Founded in 1991 in the immediate aftermath of communism's collapse, the American University in Bulgaria is the only US-accredited liberal arts college in southeastern Europe. It occupies a campus of handsome Communist-era buildings on the northern edge of Blagoevgrad and draws students from across Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, and beyond. The presence of around 1,000 students gives the city a notably livelier and more internationally oriented atmosphere than comparable Bulgarian cities of similar size.
The campus is open to visitors; the main building has a café, and the university hosts public lectures and cultural events. The administration building contains a small museum of the university's founding and development. For travellers passing through Blagoevgrad, the university quarter is worth a brief walk — it explains much of why the town feels different.