Study in Lithuania
Want to visit a wonderful country on the Baltic Sea? With its many beautiful beaches and lakes, you can experience all four seasons in Lithuania — a hot and sunny summer, a multicolored autumn, a snowy winter, and a green spring!
+ More About Lithuania
Discover the beautiful beaches and Baltic coastline of Lithuania, home to many historical structures like the great Lithuanian Art Museum. Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has always been a multinational, multilingual, and multicultural European city.
As a part of your host family, you may be invited to attend theaters, concert halls, and exhibitions, which are among the favorite activities for any Lithuanian family. The education you will receive in Lithuania is among the best in Europe; the country has twice as many people with advanced education as the average of the European Union. Lithuania is also quite multilingual; the overwhelming majority of the population speaks at least one foreign language, and about 50% of the population speaks two foreign languages.
Choose Lithuania and you will explore the beautiful outdoors, warm people, and a wide range of great traditional food. Make sure to ask about our sports program – basketball is the national sport in Lithuania!
+ Scholarships Available
YFU USA is proud to send over 200 American students on cultural exchange with a full or partial scholarship each year. Financial assistance may be in the form of a merit-based scholarship, needs-based financial aid, or Legacy Grant for students who are previously involved in the YFU Community. Scholarships may vary in deadline, requirements, and eligibility. To learn more, please visit our Scholarships Page to find details on the following scholarships eligible for Australia:
Holcomb & Farnell Foreign Study Fund
YFU Legacy Grant
YFU Financial Aid Fund
+ Programs & Tuition
Fall Year Sports: $16,995
Fall Year: $15,995
Fall Year Sports Fan: $16,995
Fall Semester Sports Fan : $14,995
Fall Semester: $13,995
Fall Semester Sports: $14,995
Applications for tuition based programs must be submitted by October 1 for Winter/Spring departure programs and March 15 for Summer and Fall. Applications submitted after this date will be considered on a case by case basis depending upon availability.
+ Additional Information
Visa Information
In order to travel to Lithuania, students must have a visa before they arrive. Information regarding visas and other immigration processes will be provided upon enrollment.
Additional Costs
Program tuition does not include visa fees, personal spending money, transportation fees, or school-related costs such as books, uniforms (if required), extracurricular activities, and school trips.
Choose Your Program
+ Academic Year Programs
School
Schools in Lithuania have twelve grades and emphasize academic performance. You will take classes at the upper secondary level in a wide variety of subjects including math, social science, literature, foreign language, history, politics, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, music, art, and sports. Most of the subjects are compulsory, but you will have a chance to choose some specific subjects that suit your particular interests.
Orientations
All students applying for the year program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
*Due to COVID-19, the 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation described above may take place on-line dependent upon recommended guidelines at the time of the event. YFU will continue to assess the situation as it develops.
Upon arrival in Lithuania, students will attend a three-day post-arrival orientation, where they will receive basic language and culture training. Students partcipating in the year program will attend a three-day mid-year orientation, and all students attend a three-day re-entry orientation to reflect on their experiences. All orientation costs are included in program tuition.
Optional Excursions
Year program students will also usually have the option of participating in a number of educational trips and excursions during their stay, at an additional cost. Students will learn more about cultural expeditions upon arrival in Lithuania.
Baltic Trip: At an additional cost, students can explore these three Baltic beauties known as the “Three Sisters.” During this trip, students will visit Riga, the capital of Latvia, and Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This 3-5 day event typically takes place in May or June and is a great way for students to spend time with other exchange students, discover unique places in their new home, and make unforgettable memories!
Special Interest Programs
Sport Program – Basketball Player: It’s no exaggeration to say that basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania — natives joke that basketball is the country’s second religion. For millions of people all over the world, it was precisely basketball and its star players such as Arvydas Sabonis or Sarunas Marciulionis that put the name of Lithuania on the map. YFU USA offers a year exchange program to Lithuania that focuses on team basketball!
YFU participants will live with a carefully selected host family, attend a secondary school and enroll in a specialized basketball school after school. Students applying for this program should have 2 or more years of high-level, team-based basketball experience. You will train and play competitive team basketball 3-6 times per week after your classes. In addition to this, advanced teams have games and matches on weekends where they play in national and/or international leagues. Less advanced ones play fewer matches and have more games between other teams in the same school or teams of the same level from other schools. Students on this program will be required to pay an additional fees related to the program — such as team sportswear or special basketball shoes.
