Poland sees record competition for high school and university spots

Poland's 2024 school‑leaving and university admissions season set new records, with far more candidates than available places. In secondary education, the VIII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. S. Wyspiańskiego in Krakow received 96 applications for a single biology‑chemistry class slot, the highest level of competition reported.

At the university level, the medical faculty of the University of Warsaw saw about 32.8 applicants per place, while overall 321,300 students sat the matura exam – an increase of roughly 66,000 from the previous year, driven in part by the recent six‑year primary‑school reform. High demand also affected other popular programmes such as economics, psychology and management.

The surge left many well‑scoring candidates on reserve lists. Some, like a student who missed a psychology spot at the University of Warsaw, opted for private‑pay studies, while others accepted places in less‑desired fields. Similar pressures were reported at medical universities in Gdańsk and the University of Warmia and Mazury, highlighting a nationwide strain on the higher‑education admission system.