Key takeaways
Education system in Romania follows the Bologna structure at the higher education level and a nationally regulated framework from preschool through secondary. Understanding where the levels start and stop – and what qualifications they lead to – matters for any international student planning to study in Romania, or any expat family trying to understand how the local system compares to what their child already has.
- Compulsory education in Romania spans ages 6 to 17 (grades 1–11), covering primary through lower and upper secondary
- The national baccalaureate diploma (BD) is the standard exit qualification from Romanian high schools and the gateway to higher education
- Romanian higher education institutions follow the Bologna system: three cycles – Bachelor's (3–4 years), Master's (1–2 years), Doctoral
- The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS) oversees accreditation of higher education institutions
Contents
- 1 How the Education System Is Structured
- 2 Preschool national education
- 3 Types of High Schools in Romania
- 4 The National Baccalaureate
- 5 Higher Education in Romania
- 6 Post-Secondary Schools and Vocational Training
- 7 What International Students Should Know
- 8 A Real Case: Teodora’s Path from Bucharest to University
- 9 A Second Case: Andrei’s Transition, Iași
- 10 How Legacy Connects to the Romanian System
- 11 Top Tips from Our Expert
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration law, visa requirements, and taxation rules change. Families should verify all details with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a qualified Romanian immigration lawyer, or a certified tax advisor. Legacy Online School does not provide legal or immigration advice.
How the Education System Is Structured
Romania’s education system runs from preschool through doctoral studies. The legal foundation is the National Education Law – most recently updated through a series of amendments – and the Ministry of National Education (now Ministry of Education and Research) oversees implementation from preschool through university.
The system breaks into distinct levels. Each has its own age range, qualification outcomes, and legal requirements.
Preschool national education
This level covers children from age 3 to 6. It’s not compulsory for the full range, but the final preschool year (age 5–6) is mandatory.
Primary education runs from grades 1 through 4, roughly ages 6 to 10.
Lower secondary education covers grades 5 through 8, ages 10 to 14. Together, primary and lower secondary form the core of compulsory schooling.
Upper secondary education – high schools – covers grades 9 through 12, ages 14 to 18 or 19.
Compulsory education extends through grade 11, meaning the first three years of high school are obligatory. Grade 12 is not compulsory but is required for students seeking the baccalaureate diploma – referred to throughout this article as the BD.
Types of High Schools in Romania
Romanian high schools are not uniform. The system divides into several tracks:
Theoretical high schools offer academic programs in humanities or the natural sciences. These are the typical route to the national baccalaureate and university admission.
Technological high schools combine academic content with practical vocational training. Graduates can earn both a BD and a professional qualification certificate.
Vocational high schools focus on specific trade or professional areas. Vocational education and training in Romania includes dual education pathways where learners split time between school and an employer.
Arts and sports high schools follow their own specialized tracks.
Most graduates of upper secondary education who complete grade 12 and pass the national baccalaureate exam are eligible to apply to Romanian universities. High school graduates from theoretical tracks who do not pass the baccalaureate can receive a school graduation certificate but not a BD.
The National Baccalaureate
The BD is Romania’s main secondary leaving qualification. Typically taken at the end of grade 12. The exam covers Romanian language and literature, a foreign language, and two subjects specific to the student’s study profile.
Passing the baccalaureate is the standard requirement for access to first-cycle (Bachelor’s) programs at Romanian higher education institutions. The Ministry of Education sets the national exam framework; individual schools prepare pupils for it.
International learners or expat families whose children hold a foreign diploma instead of the Romanian baccalaureate will need to go through the credential recognition process managed by CNRED – the National Center for Diploma Recognition and Equivalence.
Higher Education in Romania
Romania’s higher education system is fully aligned with the Bologna system – three cycles:
First cycle: Bachelor’s programs. Duration: 3 years for most fields, 4 years for technical and natural sciences, 6 years for medicine and law. Graduates receive 180–240 ECTS credits depending on the program.
Second cycle: Master’s programs. One to two years, building on first-cycle qualifications.
Third cycle: Doctoral studies. Three years minimum.
Romanian universities – including the University of Bucharest, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, and Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași – are accredited higher education institutions recognized within the European Higher Education Area.
ARACIS (the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) is the national authority responsible for quality assurance across all accredited higher education institutions. Institutional and program-level accreditation by ARACIS is required for degrees to be legally recognized under Romanian law.
Degrees awarded by Romanian universities include a diploma supplement aligned with Europass standards, facilitating recognition across the European Higher Education Area.
