Higher education reform in Georgia covers almost every level of the system – from student admissions to doctoral studies. Here are the key changes for universities and scientists.
Why did Georgia decide to change its higher education system?
The reform of higher education in Georgia was initiated by the country's government. Its first stages began to apply from the 2026 academic year.
According to Georgia's Ministry of Education and Science, the reason was a mismatch between the structure of student admissions and labour market needs. The changes are made to the Law on Higher Education and affect university funding, institutional profiles, course lengths and the rules on admitting foreign nationals.
University specialisation is changing institutional structures
One of the central strands of the reform is the specialisation of state universities. Each institution is now assigned a specific academic field, rather than a broad range of specialisms.
Tbilisi State University (named after Ivane Javakhishvili) remains the only multidisciplinary institution in the capital. Other universities in Tbilisi are given a narrower profile, while the state universities in Kutaisi and Batumi, along with private universities, retain a broad one.
International accreditation and joint degree programmes are being retained.
How are universities funded under the new model?
From the 2026/2027 academic year, Georgia's state universities are moving to a new funding model. It was developed jointly with the World Bank.
It includes two components – base funding and performance-based funding. Base funding takes into account the cost of programmes by field and level of study.
Performance-based funding is being introduced in stages and depends on universities meeting specific targets, including:
- quality of degree programmes
- development of research and innovation
- the university's level of internationalisation
- the university's contribution to regional development
At the first stage, the government allocated an additional 42 million lari. By 2027, funding for state universities is expected to reach 170 million lari.
Free tuition and the conditions for keeping it
From the 2026/2027 academic year, Georgian citizens admitted to state universities receive free tuition on bachelor's and master's programmes. The first two semesters are funded automatically.
Keeping this funding afterwards depends on academic performance – students must earn at least 80% of their credits per semester. This requirement does not apply to students with autism spectrum disorders or those in inclusive education programmes.
Students admitted before 17 December 2025 keep the previous grant system, covering 30, 50 or 70% of tuition costs. The transition period will last until the 2030/2031 academic year.
What will change in the length of bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies?
The reform shortens the length of study at every level of higher education in Georgia:
- Bachelor's degrees are being shortened from four years to three.
- Master's degrees are being shortened from two years to one, with an additional year for those going on to doctoral studies.
- Doctoral studies are being capped at three years.
For scientists, shorter timeframes mean a tighter schedule for research work. Preparing a dissertation and publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals now has to fit into a narrower window.
Foreign students and the reform's transitional provisions
From the 2026/2027 academic year, Georgia's state universities are stopping admissions of foreign nationals. Studying there remains available to them only at private universities, on a fee-paying basis.
From the same year, applicants can, for the first time, apply simultaneously to both university and vocational programmes.
All the rules are coming into force in stages, so universities and applicants should check the admission conditions at a specific institution in advance.
The higher education reform in Georgia touches on almost every aspect of how universities operate – from the structure of faculties to the time it takes to train scientists.
For scientists, the new funding rules tied to research performance and the updated length of doctoral studies are especially important. The full transition to the new system is expected to take several years, so universities and the academic community will need to adapt to the changes gradually.
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