Study in Central Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary & Austria

Poland · Czech Republic · Hungary · Austria

Why Central Europe, in three numbers

The figures that matter when you are weighing Central Europe against everywhere else.

€1,506A year in Austria, for non-EU students Affordability Austrian public universities charge non-EU students €726.72 a semester plus a €26.20 student union fee, about €1,506 a year. EU and EEA students pay no tuition at all. Poland, Czechia and Hungary sit in the same budget-friendly band. Austrian federal ministry
2h37Vienna to Budapest, by direct train Central location Vienna, Prague and Budapest are all within 6h45 of one another by direct train, and Vienna to Budapest runs hourly in 2h37. Warsaw sits further out, about eight hours from Prague or Vienna. 2026 rail timetable
5 citiesWarsaw, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna Growing student communities International student communities in Warsaw, Prague, Krakow, Budapest and Vienna keep growing, which means more English-taught options and better support each intake.

Published tuition, per country

What a year costs

Tuition per year for non-EU and international students, at bachelor’s and master’s level.
Country	Tuition per year	Notes
Poland	€2,000–€8,000	Wide English-taught offer in Warsaw and Krakow
Czech Republic	€2,000–€10,000	Programs taught in Czech are generally tuition-free
Hungary	€3,500–€10,000	Strong medical and life-science tradition
Austria	around €1,500	Public universities; one of the most affordable countries in Europe for international students

In Austria, the €1,500 a year applies to public universities. English-taught bachelor’s programs there are limited (most undergraduate teaching is in German), but the choice widens considerably at master’s level. Private universities charge more, up to around €7,000 a year for a bachelor’s and €12,000 for a master’s, and scholarships are available at both public and private institutions.

Tuition fees and rankings change every year. The figures here were compiled in September 2026. Treat each university’s own admissions page, linked beside every entry below, as the source of record before you apply.

QS and THE, side by side

Where the flagships rank

QS World University Rankings 2027 Times Higher Education 2026

University Better #1#200#400#600#800#1,000 Sources

Charles University Czech Republic #=273QS #401–500THE QS THE
University of Warsaw Poland #=289QS #601–800THE QS THE
Jagiellonian University Poland #=329QS #501–600THE QS THE
University of Vienna Austria #=140QS #=95THE QS THE
Central European University Austria #239QS #251–300THE QS THE

Rankings change every year. September 2026 edition, read off each university's own listing; treat their admissions page as the source of record.

The flagships

Where our students apply and get in

Leading options in Central Europe, with the English-taught strengths and tuition you should plan around.

A PhD in Europe is usually paid work, not a tuition bill. Most universities in Europe treat a PhD as employment rather than study: doctoral candidates are not charged tuition and are paid a salary, where the position carries teaching and research duties. The particular stipend or salary is set by the university and the doctoral program, and is communicated to you once you have chosen the program you are applying to.

Universities in Central Europe 5 of 21 Click a card to turn it over

Czech Republic

Charles University

Prague · Central Europe’s oldest, founded 1348

Bachelor’sMaster’sPhD

€2,000–€10,000Czech Republic country range · bachelor’s and master’s

PhD: No tuitionsalaried doctoral post

Prague · Czech Republic

Charles University

One of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Central Europe, with particular strength in medicine, law, the humanities and natural sciences.

Tuition: €2,000–€10,000 Czech Republic country range · bachelor’s and master’s
PhD: No tuition salaried doctoral post
Subjects: Medicine · Law · Humanities · Natural Sciences

A PhD here is employment rather than fee-paying study: no tuition, a salary against teaching and research duties, with the figure confirmed once the program is chosen.

Roughly half the doctoral programmes run in English.

Admissions Language of instruction

Poland

University of Warsaw

Warsaw · Poland’s biggest and highest-ranked

Bachelor’sMaster’sPhD

€2,000–€8,000Poland country range · bachelor’s and master’s

PhD: No tuitionsalaried doctoral post

Warsaw · Poland

University of Warsaw

Poland’s top-ranked university, strong in economics, law, international relations and the sciences.

Tuition: €2,000–€8,000 Poland country range · bachelor’s and master’s
PhD: No tuition salaried doctoral post
Subjects: Economics · Law · International Relations · Sciences

A PhD here is employment rather than fee-paying study: no tuition, a salary against teaching and research duties, with the figure confirmed once the program is chosen.

Admissions Language of instruction

Poland

Jagiellonian University

Krakow · Medicine and humanities since 1364

Bachelor’sMaster’sPhD

€2,000–€8,000Poland country range · bachelor’s and master’s

PhD: No tuitionsalaried doctoral post

Krakow · Poland

Jagiellonian University

One of the oldest universities in Europe, with real depth in the sciences, humanities and medicine.

Tuition: €2,000–€8,000 Poland country range · bachelor’s and master’s
PhD: No tuition salaried doctoral post
Subjects: Sciences · Humanities · Medicine

A PhD here is employment rather than fee-paying study: no tuition, a salary against teaching and research duties, with the figure confirmed once the program is chosen.

Admissions Language of instruction

Austria

University of Vienna

Vienna · One of the German-speaking world’s oldest

Bachelor’sMaster’sPhD

around €1,500Austria country range · bachelor’s and master’s

PhD: No tuitionsalaried doctoral post

Vienna · Austria

University of Vienna

Austria’s largest and top-ranked university, strong in law, business, the social sciences and life sciences, at some of the lowest tuition in Europe.

Tuition: around €1,500 Austria country range · bachelor’s and master’s
PhD: No tuition salaried doctoral post
Subjects: Law · Business · Social Sciences · Life Sciences

A PhD here is employment rather than fee-paying study: no tuition, a salary against teaching and research duties, with the figure confirmed once the program is chosen.

Only one English-taught bachelor’s; the rest are in German.

Admissions Language of instruction

Austria

Central European University

Vienna · Every degree taught in English, Vienna-based

Bachelor’sMaster’sPhD

Private (see CEU)scholarship-heavy funding model · bachelor’s and master’s

PhD: No tuitionsalaried doctoral post

Vienna · Austria

Central European University

A private, research-focused university that is popular with international graduate students in the social sciences, public policy and economics.

Tuition: Private (see CEU) scholarship-heavy funding model · bachelor’s and master’s
PhD: No tuition salaried doctoral post
Subjects: Social Sciences · Public Policy · Economics

A PhD here is employment rather than fee-paying study: no tuition, a salary against teaching and research duties, with the figure confirmed once the program is chosen.

Every programme is taught in English.

Admissions Language of instruction

Beyond the flagships