University of Warsaw

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 10 November 2026.

About the University of Warsaw

The University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski) was founded on 19 November 1816 by Tsar Alexander I as the Royal University of Warsaw. Over time it was renamed Imperial University of Warsaw (1863–1919) and, for a period from 1935 to 1945, Józef Piłsudski University of Warsaw.^[1] Its address is Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28 in central Warsaw.^[1]

On its own facts page the university reports 36,300 students, 1,742 doctoral candidates, 8,090 employees, 25 faculties and more than 30 research units.^[2] A total of 3,662 international students and doctoral candidates is given as one combined figure.^[2] Wikipedia gives a different, older student count (36,477 in December 2023); we use the university’s own figure.^[1]

How is the University of Warsaw ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Warsaw is 289th in the world (tied). That makes it the highest-ranked university in Poland, ahead of the Jagiellonian University (329th) and the Warsaw University of Technology (504th). Twenty Polish institutions appear in the ranking.^[3]

A year earlier, in QS 2026, Wikipedia lists the university at 271st.^[1] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings. See all Polish universities on our Poland page.

QS’s own website blocks automated access, so we read the figures in the Warsaw University of Technology’s release on the ranking and in a study-abroad adviser’s overview.^[3][9]

What can you study at the University of Warsaw?

The university has 25 faculties.^[2] Its facts page counts 42 English-language programmes; the list of English-taught programmes for 2026/27 shows about 48 entries (10 bachelor’s, 1 long-cycle in Psychology, 31 master’s and 6 joint programmes), so the two pages do not agree exactly.^[2][8] Examples of English-taught programmes are:^[8]

• Bachelor’s: Business and Management, Archaeology, Social and Public Policy
• Long-cycle master’s: Psychology
• Master’s: Physics, Machine Learning, Sustainable Development
• Joint programmes: Humanitarian Action, Master in Food Systems

Programmes taught in Polish are listed in the university’s recruitment system; their number is not stated on the pages we read.^[10]

How much does the University of Warsaw cost in 2026/27?

There is no single university-wide tuition fee. The university publishes a table for 2026/27 with fees per programme for bachelor’s, master’s and long-cycle studies, in separate columns for citizens of the EU, EFTA states and Switzerland and for citizens of other countries. The amounts are mostly in euros; a few are in złoty. In several programmes EU, EFTA and Swiss citizens pay nothing, while other citizens pay a programme-specific amount.^[4] Because the table is laid out in a way that does not read cleanly as text, check the amount for your programme in the official PDF.

The American Studies fee comes from that programme’s page, which says that students from Poland, the EU, EFTA and Switzerland study free and that “for other students the tuition is 5000 EUR for each year”.^[5] The Business and Management figures come from the Faculty of Management’s page, which lists three payment schedules without stating citizenship groups.^[7] The Foundation Year is a one-year course for candidates below English level B2 and, on completion, guarantees admission to a selected English-taught degree programme.^[6]

Studies in Polish

Foreigners studying at the University of Warsaw pay for their studies, with exceptions for full-time programmes taught in Polish. Tuition is waived there, for example, for EU and EFTA citizens, holders of a permanent or EU long-term residence permit, refugees, holders of a Pole’s Card and holders of a C1 Polish certificate.^[11] A NAWA scholarship decision can also exempt a foreigner from tuition.^[11] We did not find the fee for non-exempt foreigners in Polish-taught programmes on the pages we read. For living costs in Warsaw, see our Poland guide.

How do you apply to the University of Warsaw?

Applications run through the university’s online recruitment system (IRK). The Admissions Office can be reached at admission@uw.edu.pl.^[10]

1. Register in the system, check the qualification criteria for your programme, create an account and enter your personal and education details.^[12]
2. Holders of foreign diplomas cannot type their results into the form. They attach scans of translated school or university documents instead.^[12]
3. Attach the other required documents, choose your programme and pay the application fee. The page names a fee but not its amount.^[12]
4. Take part in the qualification procedure, check your result in your account and send the required originals by post to the admissions committee. International candidates receive their admission decision from the Rector.^[12]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme; the page says they are listed per programme in the recruitment system, and that admissions for 2026/27 have closed.^[12] Check the timetable of your programme before you start.

Which language level do you need?

For English-taught degree programmes the Faculty of Management asks for a certificate of English at least at level B2 (the upper-intermediate level on the European CEFR scale) that the University of Warsaw recognises.^[7] The Foundation Year page confirms that B2 is the level required for English-taught degree programmes; the course itself is open at IELTS 4.5 (CEFR B1).^[6] The American Studies bachelor’s asks for an adequate grade in high-level English at the school-leaving exams rather than a stated score.^[5]

The general recruitment pages we read do not state a Polish level for programmes taught in Polish. Holders of a C1 Polish certificate from the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language are exempt from tuition in Polish-taught full-time programmes.^[11] Ask the programme before you book a language test.

More about studying in Poland

• Poland: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Poland

• Adam Mickiewicz University
• AGH University of Krakow
• Jagiellonian University
• Warsaw University of Technology