Academic Lublin in numbers:
In terms of the number of students, Lublin is one of Poland’s leading academic centers and the largest in the eastern part of the country. There are five public and four private universities here, distinguished not only by the largest number of students in the Lubelskie Voivodeship but also by their scientific and research achievements, appreciated in the country and abroad.
Tab. 1. The total number of students in the 2021/2022 academic year
Public universities | The total number of students in the 2021/2022 academic year |
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University | nearly 17 thousand |
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin | over 8 thousand |
Lublin University of Technology | nearly 8 thousand |
University of Life Sciences | over 7 thousand |
Medical University of Lublin | nearly 7 thousand |
private universities | |
WSEI University | nearly 7 thousand |
Vincent Pol University in Lublin | nearly 3 thousand |
University College of Enterprise and Administration | over 2 thousand |
College for Social Sciences | over 1 thousand |
Source: In-house study based on data provided by GUS, 2022
Owing to the comfort of living in the city and a high standard of education, students readily choose Lublin. Universities annually expand and modernize their infrastructure and research facilities, supports the scientific and non-scientific activity of students and undertake activities aimed at graduates. Despite a student decline tendency in the country, resulting mainly from the population decrease, the number of students in Lublin has remained at a similar level. In Lublin, there are nearly 60 000 students in total, including over 8 thousand international students and 500 Erasmus+ students.
Tab. 2. The degree of internationalization of Lublin universities in 2010/11-2021/22
Academic year | Overall | Including foreign students | Percentage of foreign students |
2011/22 | 59 315 | 8 154 | 13,8% |
2020/21 | 60 364 | 7 305 | 12% |
2019/20 | 60 315 | 6 707 | 11,12% |
2018/19 | 60 988 | 6 352 | 10,42% |
2017/18 | 62 977 | 6 272 | 9,96% |
2016/17 | 64 330 | 6 172 | 9,59% |
2015/16 | 67 315 | 5 662 | 8,41% |
2014/15 | 69 658 | 4 474 | 6,42% |
2013/14 | 71 913 | 3 082 | 4,29% |
2012/13 | 77 173 | 2 385 | 3,09% |
2011/12 | 80 839 | 1 764 | 2,18% |
2010/11 | 84 221 | 1 432 | 1,7% |
Source: In-house study based on data provided by Local Data Bank GUS, 2022
Lublin universities
Advantages of Lublin universities:
In support of students’ multidirectional development, the higher education institutions provide them with opportunities to participate in exciting events and initiatives of both academic and non-academic nature. What attracts young people to Lublin’s high education institutions is the unique educational climate, valued academic staff, and the diversity of study fields: from technology and life sciences to medicine, the humanities, and arts.
Popular groups of study fields
The most popular ISCED groups studies among Polish students who started their studies in Lublin in the 2020/21 academic year are: Technology, Industry, Construction (07), Business, Administration and Law (04), Arts and Humanities (02) and Health and social care (09).
Chart 1. Polish students who started their studies in Lublin according to ISCED groups in individual academic years
Source: Report “Analysis of the inflow of students to Lublin”, December 2021
In recent years, foreign applicants for studies have been most interested in the following ISCED groups studies: Technology, Industry, Construction (07), Business, Administration and Law (04), Arts and Humanities (02) and Information and Communication Technologies (06).
Chart 2. Foreign students who started their studies in Lublin according to ISCED groups in individual academic years
Source: Report “Analysis of the inflow of students to Lublin”, December 2021
Depending on the school, students have different exchange opportunities. The countries involved in the partnership programs of all the Lublin-based higher education institutions are Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, Latvia, Moldova, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, USA.
In times of dynamically changing needs of the labor market, education must be a multidisciplinary process. One of the critical features of graduates of schools of higher learning expected by employers is foreign language competence. Increasingly often, the knowledge of two or even more foreign languages is required.
Lublin’s leading schools of higher education are aware of this and are continuously expanding the range of the foreign language taught. There are now 4 to 8 different languages to choose from, with two obligatory at most universities and colleges in Lublin. In addition to modern languages, KUL requires Greek and Latin. UMCS offers courses in Norwegian, Chinese, Portuguese, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian. English prevails at private institutions, with Spanish, German, or Russian available as options.
In addition to foreign language courses, languages can be learned in dedicated fields of study. A high standard of education in those fields is noteworthy. Each year many students in Lublin major in foreign languages. These are mainly English, German, French and Russian, but less popular languages, such as Dutch, Bulgarian or Chinese, have been attracted increasing interest.
The academic staff potential largely determines the quality of education. Lublin is an educational centre with scientific research staff representing a high standard. Their discoveries are not only known but also developed and employed by other scientists in Poland and abroad. Representatives of academic staff in Lublin may boast high scientific expertise and reputation. What is also of great importance is that they are widely known and appreciated by students as academics. According to young people, the staff at universities in Lublin is friendly and encouraging students to meet new challenges and to follow the scientific path.
Scientific research as well as consulting and expert activities are connected mainly with the needs of the region, and they are mostly of a general, universal nature. As a result, scientific publications, patents and protective rights are created. Many research teams closely cooperate with foreign and domestic centres (under bilateral agreements in many cases).
Universities actively support local industry innovations based on their scientific research potential. Successful cooperation between Lublin scientists and regional companies and the possibility to apply the results of their joint research in production determines the growth rate of sectors such as biotechnology, pharmacy, information technologies or advanced services.
Tightening cooperation between Lublin scientists and local companies and the possibility of applying the results of their joint research in production has a positive effect on the level of innovation and competitiveness of Lublin’s economy and determines the pace of growth in such areas as biotechnology, pharmacy, information technology, and modern services.
The scientific and research potential of the City of Lublin is created not only by universities but also by research institutes, research and development units, and enterprises. Essential entities conducting R&D activities in the City of Lublin, apart from universities, include:
Polish Academy of Sciences Branch in Lublin |
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The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences |
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The Lublin Scientific Society |
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The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) |
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Witold Chodźki Institute of Rural Medicine |
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Scientific Society of the Catholic University of Lublin |
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Institute of Central Europe |
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Lublin Science And Technology Park |