Things you need to know about studying in Poland
The decision to pursue higher education in Poland tends to be a popular choice for many aspiring students from different countries. Polish universities and colleges offer many compelling educational opportunities for the purpose-driven young people. To successfully start this journey, however, a student needs to fulfill several requirements.
Studies in Poland — an astounding range of possibilities
In the academic community, Poland is accurately regarded as a country with one of the longest unbroken educational tradition in the world. Some of the universities of old, such as medieval Jagiellonian University in Kraków, are still considered vibrant centers of academic achievement and intellectual progress. The quality of education offered may be easily measured by the vast number of eminent scientists, engineers, CEOs or physicians, who after completing their education in Poland are now at the forefront of the high-paid global workforce.
Higher educational opportunities in Poland connect to favorable prospects for students pursuing the career in business, law, humanities, as well as various sciences and medicine. And let us not forget the arts — Polish academies of arts and music are regarded as meccas of inspiration and creativity. What is more, the learning and living costs for the most students seem highly affordable.
University admission — what will be needed?
Polish universities gladly welcome students from all over the world. Although the entrance requirements vary slightly between different colleges and universities, some general admission rules stay similar. The most important one is an evidence of completing successfully secondary level education (high school), which should be presented in a form recognized by Polish diplomatic institutions. Some of the higher education institutions in Poland will also require a CV, a motivational letter, an ID or a passport scan.
For the next entrance level, the students will need to pass the relevant exams or complete the recommended projects. Moreover, while the EU citizens can stay in Poland up to three months without registration, the students from other countries need to obtain a visa. It is also important to remember that a health insurance will be needed. Fortunately, for the students from outside the EU its cost seems very manageable.
Living and accommodation — is it expensive?
For a prolific group of students, university studies in Poland might be the best choice in terms of the learning and living costs, in conjunction with the high quality of the education offered. The standard tuition fees for the students from EU and Switzerland are usually waived — they can safely assume that their desired education will be offered for free. This is the case for the full-time studies in Polish language at the public universities, and some courses or avenues might be exempt from it.
Other programs, including part-time programs and those offered in foreign languages, are usually connected with a tuition fee, which ranges from 1000 euro to about 6000-8000 euro (possible more when it comes to medical or law school degree) for a year. Some private colleges charge considerably more, while others are rather affordable. The costs of living can be considered low — with a choice of a dormitory or flat sharing, they might be situated at circa 500 euro.