Agricultural University of Plovdiv

What Agricultural University of Plovdiv does

Agricultural University of Plovdiv (Аграрен Университет Пловдив) is a Bulgarian state-funded public higher education institution founded in 1945, specializing in agricultural and food sciences. It operates four faculties — Agronomy, Viticulture and Horticulture, Plant Protection and Agroecology, and Economics — delivering Bachelor, Master, and PhD programs to domestic Bulgarian, EU, and international students through traditional on-campus instruction and a distance learning center. The university serves both degree-seeking students and continuing education professionals, with a career development center facilitating placements into Bulgarian agribusinesses.

The institution is supported by specialized research and teaching infrastructure including the accredited University Laboratory Center for Research (ULCI), a botanical garden, an experimental winery that sells and analyzes wine, and Biofarm Sunny Garden for organic farming research. It publishes peer-reviewed academic work through the Journal of Agricultural Sciences and a Scientific Works series.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining state budget subsidies tied to enrollment, subsidized tuition fees for Bulgarian and EU students, international student tuition, competitive research grants (from Bulgaria's National Science Fund and EU programs such as Erasmus+), continuing education services, accredited laboratory testing, and wine and agricultural product sales from experimental facilities. The university is governed under Bulgaria's Higher Education Act with an elected Rector (currently Prof. Dr. Boriana Ivanova) and is integrated into European networks including the UNIgreen Alliance and numerous bilateral international agreements.

Name

Agricultural University of Plovdiv

Legal name

Аграрен Университет Пловдив

Website

https://au-plovdiv.bg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Agricultural University of Plovdiv is a Bulgarian state-funded public university founded in 1945 offering Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs across four agricultural faculties, serving domestic and international students through campus-based and distance learning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN)

Keywords

• Agricultural higher education
• Agronomy degree programs
• Plant protection sciences
• Viticulture horticulture studies
• Agricultural research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Plovdiv

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Semester tuition fees charged to students for various degree programs (Bachelor, Master, PhD). Bulgarian and EU students pay subsidized rates for state-funded places, while international students pay tuition fees.
2. Government Funding: State budget subsidies for education and research activities based on student enrollment and research contracts.
3. Research Projects and Grants: Funding from national scientific programs, National Science Fund (FNI), operational programs, and international EU projects.
4. Continuing Education Services: Revenue from professional development courses, specialized training programs, and language courses.
5. Laboratory and Testing Services: Accredited laboratory testing services for external clients, wine analysis, and biological testing.
6. Experimental Farm and Winery Sales: Revenue from wine sales, vineyard products, and agricultural products from experimental facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Agricultural University of Plovdiv is a public higher education institution that delivers Bachelor, Master, and PhD degree programs in agricultural sciences across four faculties (Agronomy; Viticulture and Horticulture; Plant Protection and Agroecology; Economics). The university supplements teaching with applied research through accredited laboratories, an experimental winery, a botanical garden, and a biofarm, and offers continuing education, distance learning, and laboratory testing services.