Lithuania has very high standards in basketball — if you are a student who is interested in basketball, you will get very good training! Additional documentation proving technical skills and abilities may be required. For additional information, please email info@yfu.org to get in touch with a representative.
Sports Fan Program – Basketball Fan: Students that are interested in basketball, but do not wish to play competitively, also have the option to go on a basketball fan program! In addition to attending a local high school and living with a host family, students will be enrolled in a fan club of one of two most popular basketball teams in Lithuania – Zalgiris (Kaunas) or Lietuvos (Vilnius). As part of this enrollment, students are granted season tickets to all of their team’s home games. They will attend basketball games in their host city and around Lithuania.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Year | Mid August | Late June | $15,995 |
| Fall Year Sports | Mid August | Late June | $16,995 |
| Fall Year Sports Fan | Mid August | Late June | $16,995 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Lithuanian high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post-arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Lithuania Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Age Requirement
- 2022 Fall Departure: Students born June 30, 2005 – September 1, 2007.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
- Students applying for this program who will graduate from high school before the start of their program will not be considered for admission.
Language
Lithuanian. Previous language study is not required.
As intensive language training is essential, students will have 2 individual lessons and 2 group lessons per week with professional language teachers for the first few months after arrival. This language course is included in tuition.
Host Family Placement
Students may be placed throughout the country in cities such as Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda. Most placements are in urban or suburban areas.
+ Semester Programs
School
Schools in Lithuania have twelve grades and emphasize academic performance. You will take classes at the upper secondary level in a wide variety of subjects including math, social science, literature, foreign language, history, politics, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, music, art, and sports. Most of the subjects are compulsory, but you will have a chance to choose some specific subjects that suit your particular interests.
Orientations
All students applying for the semester program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
*Due to COVID-19, the 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation described above may take place on-line dependent upon recommended guidelines at the time of the event. YFU will continue to assess the situation as it develops.
Upon arrival in Lithuania, students will attend a three-day post-arrival orientation, where they will receive basic language and culture training and attend a three-day re-entry orientation to reflect on their experiences. All orientation costs are included in program tuition.
Special Interest Programs
Sport Program – Basketball Player: It’s no exaggeration to say that basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania — natives joke that basketball is the country’s second religion. For millions of people all over the world, it was precisely basketball and its star players such as Arvydas Sabonis or Sarunas Marciulionis that put the name of Lithuania on the map. YFU USA offers a year exchange program to Lithuania that focuses on team basketball!
YFU participants will live with a carefully selected host family, attend a secondary school and enroll in a specialized basketball school after school. Students applying for this program should have 2 or more years of high-level, team-based basketball experience. You will train and play competitive team basketball 3-6 times per week after your classes. In addition to this, advanced teams have games and matches on weekends where they play in national and/or international leagues. Less advanced ones play fewer matches and have more games between other teams in the same school or teams of the same level from other schools. Students on this program will be required to pay an additional fees related to the program — such as team sportswear or special basketball shoes.
Lithuania has very high standards in basketball — if you are a student who is interested in basketball, you will get very good training! Additional documentation proving technical skills and abilities may be required. For additional information, please email info@yfu.org to get in touch with a representative.
Sports Fan Program – Basketball Fan: Students that are interested in basketball, but do not wish to play competitively, also have the option to go on a basketball fan program! In addition to attending a local high school and living with a host family, students will be enrolled in a fan club of one of two most popular basketball teams in Lithuania – Zalgiris (Kaunas) or Lietuvos (Vilnius). As part of this enrollment, students are granted season tickets to all of their team’s home games. They will attend basketball games in their host city and around Lithuania.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Mid August | Late January | $13,995 |
| Fall Semester Sports | Mid August | Late January | $14,995 |
| Fall Semester Sports Fan | Mid August | Late January | $14,995 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Lithuanian high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post-arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Lithuania Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Age Requirement
- 2022 Fall Departure: Students born June 30, 2005 – September 1, 2007.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
- Students applying for this program who will graduate from high school before the start of their program will not be considered for admission.
Language
Lithuanian. Previous language study is not required.
As intensive language training is essential, students will have 2 individual lessons and 2 group lessons per week with professional language teachers for the first few months after arrival. This language course is included in tuition.
Host Family Placement
Students may be placed throughout the country in cities such as Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda. Most placements are in urban or suburban areas.