bosnian), University of Herzegovina (private)
- In English
- Medicine at the University of Mostar, €9,000 a year
- Living costs
- approx. €500 to 700 per month
- Airport
- Mostar, about 10 km; flights to Zagreb, Belgrade and Stuttgart, plus seasonal routes to Italy and Düsseldorf; Split, Dubrovnik and Sarajevo airports within 2 to 3 hours
- Climate
- Mediterranean; July and August regularly pass 35 °C, winters are mild and wet
Mostar is small enough to cross on foot. The School of Medicine sits next to the University Clinical Hospital at Bijeli Brijeg, about 2.5 km from the old town. Rents rise in summer because of tourism, so sign a contract for the whole academic year in September. The coast is about an hour away by car, which makes weekends easy.
Study in Tuzla: low costs and direct flights to Germany
To study in Tuzla means low living costs in the third-largest city of the country, about 110,000 people, with salt lakes in the city centre. The Pannonian Lakes turn into a city beach in summer, and the compact old town around Kapija square and Trg slobode is full of cafés and bookshops.
- Universities
- University of Tuzla (public)
- In English
- Master of Health Studies, PhD Biomedicine and Health, English Language and Literature; Medicine and most other degrees in Bosnian
- Living costs
- approx. €400 to 600 per month
- Airport
- Tuzla International, about 15 km; direct low-cost flights to Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund, Memmingen, Basel, Paris-Beauvais, Malmö and Gothenburg, plus Istanbul
- Climate
- Continental, warm summers and cold winters
Tuzla suits students who speak or are ready to learn Bosnian, postgraduate health students and anyone with family in Germany, Switzerland or Scandinavia who wants to fly home cheaply. Most faculties are within walking distance of the old town.
Study in Foča: a medical town on the Drina
To study in Foča means studying medicine or dentistry in English in a town of about 15,000 people, with the faculty and the University Hospital Foča a few minutes apart on the same street. It belongs to the University of East Sarajevo.
- Universities
- University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Medicine Foča
- In English
- Medicine and Dentistry (€3,500 a year), Nursing (€2,500 a year)
- Living costs
- approx. €400 to 550 per month
- Airport
- Sarajevo, about 75 km and 1.5 hours by road
- Climate
- Continental river valley at about 400 m; Sutjeska National Park and the Tara and Drina rivers close by
Foča is the most affordable English-taught medical programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the town is built around its students. You walk to lectures and to the hospital, and you meet classmates at the market and on the river promenade. What we see in practice: Foča students study hard, save money and drive to Sarajevo once or twice a month for a change of scene. For medical admissions in Foča, Banja Luka, Mostar and Sarajevo, our sister company Medschool Experts covers medicine in detail.
More university towns: Zenica, Bihać, Bijeljina and others
Beyond the five main cities, Bosnia and Herzegovina has several smaller university towns with programmes mostly in the local language and living costs of about €400 to 550 a month.
ZenicaAbout 110,000 people · 1 hour from Sarajevo by train or car+
The University of Zenica teaches engineering, metallurgy, medicine, health studies, economics, law and philosophy in Bosnian. Zenica is a working city on the Bosna river, cheap, and close enough to Sarajevo for weekend trips.
BihaćAbout 55,000 people · Una National Park · Zagreb about 2.5 hours+
The University of Bihać sits on the Una, one of the clearest rivers in Europe. Living costs are among the lowest in the country, and the Croatian border is a few kilometres away.
BijeljinaAbout 100,000 people · Belgrade about 2 hours+
Three private universities teach in Serbian here: Sinergija University, the University of Bijeljina and Slobomir P University. The flat Semberija plain makes it an easy city for cycling.
Brčko, Travnik and VitezSmaller towns · living costs approx. €400 to 550+
European University Brčko District teaches business, law and IT on the Sava river. In central Bosnia, the University of Travnik and University Vitez sit below Vlašić mountain, about 1.5 hours from Sarajevo airport; University Vitez runs an international MBA in English.
Safety and daily life
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a safe country for students, with low levels of violent crime in all university cities. The everyday risks are the ordinary ones: pickpockets on crowded trams in Sarajevo, fast drivers and icy pavements in winter. In mountain and rural areas, stay on marked trails and paved paths, because some still carry landmines from the 1990s.
Daily life is cheap by European standards. A coffee costs about €1 to 1.50 and a lunch menu €5 to 7 in most cities. For the paperwork, from the visa to the residence permit that every non-EU student renews each year, see our student visa guide.
Which city for which student?
Match the city to your subject first, then to your budget and personality.
Sarajevo. IUS, Burch and SSST teach engineering, IT, business, law, psychology and the arts in English.
Foča, at €3,500 a year with living costs from about €400 a month.
Banja Luka for value and greenery, Mostar for sun and the coast.
Tuzla, with direct flights to Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia.
Compare fees in our overview of tuition fees in Bosnia, or filter every university by city, field and language in the university finder.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best student cities in Bosnia?
Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and Foča. Sarajevo has the most English-taught programmes, Banja Luka and Mostar offer English-taught medicine in mid-sized cities, Tuzla has the lowest costs among the large cities, and Foča is the most affordable place for medicine in English.
Sarajevo vs Banja Luka: which is better for students?
Sarajevo is better for English-taught degrees outside medicine and for an international student crowd. Banja Luka is better value for Medicine, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy in English at about €4,500 a year, in a greener and calmer city with slightly lower rents.
Which city in Bosnia is cheapest for students?
Foča, Tuzla, Zenica and Bihać are the cheapest, with living costs from about €400 a month. Sarajevo is the most expensive at about €450 to 750 a month, mainly because of rent in the centre.
Can I study in Mostar in English?
Yes, Medicine at the University of Mostar is taught in English for €9,000 a year. Other programmes in Mostar are taught in Croatian or Bosnian. Living costs are about €500 to 700 a month, with rents rising in the summer tourist season.
Is it worth it to study in Foča?
For medicine and dentistry, Foča offers English-taught programmes at €3,500 a year, with the faculty next to the University Hospital Foča and living costs from about €400 a month. It suits focused students who prefer a small town; Sarajevo is about 1.5 hours away.
Which Bosnian cities have international airports?
Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar have international airports. Tuzla and Banja Luka have many low-cost routes to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia, while Sarajevo has the widest choice, including Istanbul, Vienna and the Gulf.
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for international students?
Yes. All university cities have low levels of violent crime. Students mainly need to watch for pickpockets on crowded trams and, in mountain and rural areas, stay on marked trails because of leftover landmines.
Related guides
Rent, food and transport in the capital, item by item.
English-taught programmes in Sarajevo with fees and careers.
Fees, teaching language and campus life side by side.
All 21 state-accredited universities, costs, visa and recognition.