Tuition Fees in Poland for International Students by Course & University Type

Tuition fees in Poland for international students are among the lowest in Europe — but there is no single national price. What you pay depends on your nationality, the language of instruction, the field of study and whether the university is public or private. A bachelor’s in English Studies at the University of Warsaw costs €2,200 a year; medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw costs €18,800. Both are real 2026/27 fees, and both are for the same category of student.

This guide gives you the full picture for the 2026/27 academic year: the official averages, who can study for free, fees by course and university type, real examples from named universities, the extra costs on top of tuition, and the scholarships that can wipe the fee out altogether. Every figure below was checked against official sources — above all the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) portal at study.gov.pl/tuition-fees — on 10 November 2026. Fees are set by each university before recruitment begins, so always confirm the exact figure on your programme’s own page before you apply.

How Much Does It Cost to Study in Poland in 2026/27?

The short answer, from NAWA’s official Study in Poland portal, is that tuition for foreign students usually falls between €2,000 and €6,000 a year. Polish-taught degree programmes average around €2,000 a year; English-taught programmes average around €3,000 a year. That range covers most bachelor’s and master’s degrees at public universities. Two fields sit well outside it: medicine, which costs far more, and MBAs, which cost more still.

Student type	Polish-taught programme (public university)	English-taught programme (public university)
EU/EEA/Swiss citizen	Free (full-time, if eligible under the law)	Usually €2,000–€5,000 a year — fees apply
Non-EU citizen	€2,000–€4,000 a year on average	€3,000–€8,000 a year on average
Non-EU citizen, private university	€1,500–€5,000 a year	€2,500–€10,000 a year

These are averages, not guarantees. A small public university in a regional city can charge far less than a famous university in Warsaw — the University of Opole, for example, charges fee-paying foreigners between 5,200 and 7,200 PLN a year (roughly €1,200–€1,700) for 2026/27. And within a single university the spread can be enormous: at the University of Warsaw, English-taught fees for 2026/27 run from €1,000 a year for some humanities programmes to €9,000 for others. The table gives you a realistic budget; the exact fee always comes from the university itself.

One more thing the averages hide: the fee is quoted per academic year, and Polish degrees are not all the same length. A bachelor’s degree (licencjat) lasts at least six semesters, an engineering bachelor’s (inżynier) at least seven, and long-cycle master’s degrees in medicine, law, psychology and pharmacy last nine to twelve semesters. A six-year medical degree at €15,000 a year is a €90,000 commitment, even though the annual figure looks manageable. Always multiply the annual fee by the full length of the programme before you decide it is affordable.

Who Can Study in Poland for Free?

The most important fact in this whole guide is that some students pay nothing at all. Under Article 324 of Poland’s Law on Higher Education and Science, full-time programmes taught in Polish at public universities are tuition-free for Polish citizens and for foreign students who meet the statutory conditions. The official portal at study.gov.pl lists the main qualifying groups:

• Citizens of EU, EEA countries and Switzerland, and their family members living in Poland
• Holders of permanent residence or EU long-term resident status in Poland
• People granted refugee status, temporary protection or subsidiary protection
• Holders of a valid Pole’s Card (Karta Polaka) or a decision confirming Polish origin
• Holders of a state certificate in Polish as a foreign language at C1 level or higher

Two warnings matter here. First, the exemption covers full-time programmes taught in Polish at public universities. English-taught programmes usually charge fees regardless of nationality, although some universities waive them for EU/EEA students on particular programmes — check the programme page, not the general rule. Part-time programmes at public universities can also carry fees. Second, “studying in Polish is free” is not automatic for everyone from outside the EU: if you do not fall into one of the groups above, the university may charge you for a Polish-taught programme too. For a student from India, Nigeria or Egypt with no Polish ties, the realistic free route is the C1 Polish certificate — a demanding but genuine path to a zero-tuition degree.

There is one more way to study free that does not depend on your legal status at all: a NAWA scholarship. The Banach NAWA Programme, for example, covers the full tuition fee at public universities plus a monthly scholarship of PLN 2,500. Its 2026 call closed on 8 May 2026, but the programme runs every year — see the scholarships section below, and our full guide to the NAWA Banach Scholarship.

Tuition Fees in Poland by Course

Field of study is the single biggest driver of price. Medicine costs several times more than humanities; engineering and IT sit in the middle; business varies wildly between public and private providers. The table below gives typical annual fees for English-taught programmes for non-EU students in 2026/27, drawn from NAWA’s averages and the universities’ own published fee schedules.

