 Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98 @.@ 6 per cent , with no significant difference between the sexes . Educational standards have been traditionally high , although still far from European benchmarks and in continuing deterioration for the past decade . Bulgarian students were among the highest @-@ scoring in the world in terms of reading in 2001 , performing better than their Canadian and German counterparts ; by 2006 , scores in reading , math and science had deteriorated . State expenditures for education are far below the European Union average . The Ministry of Education , Youth and Science partially funds public schools , colleges and universities , sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process . The State provides free education in primary and secondary public schools . The educational process spans through 12 grades , where grades one through eight are primary and nine through twelve are secondary level . High schools can be technical , vocational , general or specialised in a certain discipline , while higher education consists of a 4 @-@ year bachelor degree and a 1 @-@ year master 's degree . 
