Study in Poland

Poland or Republic of Poland is an architectural feast located in the heart of Europe. Having the enchanting Baltic sea on one of its borders and countries like Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Czech and Slovak Republic on the other, Poland is the birthplace of the great Nicholas Copernicus. The country has its name derived from the tribe ‘ Polanie’ which means “People living in open fields”. Apart from these exciting features, what grabs attention towards Poland is its more than 650 years old academic institutions! Having state-of-the-art infrastructure, universities in Poland stand ahead in the league of institutions offering world-class education. As the leading universities in Poland have started to offer education in English, it has become a notable study abroad option that lets you fulfil your dream in an economical budget. Do you want to know what are the benefits and how you can study in Poland? If yes then, read through the blog as it is to enlighten you with the same.

A Brief Introduction to Poland

Poland has borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia in Central Europe (via its Kaliningrad exclave).

Warsaw, Poland’s capital and largest city, is a vibrant, contemporary metropolis with several colleges providing a diverse range of degrees. Cracow, Poznan, Lodz, and Wroclaw are all prominent university cities.

Study in Poland for International Students

The following are the top reasons to study in Poland:

1. Modern and Dynamic: There are more than seventy thousand international students who came to study in Poland and yes, it is constantly developing into a dynamic country as a member of the European Union in terms of education. In 457 universities, more than 800 programs are taught and that too in the English language.

2. Well Developed Education System: There are dedicated institutions in Poland that constantly keep a check on the quality of higher education offered to students who study in Poland. Such institutions are General Council for Science, Polish Accreditation Committee, Higher Education and the Conference of Rectors of the Academic School. Currently, the education system of Poland consists of around five thousand courses which came into existence with the approval of the Polish Accreditation Committee.

3. Advance Curriculum: When you study in Poland, you are not limited to just theoretical knowledge but you will also gain various skills and critical aspects of the subject matter in a very practical manner.

4. Low Cost: It’s cheaper to study in Poland as compared to the other regions of Europe. On average, the tuition fee ranges from 1500 Euros to 3000 Euros per year. Fees rarely go higher than 3000 Euros a  year. If you make a chart of other private universities that are in France, the UK, or Germany, you will find that if you study in Poland you will save you a big slice in educational expenditure. However, the real economic benefit of studying in Poland comes from the living cost. You can get a room in a student dormitory for around 100 Euros and share a flat for 100 to 160 Euros. And if you love to travel, then the monthly public transport ticket will cost you 25-30 Euros only.

Bonus Tip: When you study in Poland, you can use public bikes that are almost free of charge during the warmer half of the year.

5. Vibrant Cultural and Student Life: As we know, student life is just not about sticking your face in the books. So when you study in Poland, you will get a chance to party, go out to music festivals, hang out with friends, enjoy film festivals, and go paint the town red. The blazing economic development of Poland has skyrocketed its culture and now the cultural value of Poland is pretty comparable to any other European state.

Quick Fact: Every year, each university plans its own carnival festival known as Juwenalia. On this day, all classes are cancelled to ensure everyone participates in the festival.

6. Scholarships: Now, what’s so different about scholarships to study in Poland? Well, in most countries, scholarships are mostly provided to the EU students but here Non-EU students can also reap its benefit. In fact, they launch a heap of scholarships for Non-EU students every year. Most of such scholarships are offered by the Eastern European Partnership countries like Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

7. Delicious and Inexpensive Food: Kielbasa and Pierogi are one of the most fulfilling and lovable polish cuisines. When it comes to health, Polish cuisine is a popular choice because of bio, non-GMO, and organic food trends. Nowadays, the culture of eating healthy organic products has become a popular trend in Poland. Due to the capitalist economy of Poland, such demand has led to the rise of supply. Sometimes, occasional fairs of organic food are organized in each district of bigger cities and restaurants to spread awareness to the consumers. Even though the price of organic food is slightly higher than the products available in the supermarkets but it is worth the quality.

8. Hospitality: Polish people can admire anyone. You can expect a casual invitation to dinner. Poles won’t even hesitate to give you a free flat for a night or two if you are facing problems with managing accommodation. Now, who would not want you to study in Poland and live in a country like that!

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Life While Studying in Poland

There are many students with diverse backgrounds and cultures who study in Poland. Warsaw is the most eye glaring city for international students in Poland. It’s the lively capital of the country. As we said, the cost of living is not much. On average, a student spends around 350 euros per month covering up all the necessary expenses. Moreover, it is a safe place for international students. Public transport is available in every city that will allow you to travel at half the price. You just have to keep your student identification with you. However, the rates may vary from place to place. The most widely practised religion in Poland is Christianity but there’s freedom of religion in their constitution. There are 138 registered religions in the country.