Product overview

Agricultural University of Plovdiv is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs across agricultural sciences. The university operates as a multi-faculty structure providing Bachelor, Master, and PhD degree programs through four main faculties: Faculty of Agronomy, Faculty of Viticulture and Horticulture, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, and Faculty of Economics. The institution supports its academic mission with extensive research infrastructure including a University Laboratory Center for Research (with accredited testing facilities), botanical garden, experimental winery, and biofarm. Additional services include continuing education programs, distance learning, career development support, and academic publications through its journal and scientific works series. The university also participates in international mobility programs including Erasmus+ and the UNIgreen European University Alliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs (ОКС Бакалавър)
• Master's Degree Programs (ОКС Магистър)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 international students trained from around the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UNIgreen AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021European University Alliance consisting of 8 universities focused on green sciences and sustainable agriculture. The alliance enables student and researcher mobility, joint educational programs, and collaborative research initiatives across Europe. AU Plovdiv participates as a key partner in this strategic alliance promoting digitalization, internationalization, and innovation in higher education.
• Erasmus+ Program PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean Union mobility program enabling student and staff exchanges with universities across Europe and partner countries. The university maintains bilateral agreements with numerous European institutions for academic exchanges and joint programs.
• Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChinese research university collaborating on the Joint Chinese-Bulgarian Laboratory for Adaptive Management of Rural Ecosystems under Climate Change. The partnership involves research collaboration and joint activities in agricultural sciences and climate adaptation.
• ENTER (European Network of Learning and Teaching in Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network for learning and teaching in agriculture and rural development. AU Plovdiv hosts ENTER events and Study Days, contributing to exchange of knowledge and best practices in agricultural education innovation.
• Competition Protection Commission (KZK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Bulgarian Competition Protection Commission for cooperation in analyzing the agricultural and dairy sector markets. The university provides expertise and hosts sector meetings.
• LifeWatch ERICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem services. AU Plovdiv co-organizes the BEeS (Biodiversity and Ecosystem eScience) international conference, hosting scientists from over 25 countries.
• GOODFOOD Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood teaching practices in experiential learning for effective education in embedded food systems. International educational project promoting innovative teaching methods in food systems education.
• EU4SHEPHERDS Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative training for sustainable shepherds. European project developing training programs for sustainable livestock management practices.
• BOOST Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerating agribusiness and creating digital hub networks through a modern training program in sustainable precision agriculture.
• EcoStack Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch project on ecosystem sustainability and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes.
• SUWANU Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for effective knowledge transfer on safe and economic wastewater reuse in agriculture in Europe.
• COOPID Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project promoting knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture through cooperation and stakeholder engagement.
• PRO-DPCP Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Professional Diploma in Plant Clinic and Phytosanitary Technologies, developing specialized training for plant health professionals.
• BEAMING Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding a culture of inclusive innovation in higher education through summer school programs and mobility activities.
• GreenHost CoVE Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project on green hospitality and sustainable practices in vocational education.
• Bilateral Agreement Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity maintains bilateral agreements with numerous international partner institutions for student exchanges, joint research, and academic cooperation across various agricultural disciplines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: Wageningen is the global gold-standard agricultural and life-sciences university. It is the most internationally visible peer to AU Plovdiv and the dominant competitor for EU agricultural research funding and international student talent.
• University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU): BOKU is Austria's leading agricultural and life-sciences public university with a strong applied-research tradition, experimental farms, and international program offerings. It competes with AU Plovdiv for Erasmus+ students and Horizon grants in the same agricultural disciplines.
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: AUTH is a large Greek public research university with a significant Faculty of Agriculture. It competes with AU Plovdiv for students from the wider Southeastern European region and EU research funding in Mediterranean agriculture.

Direct peers

• Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE): MATE is a Central European public agricultural university formed by merging former Hungarian agricultural campuses. It directly competes with AU Plovdiv for regional students, EU research funding, and applied agricultural programs in similar disciplines.
• University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture: The University of Zagreb's Faculty of Agriculture is a comparable Southeastern European agricultural higher-education institution with similar applied research tradition, experimental farms, and cross-border student recruitment patterns.
• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague: CZU Prague is a public Central European agricultural university with a comparable faculty structure (agronomy, horticulture, economics), applied research farms, and similar student recruitment catchment. It is the most direct structural peer in the region.
• University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture: The University of Belgrade's Faculty of Agriculture is the leading Serbian agricultural higher-education institution with comparable program breadth, applied research farms, and regional student catchment in the Western Balkans.
• Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW): SGGW is Poland's main agricultural and life-sciences public university with similar faculty structure, applied farms, and English-taught Master's programs. It competes with AU Plovdiv in the Central and Eastern European agricultural education market.
• University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: USAMV Cluj is Romania's primary public agricultural university with similar size, structure, and applied-research orientation in Eastern Europe. It directly competes for regional students, EU research funding, and international recognition in agricultural sciences.

Regional players

• Trakia University: Trakia is another Bulgarian public university with agricultural and veterinary programs. It competes head-to-head with AU Plovdiv for domestic Bulgarian students and shares the same state funding pool, making it the closest domestic peer.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Agricultural.University.Plovdiv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agricultural-university-plovdiv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agricultural University of Plovdiv