Field of study	Typical annual fee (English-taught, non-EU)	Notes
Humanities & social sciences	€2,000–€4,000	Cheapest degrees; some programmes from €1,000
Business & management	€3,000–€6,000	Public universities; private business schools charge more
Engineering & IT	€3,000–€5,000	Longer degrees (3.5 years for inżynier) mean a higher total
Natural sciences	€2,000–€4,000	Lab-based programmes cost more than classroom ones
Law	€2,500–€4,500	Long-cycle master’s (5 years) at most universities
Medicine (MD)	€10,000–€16,000	Six-year programme; the most expensive field
Dentistry & pharmacy	€8,000–€14,000	Five to six years; English Divisions at medical universities
MBA	€8,000–€12,000	Usually a total programme price, not annual

Medicine deserves a closer look, because it is Poland’s biggest draw for international students and its most expensive degree. English-taught medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk costs PLN 64,200 a year (about €15,000) under the rector’s order of 29 April 2026, plus a one-off orientation week fee of PLN 3,100. At the Medical University of Warsaw it is €18,800 a year — €112,800 over the six years — under Rector’s Order No. 58/2026. Jagiellonian University’s Medical College in Kraków charges around €14,000 a year. Even at these prices, Polish medicine is roughly half the cost of a UK or US medical degree, and the degree is recognised across the EU. But do the full multiplication: six years at €14,000–€18,800 is €84,000–€112,800 in tuition alone, before living costs.

At the other end of the scale, humanities and social sciences are Poland’s bargain. English Studies at the University of Warsaw costs €2,200 a year for 2026/27, and some programmes at the same university start at €1,000. Engineering is the middle ground, but watch the degree length: a 3.5-year inżynier degree at €4,000 a year costs €14,000 in total, while a three-year bachelor’s at the same annual fee costs €12,000. And remember that fees are set per programme, not per field — two engineering programmes at the same university can differ by thousands of euros, so compare programme by programme.

Tuition Fees by University Type: Public vs Private

Poland has almost 380 public and private higher education institutions, and the public–private split matters more for your budget than the name on the gate. Public universities (uczelnie publiczne) are state-funded: their fees for Polish-taught programmes are free for eligible students, their English-taught fees are regulated, and they must publish their fees before recruitment opens. Private universities (uczelnie niepubliczne) set their own fees and payment conditions freely, and they charge everyone — including Polish and EU students.

That does not mean private is always more expensive. A small private university in a regional city can charge €2,000–€3,000 a year for a bachelor’s, undercutting a famous public university’s €4,000–€5,000 for the same field. Where private universities do cost more is at the top end: Kozminski University in Warsaw, a private AACSB-accredited business school and one of the best-regarded in Central Europe, charges around €5,500 a year for a bachelor’s in business and around €6,500 for a master’s. An MBA at a private business school can reach €15,000 in total.

The real differences between public and private are not only about money. Public universities are usually more competitive — the University of Warsaw received 37,600 applicants for the 2026/27 cycle — and their admissions run on a fixed calendar, with registration typically opening in April–May and closing in June or July for the October intake. Private universities are more flexible, often accepting applications from January to September, and some offer mid-semester starts. Public universities also dominate the English-taught offer in medicine, engineering and the sciences; private universities concentrate on business, management, IT and the social sciences. If your field is medicine or engineering, you will almost certainly be looking at a public university. If it is business, compare both — and check the private university’s accreditation and graduate outcomes, not just its fee.

One legal detail worth knowing: public and private institutions alike must publish their fees in advance, and the binding figure is always the rector’s fee decision for your intake. If a university’s website and an agency’s brochure disagree, the university’s own fee schedule wins.

Real 2026/27 Fee Examples from Polish Universities

Averages are useful for budgeting, but nothing beats a real number from a real university. The table below collects fees for non-EU students from the universities’ own 2026/27 fee schedules and rector’s orders. All figures are per academic year unless stated otherwise.

