Universities in Slovakia

Slovak universities award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees within the European Higher Education Area. According to Eurydice, the European Commission's network on education systems, higher education in Slovakia is provided by 20 public, 3 state, 10 private and 6 foreign higher education institutions. Universities are self-governing, and the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education checks that their study programmes meet accreditation conditions.

State institutions are police, military and healthcare schools. Private institutions need government approval to operate, and foreign institutions teach under their home country's rules with the authorisation of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth. Most programmes are taught in Slovak, but universities also offer programmes in other languages, for a fee.

How it works

• Bachelor's degree (Bc.): 3 to 4 years, 180 to 240 credits
• Second cycle: master's (Mgr.), engineer's (Ing.) or doctor's programmes in medicine and veterinary medicine, lasting 1 to 3 years; the first and second cycles together should take five years
• Doctorate (PhD): the third cycle

A full-time academic year carries 60 credits. Every programme ends with state examinations, including the defence of a final thesis. Grades run from A (excellent) to E (sufficient), with FX as a fail. The academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August, and each institution decides whether to divide it into two semesters or three trimesters.

The universities in our directory show the range. The Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), established in 1937, teaches mainly technical, technological and technical-artistic fields and states that about 12,000 students attend each year. Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ) has faculties of medicine, science, law, public administration and arts. The Catholic University in Ružomberok was established by law in 2000 and has been a public university of religious character since 2002. Comenius University in Bratislava is also listed.

Admission

The basic requirement for a bachelor's degree is completed upper secondary education with a school-leaving examination. Each faculty sets further requirements and the number of places. Admission exams are mostly written, and some programmes add oral exams, interviews or talent tests; some faculties admit on secondary school results. The dean decides, and applicants receive a written decision within 30 days.

• Foreign applicants: admission rules are the same as for Slovak citizens
• Language: universities may require a language test in the language of the programme, which is typical for foreign students
• Master's: a completed bachelor's degree, usually in the same or a related field, with at least 300 credits across both cycles
• Recognition: universities recognise foreign studies for the purpose of further study

Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland need only a passport or ID card and must register their stay with the police, unless their accommodation provider does it. Other students apply for a visa at a Slovak embassy or consulate; a visa usually covers up to 90 days, so for longer studies they need a temporary residence permit for study purposes, with a confirmation of study from the university.

Costs and funding

Full-time study at public and state universities is free of charge. Tuition is charged to students who exceed the standard length of study or study two programmes at the same level, to part-time students, and for programmes taught in a language other than Slovak; universities set the fee for foreign-language programmes themselves. Private universities set their own fees.

• Merit scholarships: state funds allow the best 10% of full-time bachelor's and master's students at each university to receive an average of €500
• Scholarships for talented international students: €500 a month for ten months a year, for study at a selected public or state university; the main criterion is a SAT score of at least 1,100 (2025-26 call)
• Student loans: available from the Education Support Fund, at 4% interest in 2025-26

How to choose

• Language: free tuition applies to full-time study in Slovak; English-taught programmes are paid
• Field: technical universities, medical faculties and smaller public universities differ in focus
• Degree: master's, engineer's or doctor's programmes lead to different titles in the second cycle
• City: our directory lists universities in Bratislava, the capital, in Košice and in Ružomberok
• Paperwork: non-EU students need time for the visa and temporary residence permit

Frequently asked questions

Is university free in Slovakia for foreign students?

Full-time study at public and state universities is free, and admission rules for foreigners are the same as for Slovak citizens. Programmes taught in English or another non-Slovak language charge tuition set by each university.

How long does a bachelor's degree take in Slovakia?

Three to four years, worth 180 to 240 credits. A second-cycle degree adds one to three years.

Do I need to pass an entrance exam?

Often, yes. Faculties set their own requirements; exams are mostly written, and some faculties admit on secondary school results instead.

When does the academic year start?

On 1 September. It ends on 31 August of the following year.