Poland offers students the opportunity to study in a safe, centrally located European country with strong academic traditions and growing international student support.
According to the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), there are over 400 higher education institutions in Poland, offering programmes across a wide range of academic and professional fields. The sector includes long‑standing research universities, universities of technology, medical universities, academies of arts and professionally oriented institutions. Around 2 million students are enrolled in higher education institutions in Poland, based on recent data from NAWA.
Internationalisation has grown significantly, with over 100,000 international students from around 180 countries choosing Poland for its combination of European‑recognised degrees, increasing availability of programmes taught in English, and competitive tuition fees and living costs compared with many other EU destinations. As a member of the European Union and the European Higher Education Area, Poland uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit system, making qualifications transparent and internationally comparable.
According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Poland’s top‑ranked universities internationally include Jagiellonian University (Kraków) and Wrocław Medical University, both typically placed in the global 501–600 band, followed by the University of Warsaw, ranked in the 601–800 band.
Several institutions stand out nationally for their international outlook, including the University of Warsaw, University of Wrocław and SWPS University, reflecting Poland’s growing international student community and expanding use of English‑taught programmes.
Access to higher education in Poland
To apply to higher education in Poland, students must hold a secondary school qualification that gives access to higher education in the country where it was awarded. Universities decide which subjects and grades they will accept for specific courses. Access to higher education is laid down in national legislation, with the universities deciding further, more specific requirements for each course. NAWA provides guidance and expertise on the recognition and evaluation of non-Polish qualifications.
For some international secondary school qualifications, a formal recognition procedure may be required before the student can enrol at university.
Cambridge International A Levels are international qualifications that grant direct access to university and are automatically recognised, subject to national regulations and individual university requirements. This means that A Level students apply directly to the Polish university of their choice without preliminary recognition procedures.
For admission to undergraduate / first-cycle / Bachelor programmes, a minimum of three A Levels is required. The subjects must meet the specific requirements for the study course.
Each university publishes its own entry requirements, application deadlines and selection procedures.
Universities may:
- set specific subject or grade requirements
- rank applicants competitively
- require additional assessments if necessary (for example, for artistic or sport‑related courses).
Meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee admission, particularly for competitive programmes.
Some universities may also require that all foreign certificates or diplomas are legalised.
We advise students to carefully review individual university requirements and timelines as early in advance as possible.
Language requirements
Programmes in Poland are taught in Polish or English. For English‑taught programmes, universities require proof of English language proficiency at a minimum B2 level.
Useful links:
- Foreign Students - NAWA: overview of studying in Poland and useful initial orientation.
- Ready, Study, Go! Poland website created by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, aimed at promoting Poland as a study destination.
- Study in Poland programme created by the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), featuring Polish universities and English-taught programmes, including practical guidance on applying and requirements.
- Best universities in Poland 2024: Times Higher Education article about Polish universities in the global rankings.