Intakes in Poland 

Since a great number of academic institutions are a part of Poland’s academic structure, the universities open their gates twice a year to welcome international students. If you are planning to seek education in Poland, there are two main intakes, that is, winter and summer intake. Majority of the courses are open for winter intake, whereas only limited courses are available in summer intake. Tabulated below are the deadlines for both the intakes- 

Intakes in Poland	Begins in	Ends in
Winter intake	September/ October	February/ March
Summer intake	February	July/ August

Study in Poland for Indian Students Requirements

As compared to other study-abroad destinations, the eligibility criteria for international students to study in Poland is not that cumbersome. By fulfilling basic requisites and submitting essential academic documents, you can fulfil your dream of attaining overseas education from Poland. mentioned below are some of the important criteria that one must keep in mind before applying for a program in Poland. 

• Certificate/ Diploma Courses: formal education of 10 + 2
• For Bachelor’s Courses: Completion of 10+2 studies from a recognised institution 
• For Master’s courses: UG degree in related field with the minimum required GPA 
• It is necessary for candidates to present a decent score in English language proficiency exams like IELTS, TOEFL, etc
• For PG courses some universities demand candidates to submit the scores of entrance exams like GMAT, GRE, etc
• Letter of Recommendation (LOR) and Statement of Purpose (SOP) are to be submitted during the application process

Cost of Studying in Poland for Indian Students

Poland houses public as well as private universities, thus, the estimated cost of tuition fee will vary according to the type of Institution chosen. Even though public institutions of Poland are are tuition fee free for local students, international students have to pay economical tuition fees for the same. Tabulated below is the approximate tuition fee for the main fields in which international students opt to study in Poland-

Courses	Tuition Fee in Poland	Cost in INR
Bachelors and Masters Courses	2000-4000 Euro	1,70,000- 3,50,000
PhD	3000 Euro	2,60,000
MBA in Medicine	8000-12000 Euro	6,90,000- 10,30,000
Language and Foundation Courses	2000 Euro	1,70,000
Vocational Studies	3000 Euro	2,60,000

Apart from the standard tuition fee, major expense from the study-abroad budget will be for the day to day activities. The cots of living in Poland will absolutely depend upon the choices you make in terms of accommodation, travelling, food and other utilities. Thus, we advise you to use our cost of studying calculator and get an estimated cost by making some simple choices. However, the average cost of accommodation in the country is around 200- 400 Euro (INR 17,000- 35,0000), for food 100-150 Euro (INR 9,000- 13,000) and other expenses 100-150 Euro (INR 9,000- 13,000). 

Tuition Fees in Poland

Polish and EU/EEA & Switzerland students do not pay tuition fees for degrees taught in Polish at public universities. All other study programmes require students to pay tuition. In general, expenses range from:

• Bachelor’s degrees cost between 500 and 6,000 euros every academic year.
• Master’s degrees cost between 1,000 and 8,000 euros every academic year.

Some dental and business degrees (particularly MBAs) might cost more than 15,000 EUR each year. Enrolling at private universities will also cost you extra.

Top Universities in Poland 

There are more than 400 academic institutions in Poland and a majority out of which have started to offer education in English. Along with world-class medical schools, the country also houses an array of universities and colleges which provide leading education in a bunch of other disciplines. Emerging to be a new student-friendly study destination, Poland’s first university was established in the year. Listed below are the popular universities of Poland- 

1. University of Warsaw
2. Warsaw University of Technology
3. AGH University of Science and Technology
4. Nicholas Copernicus University
5. Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan
6. Jagiellonian University 
7. Jagiellonian University- Centre of Europe Study
8. The Gdansk University of Technology
9. University of Lodz
10. University of Gdansk 

Also Read: Happiest Countries to Study Abroad

Jagiellonian University

Jagiellonian University was formed in the year 1364 in Krakow, Poland and is considered as one of the oldest universities in Europe. At present, it has around 16 facilities along with 3 medical faculties. Currently, the university provides education to more than 40,000 students. The most fascinating fact about Jagiellonian university is that it provides programs in foreign languages at undergraduate and graduate levels.

