In Croatia you can study at universities (sveučilišta), polytechnics (veleučilišta) and colleges (visoke škole), both public and private. Most universities and almost all polytechnics are public.
According to the Study in Croatia portal, Croatian institutions offer more than 1,850 programmes in total, and according to the European Commission around 100 of them are taught in English.
Universities focus mainly on academic education, while polytechnics and colleges offer professional programmes (stručni studiji) with an emphasis on practice.
Higher education has three cycles:
There are also integrated programmes (integrirani studij), which combine the first and second cycle, and professional programmes – short professional programmes, professional undergraduate programmes and specialist professional graduate programmes. One academic year is worth 60 ECTS, one semester 30 ECTS.
Croatia – bachelor's programmes
Croatia – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Croatia – master's programmes
Croatia – doctoral programmes
If you are an EU citizen, you apply on the same terms as Croatian students. For undergraduate and integrated programmes taught in Croatian you apply through the central system Postani student! (NISpVU) and can choose up to 10 programmes. Institutions rank applicants by points for their secondary school grades and school leaving exam results.
At the University of Zagreb, applications for 2026/27 were accepted:
You will find the dates for 2027/28 in the calendar on postani-student.hr. EU applicants who passed a secondary school leaving exam in an EU country can submit their result in the first language of that exam instead of Croatian from the Croatian state matura.
If you come from outside the EU, admission conditions may be different – check them with your chosen institution. Apply early: you will need proof of admission to apply for your temporary stay permit (see: Residence and formalities).
For graduate programmes you apply through diplomski.studij.hr or directly to the institution – it depends on the institution. Doctoral programmes are run by the institutions themselves.
Admission is based on your secondary school grades and school leaving exam results. The institution converts them into points using its own formula – the details are in the call for applications (natječaj).
Some faculties also hold additional tests (dodatne provjere). You have to register for them in advance – at the University of Zagreb by 31 May 2026 for the July round and by 24 August 2026 for the September round.
Most programmes are taught in Croatian. At some faculties foreign applicants – including those from some EU countries – have to pass a Croatian language exam at level B2 at the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education (NCVVO). This is the case, for example, for architecture and design in Zagreb.
There are around 100 programmes taught in English – you will find the list on studyincroatia.hr. For these, institutions usually ask for a language certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL.
Croatian courses for foreigners are described on the Learning Croatian page.
EU/EEA citizens enter without a visa, with an ID card or passport, and can stay in Croatia for up to 3 months. If you stay longer, you must register your temporary residence (form 1b) at the police station or police administration responsible for where you live.
You can also apply for a biometric residence card, but it is voluntary – it costs €13.27.
Students from outside the EU/EEA need a temporary stay permit for the purpose of study. Depending on your nationality, you may also need a visa to enter Croatia – check with the Croatian embassy or consulate. You can apply for the permit at a Croatian embassy or consulate, or at the police administration or police station once you are legally in Croatia. You will need, among other things, form 1a, your passport, proof of admission, proof of financial means (e.g. a bank statement or a letter of guarantee), health insurance, a colour photo (35×45 mm) and a criminal record certificate not older than 6 months. The permit is usually granted for one year or for the academic year; apply to renew it no later than 60 days before it expires. In 2026 the fees are €46.45 for the permit, €31.85 for the biometric card and €9.29 for issuing it. You must also report your address to the police within 3 days of arrival.
Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Students from outside the EU need valid health insurance for their whole stay – it is a condition of the permit.
At public institutions, the costs of full-time study for Croatian and EU citizens are covered by the Ministry of Science through programme funding – this is what the University of Zagreb's calls for applications for 2026/27 say. You can check the detailed conditions in the call (natječaj) of your chosen institution.
Students from outside the EU pay around €1,100–10,400 a year in the humanities and social sciences, around €1,000–6,000 in the natural and technical sciences, and €10,000–12,000 for medicine. The application fee is around €60–300.
Programmes taught in English may charge full fees – for example, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) in Zagreb €5,574 a year for the bachelor's and €5,970 for the master's programme (2026/27). Before you apply, check whether the fee applies to you.
According to Study in Croatia, you will need €500–800 a month to live (the European Commission gives €400–800). Zagreb and the coastal cities are the most expensive.
A place in a student residence costs around €35–130 a month, depending on the city. Residences are run by the Student Centres (Studentski centar), which allocate places according to quotas – there are few places for foreigners. You can look for a private room on sites such as Njuskalo.hr or Oglasnik.hr.
If you are an EU citizen studying full-time, you can eat cheaply in student canteens (menza) – you pay with your student card (iksica), which is topped up with a set subsidy every month. Any unused amount expires at the end of the month.
There are few scholarships for a full degree for international students. You have several options:
There is a separate scholarship programme for people of Croatian descent living abroad – for 2025/26, 2,000 scholarships of €175 a month for 10 months were planned.
If you are an EU citizen, you can work in Croatia, and the easiest way is through the Student Service (Studentski servis) at the Student Centre. It offers casual and part-time jobs that you can fit around your classes.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a temporary stay permit for study may work up to 20 hours a week outside their study time. After graduating, you can get a permit to stay for one year (renewable once) to look for a job or start a business.
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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