Study in Poland

Why you should choose Poland?

If you’ve been thinking about studying abroad, you definitely should take Poland under consideration as your destination. Higher Education Institutions have a long tradition in our country. The first university, Jagiellonian University, was founded in 1364, making it the second one opened in central Europe. The level of the educational system in Poland has been improving very quickly during the past decade. The number of educational institutions is growing as well, so there is plenty to choose from. Polish universities can compete with European ones, and are also noticeable and appreciated on the global market. Several of them were included in the 2020 edition of the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities. Also, the Bologna Process is implemented at all universities in the country, so that the standards and quality of higher-education qualifications are compatible between European institutions.

In this article, we’ll provide you with useful information about the process of enrolment at a university, tuition fees, the differences between studying on terms of a Polish citizen or as a foreigner. We will give you useful tips on how to make the best choice of a study program and where to look for an apartment once you already move to Poland.

Types of studies

You can find a wide range of study programs to choose from, starting with the humanities, social sciences and arts, through economics, finance,  science and technology, to medicine.

Depending on the type of studies, they have different duration:

First-cycle	Bachelor of Arts – 3 years (6 semesters)
	Bachelor of Science – 3,5 years (7 – 8 semesters)
Second-cycle	Master’s Degree – 1,5 – 2 years (3 – 4 semesters)
Long cycle studies	Master’s Degree (for Medical Specialties, Psychology and Law) lasts for 5 years (10 semesters)
Third-cycle	Doctoral studies – 2 – 4 years (4 – 8 semesters)
Postgraduate	Postgraduate studies – 1 – 1,5 years (2 – 3 semesters)

As a foreigner, you have a right to apply for studies at any university and study in Polish or English. There are also universities offering studies in other languages as well. You can find ones that are taught entirely in German or Russian. If you’re planning on studying in Polish you need to have a certificate of knowledge of Polish as a foreign language, with a score of at least level B1 or B2, depending on the university. In case you don’t have such a document as you enrol at a university, usually there’s an additional one-year preparatory course for future students, after which you obtain a certificate confirming the level of Polish proficiency.

How to apply?

There are 3 main steps you need to take to start studying in Poland.

• Choose the field of study and the university

There are hundreds of state and private higher educational institutions in Poland. Choose the one based in the city you prefer, that offers a program you like and suits you best. We recommend checking Polish rankings of HEI called Perspektywy.

You can also find useful STUDYFINDER, where you can narrow down your choices by requirements such as the main language, city, whether it’s a public or private university etc.

• Check the admission requirements and apply

Once you choose your dream faculty, check all the admission requirements. We advise looking for information on the official websites of universities. We also recommend checking STUDYFINDER. It makes it easier, giving you all the links you need. Also, remember to stick to the schedule of a certain university. Usually, the first recruitment round starts at the end of June. Sometimes HEIs have additional rounds in August and between semesters – in January. Always check the information on the official website of your future university, as the dates may differ.

Now it’s time for the first stage of recruitment. All you need to do at this point is to apply online at the website of your chosen university. Most of the time all you’ll need is:

• a high school certificate (translated if it’s not in Polish or English),
• a certificate of your score on the exam after high school (the equivalent of Polish matura),
• a certificate confirming your language proficiency (depending on the language of the program – Polish or English; at least B2 level),
• an application form,
• a digital copy of your photo.

You need to put all the necessary information in the online registration and pay an application fee. If you’re a non-EU citizen, you might need a visa to enter Poland. Now is a good time to apply, as the process may take some time. Check if you need one on our government’s website. Also, if your country wasn’t a part of the Bologna Process, which unifies the HEIs standards and diplomas, you might need to legalise or make an apostille of your high school diploma or your degree diploma (when applying on higher cycles of studies).

The second stage of recruitment starts when you receive information stating your score was high enough and you’ve been accepted. Now you need to visit the university and deliver:

• your high school certificate (original + copy) and translation of it if needed,
• a certificate of your score on the exam after high school (the equivalent of Polish matura; original + copy),
• certificate of your language proficiency,
• printed application form,
• copy of your passport,
• your photo (35mm x 45mm),
• statement of citizenship,
• if you’re a minor at that time you need your parent’s or legal guardian’s declaration of permission to study here.

After this step and signing all of the needed documents, you’re officially accepted as a student!