University and programme	Annual fee (non-EU)	Source
University of Warsaw, Business and Management (bachelor’s, English)	€4,000	UW fee table 2026/27 — flat rate for all nationalities
University of Warsaw, International Relations (bachelor’s, English)	€4,300	UW fee table 2026/27
University of Warsaw, Data Science and Business Analytics (master’s, English)	€4,900	UW fee table 2026/27
University of Warsaw, English Studies (bachelor’s, English)	€2,200	UW fee table 2026/27
University of Warsaw, Psychology (long-cycle master’s)	PLN 27,600 (about €6,500)	UW fee table 2026/27
AGH University of Kraków, Computer Science (bachelor’s, English)	€3,000 per semester (€6,000 a year)	AGH fee schedule 2026/27
AGH University of Kraków, Mechanical Engineering (bachelor’s, English)	€1,725 per semester (€3,450 a year)	AGH fee schedule 2026/27
AGH University of Kraków, Space Engineering (bachelor’s, English)	€1,250 per semester (€2,500 a year)	AGH fee schedule 2026/27
Jagiellonian University, Medicine (English Division)	About €14,000	JU fee schedule 2026/27
Medical University of Gdańsk, Medicine (English)	PLN 64,200 (about €15,000)	Rector’s order, 29 April 2026
Medical University of Warsaw, Medicine (English)	€18,800	Rector’s Order No. 58/2026
University of Opole, English-taught programmes	5,200–7,200 PLN (about €1,200–€1,700)	University of Opole, 2026/27
Kozminski University (private), Business bachelor’s	About €5,500	Kozminski fee schedule

Three lessons jump out of that table. First, the same university can charge €2,200 for one programme and €4,900 for another, so never budget from a university’s name alone. Second, AGH quotes fees per semester — €3,000 a semester is €6,000 a year, and it is easy to mistake the semester figure for the annual one, so always check which period a fee covers. Third, the cheapest reputable degrees in Poland are not in Warsaw or Kraków: smaller public universities like Opole charge a fraction of the big-city fees, and for many fields the degree is the same Bologna-standard qualification.

Other Costs on Top of Tuition

Tuition is the biggest line in your budget, but it is not the only one. Before you arrive, and in your first weeks, expect these:

• Recruitment (application) fee: PLN 85 per programme as standard, PLN 100 where an entrance exam or interview is required, and PLN 150 for programmes with artistic aptitude tests such as Architecture. The fee is set by national regulation, is non-refundable, and is paid per programme — applying to five programmes at one university can mean five fees, although some universities charge a single fee. At roughly €20–€35 per application, it is one of the lowest application fees in Europe.
• Living costs: NAWA’s official portal puts student spending at PLN 1,500–2,000 a month, including accommodation, food, transport and study materials. Warsaw is the most expensive city; smaller cities such as Lublin, Opole or Toruń are noticeably cheaper. A dormitory bed is the cheapest option and the one most first-year students take.
• Proof of funds for the visa: the consulate asks for 701 PLN per month of your intended stay, plus 2,500 PLN for the return journey, at the visa stage — 10,912 PLN (about €2,500) for a 12-month stay, plus accommodation and unpaid tuition. After arrival, the residence-permit office requires a monthly income above 1,010 PLN after your actual housing costs. Our Poland student visa guide explains both figures and the documents that prove them.
• Visa fee: the national Type D student visa costs €200 from 1 January 2026, plus a VFS Global service charge of roughly €30–€50 where your country uses VFS centres.
• Health insurance: non-EU students need cover for the visa and the residence permit. Voluntary insurance with the National Health Fund (NFZ) costs about PLN 55.80 a month; private travel medical insurance is an alternative for the visa stage.
• Language and recognition documents: since 1 August 2025, non-EU applicants must prove the language of instruction at B2 level or higher, and since 1 July 2025 most school certificates from outside the EU, OECD and EFTA need a free recognition statement from NAWA through its SYRENA system. Budget for exam fees and sworn translations.

Add it up for a typical first year at a public university outside Warsaw: €3,000 tuition, €5,000–€6,000 living costs, €200 visa, plus the small one-off fees — roughly €8,500–€9,500 all in. In Warsaw, or in medicine, the total is higher; at a small regional university, lower. Compare that with a single year at a US public university, where out-of-state tuition alone is around $31,880, and Poland’s appeal becomes obvious.

How to Pay Less: Scholarships and Fee Waivers

If the fees above look steep, there are four realistic ways to reduce or eliminate them — and they stack with the free-study rules described earlier.

