
There are four good reasons for any international student to study at a Polish University: safety, quality, costs and jobs
Safety: There are various ways a student might be unsafe, especially when s/he is thousands of miles or kilometers away from home. Some countries may have higher rates of certain kinds of crime which may present a danger to unsuspecting outsiders, while in some certain places there may be too many distractions for a healthy study environment. Poland is a country that scores very high on all counts of safety statistics and in terms of a healthy, clean and green environment in which to live as well. According to the Global Peace Index (2022), Poland is ranked number 25 out of 163 of the safest countries in the world (United States ranks at number 129, France – 65, United Kingdom – 34). Poland is a place where both locals and travelers feel safe. Parents can rest assured that their loved ones will be studying peacefully wherever they may be in Poland.
Quality: On average Poland is one of the best countries in the world in quality of education. This is one of the reasons lots of Polish people are able to find well-paid jobs in other European countries or places like USA, Canada or Australia. Poland’s educational institutions score high in international rankings. Polish children are the third best in Europe at maths and science, and fourth best at reading comprehension, according to the latest PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) international rankings (2018). Poland’s quality of education is steadily improving – there were 6 of its universities in the QS World Ranking of 2016 and 19 universities in 2022.
Costs: This is where Poland separates from the pack. There aren’t many destinations in the world where one can study in English and receive a good education at very affordable rates. Poland gives this opportunity to practically anyone. You don’t have to be rich or even a high achievement student to be accepted by a Polish university. Polish universities emphasize creating opportunities for students over academic rigour, so even with a relaxed attitude school work should be manageable.
An annual tuition fee in Poland starts with as little as 850 Euro (ca. 870 USD or 715 GBP). A typical student will pay an annual tuition in the range of 2,500-4,500 Euro (ca. 2,600-4,600 USD or 2,100-3,800 GBP). The living cost will also be in the same range. Thus, total tuition and living costs for a year will be in the range of 5,000-9,000 Euro depending largely on the student’s spending habits.
Jobs: Poland is the only country in Europe whose economy never stopped growing in the past two decades when many European countries actually got smaller in terms of economic growth. This means Poland has jobs for young people where others don’t. More important than that for international students is Polish government attitude towards them. In some countries local work force is favoured above and beyond an international one but Poland gives opportunities to international students to stay and work after receiving a degree if they wish to do so. But it also lets them work part-time during their studies to support themselves financially and gain professional experience.
When a student arrives Poland s/he needs no work permit to work part-time or even for a full-time job when school is finished. The simple fact of finishing a Polish university entitles them to sign an employment contract without a work permit. This is a huge advantage for anyone who would like to stay and work in the EU.