How to Study in the Czech Republic

With now, more than 10,650,000 inhabitants the population of the Czech Republic is one of the fastest growing populations in Europe. A large part of the population lives in the capital Prague, which some people call the “Golden City”. The Czech Republic is very famous for their beer and food, but also for their over 2,000 castles! If you decide to study in the Czech Republic, you should take the chance and visit some of them!

The Czech higher education system

The Czech higher education system contains two different types of higher education institutions (HEIs): universities and universities of applied sciences. As in other European countries, there are bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. If you would like to have further information about the higher education system of the Czech Republic, you can read here.

At the moment there are 72 Czech higher education institutions. A lot of them are located in and around Prague. 43 of the Czech higher education institutions are private institutions. The Czech Republic is more and more interesting for international students: about 43,000 students from abroad are studying there; this means that more than every tenth Czech student is from abroad.

Czech Republic’s Higher Education System in International Comparison

In this section, we highlight the overall performance of Czech universities on the institutional level per U-Multirank dimension. The table below shows the national breakdown of Czech universities and how they stand across the spectrum of above average (receiving a score of ‘A’ (very good) or ‘B’ (good)), or below average(receiving a score of ‘D’ (below average) or ‘E’ (weak)). In doing so, U-Multirank offers a clear picture of the country’s strengths and areas for improvement. In general, Czech higher education institutions perform strongest in U-Multirank’s international orientation dimension.

How much does it cost to study in the Czech Republic?

In the Czech Republic, all study programmes taught in the Czech language at public universities are free of charge for everyone - regardless of nationality! In fact, some institutions might charge you money for administration or for extending the duration of your studies beyond a certain limit. Additionally, there is a fee for programmes taught in English or another language. For the exact amount of the tuition fee please have a look at the university pages, in general, the fee will be between 0 - 22,350 USD per year. For further information, click here.

Addition of information on fees and financial support

Source: Eurydice 

Reference year(s): 2020/2021

Fees

In this section we highlight the fees for studying in Czech Republic. The fees are shown in the national currency and address all fee types: tuition, enrolment (part- or full-time, etc.), certification, or other administrative costs. Students that are exempt from fees are also described, as well as information on international student fees if they differ.

• Students (first- and second-cycle) studying in Czech language programmes do not pay tuition fees. The maximum admission fee (CZK 869) set by law, and it is paid once per cycle. The most commonly paid admission fee is between CZK 500 and 800.
• Students in programmes taught in foreign languages have to pay tuition fees. These fees are decided by each higher education institution with no maximum limit. 
• Fees for international students, i.e. students who are not citizens of the Czech Republic, are the same as for home students.

Source: Eurydice - National Student Fees and Support Systems in European Higher Education – 2020/21.

Financial Support

In this section we highlight the financial support system implemented in Czech Republic. The types of support covered in this section include: grants, loans, tax benefits for students' parents (or students themselves) and family allowances.  How these terms are defined, are outlined below:

• Grants are provided in the national currency and are differentiated between merit-based and need-based (or universal, where applicable). All main public financial support that does not need to be paid back is included, with the exception of grants for study abroad (i.e. mobility grants). Information is also presented on the proportion of students (in the short, first and second cycle) who receive grants.
• Loans: information focuses on the existence of a student publicly-subsidised loan system and the percentage of students that take out a loan. Information on the interest rate and modalities for the repayment of loans may also be provided.
• Tax benefit is any tax relief that is granted to parents whose child is a higher education student or to students themselves. The information aims to cover the amount of the tax relief, how it can be claimed and who is eligible to apply.
• Family allowances for students' parents: this part provides information on their amount and the eligible population.
• Social scholarships – i.e. need-based grants – are available for students in a difficult economic situation. The legally defined minimum amount, which is also the most commonly awarded amount, is CZK 36,500/year; age limit is 26 years. The grant provider is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
• Grants to support accommodation expenses (on average around CZK 5 000/year) are awarded to students from regions other than the seat of the higher education institution, with around 69% of first- and second-cycle students receiving this support in 2019.
• Merit-based grants are awarded for excellence in studies, research, artistic and other activities. About 7% of students received this grant for excellent study results in 2019 and around 7% for research, artistic and other activities. A student may receive both these types of grants. An estimate of the average annual amount is CZK 11,000.
• There are no publicly-subsidised loans provided to finance studies.
• Tax benefits for parents are provided in the form of tax relief for each dependent child (students up to the age of 26 years). In 2020, CZK 15,204/year is allowed for the first child, CZK 19,404 for the second child, and CZK 24,204 for the third and subsequent child. If the child is disabled, the amount is doubled. Students with an income are eligible for a tax benefit of CZK 4,020 (2020).
• Family allowances may be awarded until the student reaches the age of 26 years. A child allowance of CZK 700-1,000 per month is paid if the family's income is below 2.7 times the subsistence level.

What are the entry requirements for Czech Universities?

You may wish to have an overview of all study programmes in the Czech Republic. The database of the Centre for International Cooperation in Education contains a large list of interesting study programmes in the Czech Republic. You will find a lot of necessary information about your studies there, e.g. a contact person or specific entry requirements. In addition, they also provide a map showing all the Czech higher education institutions.

How to get a Scholarship in the Czech Republic?

No matter the reason, paying high tuition fees can be a source of stress for many. However, there are many options for financing your studies, including the use of scholarships. There are various scholarship opportunities available for international students looking to study in Czech Republic. Depending on your country of origin and the level of studies, there are different options for funding. To explore what scholarship options are available, check this scholarship database.

Do I need a Student Visa for the Czech Republic?

In order to study in the Czech Republic, you might have to apply for a student visa. In general, EU, EEA, and Swiss citizen are excluded from this regulation. They only have to be registered with the Foreign Police Department if they are staying in the Czech Republic for more than 30 days. Therefore, they have to register within 3 days from the date of arrival to the country. 

If you are not an EU, EEA and Swiss citizen, applying for a visa is obligatory. Therefore, you can choose between short-term visas, if you plan a stay up to 90 days, and long-term visas, if you want to stay over 90 days. Students planning to stay for a period longer than twelve months should apply for a long-term visa for study reasons. 

How do Czech universities fare in U-Multirank?

1. U-Multirank 2022 presents data on 14 Czech higher education institutions, universities as well as non-university institutions.
2. Czech higher education institutions perform strongest in the dimension International Orientation.
3. The Czech institutions with the highest number of top group positions (‘A’ scores) are University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (11), Tomas Bata University in Zlín (9), Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice (9), Mendel University in Brno (8), and University of West Bohemia (8)
4. All of these institutions have the highest number of top group positions in the dimension of Research.

Here you can find the full 2022 Czech country report.