The 29 top universities in Poland for 2023 -2024

20 Mar 2023

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Poland is a fascinating place to study abroad, and Polish universities have recently had more success in global university rankings. Poland's largest university, the University of Warsaw, and its oldest institution, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, both have the top rankings in the world.

Medical schools and specialized colleges of technology are two assets of the Polish higher education system. These schools provide top-notch instruction for affordable tuition.

Top-ranked universities in Poland

University	QS Ranking 2023	THE Ranking 2022	ARWU Ranking 2022
University of Warsaw	284	601	401
Jagiellonian University	293	501	401
Poznan University of Life Sciences	521	–	–
Warsaw University of Technology	521	1201	901
Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan (UAM)	801	1001	901
AGH University of Science and Technology	801	1201	601
Cracow University of Technology	801	1201	–
Gdansk University of Technology	801	1001	801
Lodz University of Technology	801	1201	–
Nicolaus Copernicus University	801	1001	901
Poznan University of Technology	801	1201	–
University of Gdansk	801	1201	–
University of Lodz	801	1201	–
University of Wroclaw	801	1201	–
Wrocław University of Science and Technology	801	1201	901
Lublin University of Technology	1001	–	–
Silesian University of Technology	1001	1201	–
University of Bialystok	1001	–	–
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn	1001	1201	–
Warsaw University of Life Sciences	1001	1201	801
University of Rzeszów	1201	–	–
University of Silesia in Katowice	1201	–	–
Maria Curie-Sklodowska University	–	1201	–
Medical University of Bialystok	–	1001	–
Medical University of Warsaw	–	1001	901
Rzeszow University of Technology	–	1201	–
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities	–	1001	–
Wroclaw Medical University	–	–	801
Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences	–	1201	–

Explained: How do the university rankings work?

The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).

The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.

Poland

Poland is a sizable nation with a vibrant culture, a long history, and kind citizens. Poland is drawing more and more international students as a result of recent internationalisation efforts. The nation offers top-notch education for reasonable tuition costs and an astonishingly low cost of living.

A brief introduction to Poland

Polish borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. It is a country in Central Europe (via its Kaliningrad exclave).

Poland's capital and largest city, Warsaw, is a dynamic, up-to-date centre with numerous colleges that provide a wide choice of degree options. Other significant university cities are Wroclaw, Lodz, Poznan, and Cracow.

Studying at a university in Poland

Higher education in Poland has a history dating back nearly 800 years, and the country is home to over 400 institutions - many of which now also offer study programmes in English.

Jagiellonian University in Cracow is Poland's oldest university, founded in 1364, and is the alma mater of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, Pope John Paul II, and two Nobel laureates. Poland's largest university is the University of Warsaw. Founded in 1816, it too has an impressive list of alumni, including Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and celebrated composer Frédéric Chopin.

Poland’s higher education system is also known for its specialised technical institutions. They educated tens of thousands of specialists every year in subjects like engineering or computer science. Warsaw University of Technology and AGH University of Science and Technology enjoy an exceptional standing in international rankings, and there are many other fine institutions you can choose from.

And if you are seeking a degree in medicine, medical schools in Poland are known for their world-class education. Among the best-ranked are the Medical University of Silesia and the Medical University of Warsaw.

living as a student in Poland

Studying in Poland is appealing due to the country's high standard of living as well as its academic reputation. For the past 20 years, the economy of the nation has experienced rapid growth. International students are moving there in droves because it is contemporary, hygienic, and secure, offers all of the social and cultural activities accessible elsewhere, and does so at a cost of living that is still far lower than in Western Europe.

Tuition fees and cost of living

Poland is an attractive destination for students. International students can study at public universities in Poland at an average cost of 2,000 EUR per year for a first degree, while fees for higher degrees and vocational programs average at 3000 EUR per year.

Poland’s cost of living are also surprisingly low, and in fact lower than in most other European countries. A place in a student dormitory may cost less than 100 EUR per month for a shared room. Overall, depending on the city on what lifestyle you desire, you might get by on less than 500 EUR per month.

Universities in Poland

Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan (UAM)
AGH University of Science and Technology
Cracow University of Technology
ESCP Business School
Gdansk University of Technology
Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University - Institute of European Studies
Lodz University of Technology
Lublin University of Technology
Maria Curie-Sklodowska University
Medical University of Warsaw
Nicolaus Copernicus University
Poznan University of Technology
Rzeszow University of Technology
Silesian University of Technology
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
University College of Enterprise and Administration in Lublin
University of Gdansk
University of Lodz
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
University of Warsaw
University of Wroclaw
Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Warsaw University of Technology
Wroclaw Medical University
Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Wrocław University of Science and Technology

Fast Facts

Located in central Europe
Area: 312,685 sq km
Population: around 38.4 million
Capital: Warsaw (also the largest city)
Borders with Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Baltic sea
Students will need a minimum of 30,000 PLN (~US$7,820) per year to cover their living costs in Poland.
International tuition fees can reach up to ~US$4,180 per year at public universities.
Poland has a TV channel dedicated to the Pope.
National currency: zloty (PLN)
More winners of the “World’s Strongest Man” competition than any other location
17 Nobel Prize winners
9,300 lakes, 23 National Parks and one desert
90 percent of Poles have completed at least secondary education, the highest score in the EU, along with Czechs, Slovaks and Slovenes.
Polish-born astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was the first person to suggest that the Earth was in fact not the center of the universe.
70 percent of the Nazi extermination camps during WWII were located in Poland, including the three most infamous, Auschwitz, Treblinka and Belzec.