Wrocław is a large city in southwestern Poland situated along the river Oder. With over 1.25 million people residing in Wrocław and its nearby towns, it is the fourth largest city in Poland and a major hub for several industries including electronics, home appliances, automobiles and financial institutions.
Wrocław is home to over 130,000 university students and is a youthful and vibrant town filled with world-class universities and institutes. And with 33% of Polish citizens speaking English, you can comfortably travel and live in Wrocław as an international student, although it is recommended that you learn the local Polish language to fully explore the country.
Founded in 1702, the University of Wrocław is home to nearly 20,000 enrolled students of which about 1,500 are international students. The University of Wrocław offers degree programmes in about 45 subject areas, most of them taught in Polish with a selection of courses offered in English. The university is well-known for its scientific research, and has produced 9 Nobel Prize winners over the years.
The University of Wrocław primarily operates on an urban campus in the city, which contains many significant historical buildings and cultural monuments all over the campus area. The university has also recently begun to focus on post-graduate employability, and offers a brand-new Academic Incubator of Entrepreneurship where international students can get career advice, engage with award-winning business leaders, and utilise free office spaces to develop their start-up ideas.
Originally established as the Technische Hochschule Breslau in 1910, Wrocław University of Science and Technology is a premier scientific research university with 25,000 enrolled students. The University has buildings and institutes spread all over Wrocław, and also operates regional campuses in the nearby towns of Jelenia Góra, Legnica, and Wałbrzych.
Alongside science degree programmes, the university is also well-known for its programs in Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning. Nearly 500 international students form a small but close-knit and welcoming international community at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
Originally founded in 1881, the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences is a premier agricultural science university with award-winning research in sustainable agriculture and the natural sciences. The university is home to nearly 8,500 enrolled students and just under 200 international students.
Known as one of the best specialist universities in Central Europe, the university offers well-developed vocational training programs in subjects including veterinary science, food science and environmental studies. The university regularly collaborates with the Polish government, top-ranked research universities globally and the European Union to conduct advanced research projects such as the “Grow Green” initiative to develop green cities for climate and water resilience.
The university’s small class sizes allow for greater attention from the world-class faculty, and the university also offers excellent support services and partnerships with major agricultural firms for international students to secure ideal employment opportunities after graduation.
Below are the top-ranked Wrocław universities for international students, with their ranks in two of the world’s most well-respected international university rankings, the QS 2024 University World Rankings and the Times Higher Education 2024 Rankings.
For more information about rankings systems and methodologies see our University rankings explained guide.
| University | QS World Ranking 2024 | Times Higher Education Ranking 2024 | QS Rank in Poland | THE Rank in Poland |
| University of Wrocław | 901-950 | 1,001-1,200 | =9 | =3 |
| Wrocław University of Science and Technology | 901-950 | 1,201-1,500 | =9 | =4 |
| Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences | – | 1,201-1,500 | – | =4 |
Alongside the three best universities for international students, Wrocław is also home to multiple institutes and universities for vocational training and subject specialisations such as healthcare, business and the fine arts. A few such institutes for international students in and around Wrocław are:
Fortunately for international students, Polish universities offer extremely affordable tuition costs amounting to between 2,000 and 6,000 US Dollars per year for most degree programmes. Certain specific programmes such as MBA courses cost slightly more at 8,000-12,000 US Dollars per annum. Courses taught in the Polish language are free, so if you can speak the language you can take advantage of this. Most PhD courses, meanwhile, are also offered for free or with full scholarships to international students.
As for living costs, the Polish Government estimates that international students should budget between 350-450 US Dollars per month. This figure includes 120-150 US Dollars for shared accommodation, 200-220 US Dollars for food expenses, 20 US Dollars for public transport and another 60-80 US Dollars for entertainment and miscellaneous expenses.
Wrocław offers a wide variety of activities and attractions for international students to enjoy during their time away from the classroom. Wrocław has been an important centre for Polish art, culture and politics over the centuries, and has many world-class tourist attractions which showcase the city’s colourful history.
International students can also explore the beautiful Polish countryside or relax at one of the city’s many outdoor parks and recreational areas by the banks of the river Oder. Below are a few of Wrocław’s must-see attractions for international students:
International students can comfortably travel from their home countries to Wrocław via the Warsaw International Airport, which is four hours away from Wrocław by road and just an hour away by flight. Moreover, with most European cities only a short distance away from Wrocław by road, air or rail, you can make frequent weekend trips to explore Europe during your academic breaks.
Wrocław offers international students the chance to enjoy a vibrant, exciting city with world-class educational infrastructure and the best of European culture and lifestyle, from its colourful town square to the many mediaeval buildings all over the old city area. And the best part is that you can experience Wrocław on a very affordable budget, especially in comparison to most other top-ranked European university cities such as Paris, Madrid or London.
Study in PolandBrowse our list of higher education providers in Poland.
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