Full-time study at public institutions is free for EU citizens (English-taught programmes may charge fees), with costs covered by the Ministry of Science, while non-EU students pay fees set by the institution – around €1,000–6,000 a year in the natural and technical sciences. Croatia offers more than 1,850 programmes, around 100 of them in English, and a student residence place costs around €35–130 a month. Read about admission, living costs and student jobs.
How long: doctoral study takes 3 years and is worth 180 ECTS. Graduates receive the title Doctor of Science (PhD) or, in the arts, Doctor of Arts (D.A.).
Your status: rules are set by each university. Doctoral students are not entitled to subsidised student meals.
How to get in: a completed university graduate (master's), integrated or specialist degree. Selection may include your grades, a draft research proposal, an interview and a foreign-language check.
Where to look: doctoral positions and calls are published on the websites of universities and their doctoral schools and on EURAXESS. Programmes in Croatia in our database: Croatia – 148 doctoral programmes (as of September 2026) »
Sources: Eurydice – national description of third-cycle (PhD) programmes (updated 26 March 2024). As of October 2026.
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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