How to Study in Poland

Poland is situated in Eastern-Europe. Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union, hosting 38.5 million people. Poland's capital and largest city Warsaw is a very lively city with its picturesque Old Town which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Vistula and the Oder are Poland’s longest rivers and connect cities are Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Szczecin.

Poland’s Higher Education System

The Polish higher education system is characterized by its high number of private institutions: There are about 460 institutions of higher education, including 326 privately owned institutions.

According to OECD tertiary education attainment is increasing, however, with about 30% of the adults holding a tertiary qualification in 2017, compared with 11% in 2000. Poland has increasingly become a destination country for international students. There are 72,743 foreign students from 170 countries studying in Poland, over 6,950 more than a year ago (over 10% increase) in the academic year 2017/2018. Foreign students currently make up 5.63% of the total number of students in the country (ten years ago the figure was only 0.71%, in the academic year 2016/2017 - 4.88%).

In line with the Bologna process, Polish universities offer three levels of degrees: The first-cycle studies (3 to 4 years), leading to the title of a licencjat or inżynier (engineer), is the Polish equivalent to the bachelor degree. It is followed by two or two and a half year master programmes. In some subjects (e.g. law, pharmacy, psychology, and medicine) there are long, integrated master degrees (five to six years). The final stage is doctoral programmes (usually with an additional three years).

Poland’s Higher Education System in International Comparison

The below table shows the national breakdown of Polish 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 countries strengths and areas for improvement.

Polish higher education institutions perform strongest in U-Multirank’s teaching & learning, research and regional engagement dimensions, while their performance in the knowledge transfer and international orientation dimensions are below the average of the global U-Multirank sample of institutions.

How much does it cost to study in Poland?

Students from EU/EEA countries do not have to pay tuition fees at public universities in Poland. All other foreigners are required to pay tuition fees that on average are the following: EUR 2,000 per year for first, second and long cycle studies; EUR 3,000 per year for doctoral and postgraduate studies. For more information click here.

What are the entry requirements for universities in Poland?

In general, the requirements for international students applying for universities in Poland include:

• Notarized secondary school certificate or an official duplicate issued by the candidate's high school, filled out application form, 4 passport-size photographs and a copy of candidate’s ID (passport).
• Certificate of the English language proficiency optionally (unless the high school courses were taught in English).
• Medical certificate with no contraindication for studying, admission fee payment receipt.

Admission for MA (Master) candidates requires:

• Undergraduate program diploma or an official duplicate issued by the university, candidate's CV with the details about the school and professional career optionally, one academic reference and one personal reference optionally, filled out an application form, 4 passport-size photographs and a copy of the candidate’s ID (passport).
• Proof of English language proficiency (unless the first degree was taught in English).
• Medical certificate with no contraindication for studying, admission fee payment receipt.

How to get a Scholarship in Poland?

Poland offers government, foundations and university scholarships that are available as well to international students both from within the EU itself and from countries outside the EU. For more information, please click here.

Do I need a Student Visa for Poland?

To be able to study in Poland international student have to legalize their stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland. European Union (EU) citizens who would like to stay longer than three months in Poland, simply need to register their stay in the country. Non-EU citizens need to obtain a visa at a Polish consulate in your their country before arrival in Poland. For more information, please click here.

How do Polish Universities fare in U-Multirank?

1. The 2020 edition of U-Multirank presents data on 37 Polish universities.
2. In U-Multirank, Polish universities score strongest in the dimensions of Regional Engagement and Teaching & Learning.
3. The U-Multirank top performers having a number of top-group positons (‘A’ scores) from Poland exhibit diverse profiles: amongst them are comprehensive universities, technical universities as well as medical universities.
4. The universities with the highest number of ‘A’ scores are SGH Warsaw School of Economics (9), SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (8) and the University of Information Technology and Management (8).
5. Three (3) Polish institutions are listed in our global ‘Top 25 Performers’: Warsaw School of Economics for Co-publications with industrial partners, Pope John Paul II State School Of Higher Education for Open Access Publications and SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities for Income from Continuous Professional Development courses.