Romanian universities have been ranked for the first time using European criteria and will receive funding and benefits from the state based on this ranking, according to the country's Minister of Education Daniel Funeriu. The ranking created by the Association of European Universities includes only 12 universities in the first category, which will be allotted 20 percent more places for the Masters and PhD than in 2010, as well as higher budgets, according to Funeriu. Around 85 percent of the PhD vacancies have been distributed to the 12 Class I universities. The second category has received an equal number of vacant places for Master programs but lower vacancies for PhD programs. The third category will get only 1.6 percent of the PhD vacancies in the country.

The ranking has also included the private universities in Romania, none of which made it to the first category. The full ranking including all universities is here (in Romanian).

The following universities have been included in the first category:

University in Bucharest

University Babes - Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca

University Al.I. Cuza in Iasi

Academia of Economic Studies in Bucharest (ASE)

University Agricultural Studies and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila in Bucharest

University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hateganu in Cluj-Napoca

University of Polytechnics Bucharest

Technical University Gheorghe Asachi in Iasi

Technical University in Cluj-Napoca

University f Polytechnics in Timisoara

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Photoxpress.com)