University of Warsaw

The University of Warsaw was founded in 1816. It is the largest university in the country. Since the beginning, the UW has played a crucial role in the cultural, political, and intellectual life of Poland. UW is among the top 2% of the world’s universities and the leading university in Poland. UW’s research shows that 94% of its graduates find permanent employment as soon as they get their degree.

Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan

It’s one of the major Polish universities which is situated in the west region of the country, Poznan. It took birth on May 7, 1919. It has been continuously listed in the top three universities of Poland. The Academic Ranking of World Universities has put Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan within the 701 to 800 band internationally.

AGH University of Science & Technology

One of the most famous technical university in Poland, AGH is located in Krakow. The AGH was formed in 1919. In earlier times, it was known as the University of Mining and Metallurgy. Today, it has developed 15 faculties and a school.

Warsaw University of Technology

Warsaw is the most famous and well-known technical university in Poland which specializes in engineering and technical education. In the ranking list of Polish universities, it has been ranked at the first place in its category for over nine years. Its efforts to offer study programs in Polish and English language have attracted many international students who join a variety of Master and Bachelor programs.

Gdansk University of Technology

It is one of the oldest and an autonomous state university which has 9 faculties. Gdansk is a public university that was formed in 1904. The aim of this university is to ensure and offer a high-quality education that can develop the economy dynamically and lead to the creation of a knowledge-based society. Some of the courses are taught in English. It also offers courses in upcoming fields like Nanotechnology, Chemistry, Geodesy, and Cartography.

Lodz University of Technology

This university is a well-defined higher education institution with a yielding structure. It’s also abbreviated as TUL. It was formed in 1945 and gradually developed as one of the biggest technical universities in Poland. Currently, there are more than 16,000 students and 3000 staff members who look out for scientific and educational tasks.

Nicolas Copernicus University

NCU is one of the largest universities in the country since 1945. It consists of 17 faculties that include 3 medical faculties at Collegium Medicum UMK in Bydgoszcz. It offers graduate and postgraduate courses to approximately 25,000 students. Moreover, 65 postgraduate courses and 100 fields of study are also offered by the university.

The University of Silesia in Katowice

This is one of the biggest universities in Poland which educates nearly 40,000 students. The University of Silesia provides doctoral, bachelor, and master studies. All the programs at this university are approved by the State Accreditation Committee and Ministry of Education. Such approval guarantees a high quality of education.

VISA Process to Study in Poland

To study in any country, the first thing you will ever need is a visa. Poland is a member of the EU so EU or EEA students won’t need to show a visa. However, as a Non-EU student, you must get your visa and prepare the necessary documents to study in Poland. Embassies and consulates will regulate your paperwork and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assist you to get your visa. If you need help with Poland VISA application, let Leverage Edu help you out! Now here are the compulsory documents that will be required for your admission to study in Poland:

• 4 passport-size photographs
• Completed application form.
• Photocopy of your identification.
• One personal reference and one academic reference.
• Candidate’s CV.
• English proficiency test like IELTS, TOEFL, or C1 Advanced. (if you’re a Non-EU)
• A medical test that proves your overall health is normal.
• Undergraduate diploma or proof of previous academic institution.
• Receipt of admission fees.
• A matriculation certificate or something similar.
• A residence permit is necessary for Non-EU students. However, EU students are also instructed to have a residence permit if the course length is more than three months.

Money-Saving Tip: Be sure to have health insurance in your home country otherwise, the bills of medical expenses may pile up on your head.

Some Facts About Poland

1. Poland was formerly known as “Rzeczpospolita Polska”
2. The current population of the country is more than 38,000,000
3.   Poland’s Top sights to visit in free time are:

• Krakow: This is seen as one of the top destinations in the city. And if you want to immerse yourself in the polish culture then this place will make you feel better because of its activities and beauty. A large amount of the student population resides here.
• Old Town Warsaw: After the destruction of WWII, they rebuilt this site brick by brick.
• Poland’s Black Madonna: Black Madonna of Czestochowa is the country’s most precious holy relic.

4. Almost 1/3^rd of Poland is covered with the forest, 50% of the land is dedicated to farming with 3 national parks and 2000 lakes.
5. Polish people are usually well-educated as almost 90% of the population has completed their secondary education.
6. Do you love candies? Well, the biggest section of any grocery store in the country is candy.
8. There are 16 castles situated in Poland that are open to the public

Vibrant culture and intensiveness of universities towards education quality will definitely lead you to a path called “success.” Chances for getting scholarships in Polish universities are higher because they provide scholarships to the EU as well as Non-EU students. If you are still concerned about something, contact Leverage Edu and get all your career queries sorted!