The surge in foreign students choosing Czechia as their educational destination underlines the country’s mounting appeal to individuals across Europe and around the world.
The surge in foreign students choosing Czechia as their educational destination underlines the country’s mounting appeal to individuals across Europe and around the world.
The number of full-time foreign students in Czechia has been experiencing a consistent rise, with almost one in every five students nationwide originating from abroad in 2022, as confirmed by the recently disclosed data from the Czech Statistical Office.
Last year’s report indicated that approximately 55,000 foreign individuals continued their studies in the country, representing a year-on-year increase of 3 percent, as cited by Expats.cz.
Interestingly, Prague emerged as the preferred destination for approximately half of all foreign students.
Foreign student enrollment in Czechia has experienced significant growth since 2002 when only 11,000 students from abroad were enrolled.
In 2012, the number increased to just under 40,000. Currently, the majority of international students aiming for a bachelor’s degree fall within the age range of 20 to 24, with females slightly outnumbering males. Around 6,000 students above the age of 30 also constitute the foreign student populace.
In 2002, students from 166 distinct countries chose Czechia for their higher education pursuits. The report highlighted that Slovakians made up the largest demographic group, accounting for 38 percent of all foreign university students.
Russians and Ukrainians followed, representing approximately 7,600 and 6,200 students, respectively.
However, next year’s statistics may reveal a substantial drop in the number of Russian students studying in Czechia, following the government’s decision to limit visa issuance for Russian and Belarusian students. On the other hand, an influx of young individuals from Ukraine led to a remarkable 43 percent increase in Ukrainian students between 2021 and 2022.
Notable numbers of Kazakh, Belarusian, and Chinese students also constituted the highest number of foreign students studying at the bachelor’s level.
Among master’s students, Slovakians predominated, with Russians and Ukrainians trailing behind. Indian students experienced saw a noteworthy 28 percent year-on-year surge, placing them as the fourth-largest group of foreign master’s students, with a total of over 1,100.
Moreover, Indian students pursuing doctoral programs in Czechia surpassed those from Russia and Ukraine. Though German, Italian, Iranian, Turkish, and Vietnamese students formed a part of the foreign student population, their overall numbers were relatively low.
CZSO has highlighted a swift rise in recent years in the number of students pursuing degrees in natural sciences, IT, education, and healthcare. Conversely, interest in technical and social sciences has seen a decline.
The pronounced surge in the fraction of foreign students choosing Czechia as their educational destination underlines the country’s mounting appeal to individuals across Europe and around the world.
An examination of preferred study areas among foreign students showed that the majority, approximately one in five, chose business, administration, and law programs. On the other hand, education faculties and agriculture and veterinary-related subjects were among the least pursued degrees.
As per an Erudera report last year, a majority of international students were enrolled in Czech public universities, pursuing health and social care courses.
“However, the most preferred fields with the highest number of foreigners were health and social care, environmental care, and business, administration, and law,” said Jarmila Marešová from the Department of Manpower, Migration and Equal Opportunities of the CZSO.
