The higher education landscape in the Czech Republic can look back on centuries of tradition. The premise of free access to higher education is also steeped in tradition. This means that Czech students generally do not pay tuition fees at public universities. International students also enjoy the privilege of free university studies – regardless of whether they are EU citizens or not. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Here you can find out when you have to pay tuition fees for your studies in the Czech Republic.
Overview of tuition fees in the Czech Republic
According to topmbadirectory, the public and state universities in the Czech Republic are largely financed by grants from the state and the students usually do not pay any tuition fees. At private universities, however, all students have to pay fees. How high these turn out depends on the university and the study program and subject.
However, public universities also charge tuition fees in the following cases:
- One-time fee for enrolling in a degree program
- If the standard period of study is exceeded by more than a year (long-term study fee)
- For the second course with a double degree
- For foreign language courses
Studying in the Czech Republic is only free if you study in the national language and adhere to the standard period of study. The amount of the long-term study fee in the Czech Republic is currently at least CZK 9,651 per academic year. This minimum amount is regulated by law and is set anew every year. The universities decide how much the affected students actually have to pay in the end. A maximum amount is not set by law.
There is also no statutory maximum tuition fee for programs in a language other than Czech. The universities themselves decide on the amount of the fees, which depends above all on the chosen subject. Popular foreign language courses in the Czech Republic are human medicine and dentistry. The tuition fees for these programs in the Czech Republic are naturally quite high.
Tuition fees for studying medicine in English
Due to the moderate admission requirements, many international students are drawn to the Czech universities to study human medicine or dentistry, which also offer such studies in English. The drawback: The alternative to studying medicine in Germany is not cheap. As mentioned earlier, universities in the Czech Republic charge tuition fees for foreign language programs. The institutions themselves can decide on the amount of these fees. Due to the extraordinarily high material costs of medical courses, international students have to dig deep into their pockets.
In the Czech Republic, when it comes to tuition fees, no distinction is made between EU students and non-EU students – the tuition fees are the same for everyone. Depending on the university, international students currently have to be prepared for the following tuition fees for an English-language medical degree:
- Human medicine: EUR 9,200 to EUR 12,200 per academic year
- Dentistry: EUR 11,000 to EUR 12,600 per academic year
Tuition fees for a semester abroad
If you would like to study one or two semesters abroad in the Czech Republic and attend courses that are not taught in the national language, you also have to pay tuition fees. The amount of the fees vary, mostly it depends on whether the chosen courses are undergraduate or postgraduate courses. However, the tuition fees incurred can often be financed by BAföG abroad.
Those who attend courses in Czech do not pay any tuition fees, apart from administrative costs and semester fees.
Further study costs in the Czech Republic
In addition to the tuition fees that may be incurred, you will definitely have to pay the following additional costs for your studies in the Czech Republic:
- Registration fees / semester fees
- Study materials such as books and copying costs
- Cost of living
