Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, a major Eastern European country with a centuries-old history and cultural importance. With a total population of nearly 1.3 million residents, Prague is one of Europe’s largest cities, and is an important centre for trade, industries and financial institutions operating in Eastern Europe.
International students studying at top-ranked Prague universities especially enjoy the endless list of cultural and entertainment venues in the city, easy connectivity to international locations in Asia & Africa, and relatively affordable tuition and living costs.
Prague hosts five top-ranked universities for international students, alongside multiple other specialised institutes offering degrees and certificates in certain subject areas, and boasting a high concentration of international students.
The oldest and largest top-ranked university for international students in Prague, Charles University was founded over six centuries ago in 1348! International students feel especially welcome by the diverse student community at Charles University because nearly 10,000 international students pursue degrees across many subjects at the top-ranked university.
The university is an urban campus, with most of its world-class research institutes and academic centres located in historic buildings all over Prague. Charles University offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses in a total of 17 departments, some of which are:
Founded in 1707, the top-ranked Czech Technical University in Prague offers engineering, architecture and technology-related courses in English for nearly 18,000 students, of whom about 3,600 are international students.
Over 120 courses are offered at the Czech Technical University in Prague to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the following eight departments:
Mainly located in north-eastern Prague, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague offers world-class academic and research facilities for agriculture and environmental science. Founded in 1906, the top-ranked Prague university for international students leads the country in the quality of research on important issues such as forestry and sustainable use of natural resources.
International students who love the outdoors will especially enjoy the Czech University of Life Sciences because it is the only top-ranked university in Prague with a full campus; it even has a 4600-acre forest as part of its campus! The Faculty of Economics & Management is the largest faculty at the university; the other six departments at the university are:
Located two hours away from downtown Prague in the nearby town of Brno, Masaryk University hosts nearly 40,000 students, of whom 7,000 are international students. Masaryk University operates multiple world-class research institutes such as the Central European Research Centre of Excellence, the Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment and even a recently-established research facility in Antarctica!
In 2006, Masaryk University established a new world-class campus following funding of over 200 million euros from the European Union. Courses in undergraduate and postgraduate programs are taught to international students at Masaryk University in the following faculties:
Considered one of the world’s leading chemistry research institutes for international students, the University of Chemistry & Technology Prague was officially established in 1952. Today, the university has a small-scale student body of under 4,000 students, of whom nearly 1,000 are international degree-seekers.
The University of Chemistry & Technology places great importance on practical learning and its chemistry-related laboratory facilities are world-class. The small class sizes allow for focused academics and expert attention for you from the award-winning professors on campus. The university also operates plenty of exchange programs with high-quality overseas institutions, and international students at the university can also benefit from academic experiences in other countries.
With its Prague-based urban campus, international students at the University of Chemistry & Technology can enjoy the city of Prague while also benefiting from world-class research and practical learning. Courses at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague are taught across four faculties:
Below is a list of the top Prague universities in 2024, according to QS world rankings and Times Higher Education:
| University | QS World Ranking 2024 | Times Higher Education Ranking 2024 | QS Rank in the Czech Republic | THE Rank in the Czech Republic |
| Charles University | =248 | 401-500 | 1 | 1 |
| University of Chemistry and Technology Prague | =556 | 1,001-1,200 | 4 | =4 |
| Czech Technical University in Prague | =454 | 1,001-1,200 | 3 | =4 |
| Masaryk University | =400 | 601-800 | 2 | 2 |
| Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague | 701-710 | 801-1,000 | 7 | =3 |
The Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague doesn’t feature on the QS World Rankings. Charles University is the top-ranked Prague university for international students and is consistently ranked as one of the best universities overall worldwide.
The fact that 3 Prague universities make the QS Global 500 shows Prague’s excellent educational infrastructure and its suitability as a university destination for high-performing international students.
In addition to the five top-ranked Prague universities, the city and its nearby towns also offer international students the chance to study at one of many specialised institutes for English-language work-study programs and other degrees. These are:
If you would like to undertake courses at top-ranked Prague universities in the local Czech language as an international student, you can do so for free! But for courses taught in English, you can expect to pay up to approximately 20,000 US Dollars annually.
As with most courses, international students pursuing postgraduate degrees pay slightly higher tuition fees than undergraduate students. It would be advisable for international students to learn the Czech language, both for general communication while living in Prague, and also in order to lower your overall tuition costs by undertaking a few basic courses in Czech.
As for living costs, international students should expect to pay anywhere between 350 to 650 US Dollars every month. This figure varies according to factors such as your lifestyle, eating habits, and entertainment spending. This figure includes about 200-300 US Dollars monthly for accommodation, 150-250 US Dollars on food expenses, and 100-150 US Dollars for entertainment and utilities expenses.
This is a far more affordable budget for international students in Prague when compared to expenses for students at top-ranked universities in comparable European cities such as London and Paris, for example.
Prague is a must-visit destination for tourists in Eastern Europe, mainly because of its beautiful old town, iconic river-side castle and many other cultural and historical sites in and around the city. International students at top-ranked Prague universities will never run out of interesting Prague neighbourhoods to explore and enjoy, whether it is for the excellent restaurants or fascinating landmarks.
International students interested in performing arts, for example, will be delighted to experience the National Theatre, while a visit to the Prague Zoo will fascinate nature and animal lovers. Below are a few more of Prague’s most popular landmarks and tourist sites for international students:
Top-ranked Prague universities are an excellent destination for international students interested in a culturally and historically important city with the best of European lifestyle and entertainment facilities outside the classroom, combined with world-class educational infrastructure and a sizable community of international students. And the best part is that you can benefit from Prague’s university life on a much more affordable budget than you would require in a similarly top-ranked university city in western Europe such as Madrid or London.
Prague will greatly appeal to international students looking for value for money in terms of top-ranked university education. You should conduct detailed research on each of the top-ranked Prague universities to identify the best fit for your specific career and academic journey, as many of the universities specialise in certain scientific research-related subject areas.
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