1. NAWA government scholarships. The Banach NAWA Programme is the most important one for master’s students from developing countries: citizens of 36 Polish Aid countries get a monthly scholarship of PLN 2,500, a full exemption from tuition fees at public universities, and a travel allowance. The 2026 call closed on 8 May 2026, and the next call is expected in spring 2027 — read our full NAWA Banach Scholarship guide for the eligibility list and the application steps. The General Anders Programme, for young people of Polish origin, pays PLN 2,000 a month from 1 January 2026 plus free Polish-taught study at public universities. Poland My First Choice, for master’s students from wealthier countries, pays PLN 2,000 a month plus a fee waiver.
2. University fee waivers and reductions. Many public universities reduce or waive fees for strong applicants, and some — including Jagiellonian University — allow fee reduction or waiver requests from the second year of study. Ask the admissions office directly: these waivers are rarely advertised on the programme page, and they are decided case by case.
3. Doctoral schools. Education in doctoral schools in Poland is tuition-free, including for international candidates, and doctoral candidates who do not already hold a doctorate generally receive a doctoral scholarship under Polish law. If you are considering a PhD, Poland is one of the cheapest places in Europe to do it.
4. Work while you study. Full-time students in Poland can work without a separate work permit, and part-time work during the semester plus full-time work in the holidays is a normal way to cover living costs. It will not pay a €15,000 medical tuition fee, but it can cover rent and food — which is why the proof-of-funds rules still require you to show savings before you arrive.

Start with the scholarships: a Banach award is worth far more than any part-time job, and its deadline comes months before the university application deadline.

How Tuition Fees Are Set — and Whether They Can Go Up

Poland has no national tuition tariff, and that is by design. Each university sets its own fees, and the law requires the fees to be fixed before recruitment begins — so the price you see when you apply is the price for your intake. The fee is set by the rector’s decision or order, and the university must publish it in its Public Information Bulletin.

What happens after you enrol? The law protects you: a university may not introduce new fees for students already admitted, and it may raise existing fees only once per academic year, by no more than the previous year’s consumer price index, and by no more than 30% in total over your studies. In practice, most universities hold fees steady or raise them by a small inflation-linked amount each year. You should still budget for a small annual rise, especially on a five- or six-year degree, but a sudden doubling of your fee mid-degree is not something Polish law allows.

One more protection: if you withdraw before the academic year starts, most universities refund tuition already paid, minus an administrative charge — but the exact conditions are in the university’s own regulations, so read them before you pay. And remember that the recruitment fee (PLN 85–150) is never refunded, even if you are not admitted.

How to Check the Exact Fee Before You Apply

General guides — including this one — can only give you averages and examples. The binding figure is always on the university’s own website. Here is the five-minute check to run for every programme on your shortlist:

1. Find the programme on StudyFinder at study.gov.pl, NAWA’s official catalogue of Polish programmes, and note the language, length and degree.
2. Open the university’s own admissions page for that programme and look for the fee table or the rector’s fee order — search for “tuition fees” or “fees for international students”.
3. Check the period. Is the fee per semester or per academic year? AGH quotes per semester; most others quote per year. Multiply accordingly.
4. Check whether the fee depends on your nationality. Some programmes have one flat rate for everyone; others charge EU and non-EU students differently.
5. Check the payment schedule and refund rules — most universities allow payment in two instalments per year, and some allow four on written request.
6. Confirm the fee covers what you think it does. Tuition is separate from accommodation, insurance and the recruitment fee.

If a university does not publish a fee for your programme, treat that as a warning sign and email the admissions office before you apply. A university that cannot tell you its price before you pay the recruitment fee is not one to trust with your money.

The Bottom Line

Tuition fees in Poland for international students are genuinely low by European standards — €2,000–€6,000 a year for most degrees, with real programmes available for as little as €1,000–€2,000 — but the range is wide enough that a careless choice can triple your bill. The three decisions that matter most are the field (medicine costs five times more than humanities), the language (English-taught programmes always charge; Polish-taught ones are free for those who qualify), and the university (a regional public university can cost a third of a famous one in Warsaw). Check the exact fee on the university’s own page, multiply it by the full length of the degree, add living costs of PLN 1,500–2,000 a month, and apply for a NAWA scholarship before you apply to the university. Do that, and a Polish degree remains one of the best-value qualifications in Europe.

If you are still choosing where to study, start with our complete guide to studying in Poland and our list of the best universities in Poland for international students. Both will help you match a university to your budget before you spend a single złoty on application fees.