• Move to Poland and live your dream

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted! What should you do now? Remember that the academic year in Poland starts in October. The second semester starts usually at the end of February. Before the time you move here, you should take care of your accommodation situation. HEIs provide accommodation in student dormitories. If you choose to live in one, you need to submit an application beforehand (check the application dates on the university’s website). In a dormitory, you’ll have one or two roommates and you’ll pay around 400-500PLN (90-100 EUR) per month, total. There are also private dormitories, you’d pay a bit more but you’d live in a place with much higher standards and additional services, with the possibility to have a room for your own. The one we recommend to you in Kraków is LivinnX, their offer is definitely worth checking out. You also have a choice of renting a room or an apartment in the city of your studies. The costs will be higher, but you can find some good deals. Check out sites like OLX, OtoDom or Facebook groups specially designed for apartment advertisements.

At this point, if you want to cover the moving expenses you might want to look for a job. In Poland, if you’re a student under 26 years old, you don’t pay taxes from your income (check more info about PIT0 here).

What we also recommend once you move to Poland, is to meet new people and stay open-minded. Look for conversation groups, hobby buddies, give science clubs and students’ organizations a try! It’s important to make your new surroundings feel like home and make new friends.

Studying on terms of a Polish citizen or as a foreigner

You can study in Poland on terms of a Polish citizen or a foreigner. What are the differences and how can you know if it applies to your case?

The basic differences include tuition fees, student financial support and whether you compete with the scores of Polish citizens or foreigners.

If you want to apply as a Polish citizen:

• you compete in the ranking with other Poles, comparing the score from matura (or equivalent high school exam) and other scientific achievements,
• you don’t pay for the studies,
• you may apply for financial support from your university (such as maintenance grants, special grants for disabled people, all kinds of scholarships).

How does it work?

You can study on the same terms as Polish citizens if you:

• have been granted a residence permit (to settle in Poland),
• hold refugee status granted by the Republic of Poland,
• have been granted temporary protection on the territory of the Republic of Poland,
• are a migrant worker, EU/EEA national or a member of an EU/EEA migrant worker family,
• have been granted an EU long-term residents residence permit,
• are an EU/EEA citizen with the right of permanent residence.

You can choose whether you want to apply as a Polish citizen or a foreigner, if:

• you are a holder of a valid Card of the Pole (Karta Polaka),
• are an EU/EEA citizen and have enough funds to support yourself in Poland.

If these circumstances don’t apply to your case, you apply on foreign terms:

• you don’t compete with Polish students to enter studies, there are vacancies exclusively for foreigners, but if there are more applicants than vacancies, you compete with them,
• usually, you need to pay for the studies ( check the section below – Tuition fees)
• you can be awarded a scholarship by a Polish partner,
• study on a tuition fee-paying basis,
• study free of tuition fees and with no scholarship entitlement,
• be awarded a scholarship by the sending partner (for example your country or university), and free of tuition fees,
• be awarded a scholarship by Polish higher education institutions,
• Students of non-public HEIs are admitted based on the rector’s decision and on a tuition fee-paying basis, they can be granted an HEI scholarship or be partially or fully waived of fees (if Polish descent is officially confirmed, they can get up to 30% discount).

Tuition fees

For Polish students and foreigners starting to study on terms of Polish citizens, full-time studies in the Polish language are free of charge. Both Polish students and foreigners have to pay for part-time and extramural studies in public universities and all forms of studies in private institutions. The prices vary from 1500 PLN (around 330 EUR) per semester, to even 25000 PLN (5500 EUR) for private medical studies.

For foreigners, on full-time studies at public HEI the tuition fees may differ depending on the university and faculty, but usually they are around:

• EUR 2000 per year for the first, second and long cycle studies,
• EUR 3000 per year for postgraduate as well as scientific, arts, specialist and post-doctoral internships,
• EUR 2000 per year for an annual preparatory Polish language course to commence studies in Polish.

The given prices are indicative, we advise you to always check the official websites of your chosen university.

The only exceptions from paid programs for foreigners are doctoral colleges. The education is not only free but also they provide a scholarship for all doctoral candidates in a full-time program.

There are also many scholarships financed either by the Polish or foreign partner’s government you can take advantage of. You can read more about them on study.gov or NAWA websites.