More than 40%  of Romania's students - or some 235,000 - attended the ten largest state universities in the country, in the school year 2013/2014, according to official documents.

Overall, some 540,000 students went to state or private universities in Romania in the school year ended in July 2014, of which 461,000 were in state universities and 79,000 in private universities. Romania has about 50 registered state universities.

Here’s how the ranking looked like last year:

1. Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (36,391 students)

The main university in Cluj which is now also the largest in the country. It was founded in 1872 and was named after Romanian biologist Victor Babes and Magyar mathematician Janos Bolyai.

2. University of Bucharest (30,487 students)

It’s the largest university in Bucharest, as well as the second oldest university in Romania, as it was founded by prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1864.

3. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi (26,200 students)

It is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state, by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1860.

4. Bucharest Polytechnic University (25,382 students)

It is the main technical university in Romania. It was founded in 1864 and was first named the School of Bridges and Roads, Mines and Architecture.

5. Academy of Economic Studies –ASE- Bucharest (23,678 students)

It is the largest economic university in Romania.It was founded in 1913 by royal decree of King Carol I.

6. University of Craiova (20,088 students)

7. Transylvania University of Brasov (19,985 students)

8. Cluj-Napoca Technical University (19,687 students)

9. Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (16,884 students)

10. Ovidius University of Constanta (16,533 students)

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Wikipedia, universities' websites)