“The Bologna Process seeks to bring more coherence to higher education systems across Europe. It established the European Higher Education Area to facilitate student and staff mobility, to make higher education more inclusive and accessible, and to make higher education in Europe more attractive and competitive worldwide.”
— European Higher Education Area
Post-Secondary Schools and Vocational Training
Between upper secondary and university sits a post-secondary tier. Post-secondary schools offer professional qualification programs, typically lasting one to three years. These are not higher education institutions in the Bologna sense – they don’t award bachelor’s degrees – but their graduates hold nationally recognized professional qualifications.
Vocational training at this level can also feed into longer-term higher education pathways for adult learners, including part-time education options.
What International Students Should Know
Romania is a signatory to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, meaning academic qualifications from other participating countries are assessed using a transparent, document-based process.
CNRED handles all diploma recognition requests. Required documentation typically includes certified copies of academic transcripts, the diploma itself, and in some cases a descriptive supplement or Europass diploma supplement.
Romanian language proficiency is generally required for programs taught in Romanian. Many universities – particularly private institutions – offer programs in English, French, or German, reducing the language barrier for international learners.
Quality of education across Romanian universities varies. ARACIS publishes current accreditation status for all higher education institutions and individual study programs at its official site.
“ARACIS’ mission is to carry out the quality external evaluation of education provided by higher education institutions and by other organisations providing higher education study programmes, which operates in Romania with the aim of certifying, according to quality standards, the capacity of education providing organisations to fulfil the beneficiaries’ expectations.”
— ARACIS
A Real Case: Teodora’s Path from Bucharest to University
Teodora, 19, completed upper secondary at a theoretical high school in Bucharest and passed the baccalaureate in June 2023. She applied to two Romanian universities and one German university simultaneously. The Romanian institutions processed her application through the standard national admissions system. The German university required CNRED recognition of her BD – a process her family started three months before the deadline.
She enrolled in a Business Administration Bachelor’s program (first cycle, 3 years, 180 ECTS) at a Romanian university accredited by ARACIS. Alongside her regular studies, she enrolled in two AP courses through Legacy Online School – Legacy offers AP coursework to students at any stage of secondary education, and some families use it for targeted exam preparation even after local secondary graduation – to strengthen her postgraduate application profile for US-based Master’s programs. AP scores from Legacy are accepted at 500+ universities in 75+ countries.
A Second Case: Andrei’s Transition, Iași
Andrei, 17, attended a technological high school in Iași and completed his baccalaureate in 2024 with a vocational qualification in IT. His family – originally from the US – wanted him to apply to American universities alongside Romanian ones. The problem: his Romanian transcript needed to be contextualized for US admissions offices unfamiliar with the technological track.
He enrolled in Legacy’s online high school part-time in his final year and completed three AP courses – AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus AB, and AP Statistics. Those scores gave US admissions officers a standardized benchmark they recognized immediately. He received offers from two US universities by March 2025. The CNRED equivalence process for his Romanian baccalaureate ran in parallel and completed in six weeks.
How Legacy Connects to the Romanian System
Legacy Online School is an American private online school — WASC-accredited, operating since 2023 in 30+ countries. It doesn’t operate within the Romanian national education system, and it doesn’t offer a BD or ARACIS-accredited qualifications.
What Legacy offers: a WASC–accredited US high school diploma and AP course transcripts. These are recognized internationally for university admissions, not as Romanian national qualifications. Graduates who hold a Legacy diploma and wish to apply to Romanian universities should consult CNRED about the recognition process for their specific situation.
For expat families living in Romania whose children are continuing a US academic track, Legacy’s online high school, online middle school, and online elementary school programs run on the US academic calendar with qualified US-curriculum teachers.
Top Tips from Our Expert
Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School
- If your child holds a Legacy diploma and plans to apply to a Romanian university, start the CNRED equivalence process early – documentation requirements take time
- AP scores are an asset even in the Romanian system: many Romanian higher education institutions are familiar with College Board credentials and assess them favorably in international applications
- Don’t assume a Romanian baccalaureate and a WASC diploma are interchangeable in all contexts – they’re both legitimate, but processed differently depending on the target institution
- For families split between the Romanian and US systems, Legacy’s part-time courses allow children to supplement Romanian schooling with AP or English-language coursework without leaving their local school
Disclaimer: The information above is provided for general informational purposes only and reflects publicly available sources on the Romanian education system. Education law and institutional policies change. Families and students should verify current requirements directly with the relevant Romanian authorities or a qualified education advisor. Legacy Online School does not provide legal or immigration advice.
