Study Medicine in Poland in English: The NCU Guide

Poland is one of the most searched destinations for English-taught medicine in Europe, and for a long time we pointed students elsewhere because we could not offer real, on-the-ground help there. That changed when we started working directly with NCU. This guide covers exactly what the university asks for, what it costs, how the exam works, and how the timeline runs, using the university's own published rules rather than agency folklore.

What NCU actually is

Nicolaus Copernicus University is a major Polish state university, and its medical faculty, the Collegium Medicum, sits in Bydgoszcz in northern Poland. The English-language medicine programme has been running since 2009, it is accredited by the Polish Accreditation Committee, and clinical teaching runs through two university hospitals in the city, the Jurasz and Biziel university hospitals. In other words, this is a full state university medical education, taught in English, at a fraction of what Western Europe charges.

The requirements, in plain language

• Your diploma — biology plus chemistry or physics must appear on your school-leaving diploma. That is it. There are no minimum grades in those subjects, and no GPA cut-off of any kind.
• English — most applicants show B2-level English from a recognised list. Norwegian applicants have it easier: the admissions office has confirmed to us in writing that no separate English certificate is needed, because English is assessed inside the exam itself.
• The exam — everything is decided by NCU's own entrance exam, held online. Your school grades play no role beyond the subjects appearing on the diploma.

If you are used to Nordic-style grade ceilings, read that list again. A student with a very ordinary diploma and a few weeks of focused preparation is a completely realistic NCU admit.

How the entrance exam works

• Written part — 50 multiple-choice questions taken online: 30 biology, 12 chemistry and 8 physics, one point each, with roughly one minute per question. You need 25 points to advance.
• Oral part — the next day, also online: a short conversation scored across sciences, motivation and English, up to 75 points. If you prefer, an oral on site can be requested.
• The final score — your written score is halved and added to the oral score, and you are admitted from 70 points. The exam is proctored, so treat it like a real exam room: one screen, no tab-switching.

We prepare you with NCU's own official sample tests, which the university has licensed to us, so you practise on the real question style rather than guesswork. That preparation is free, like everything else we do.

The 2026 timeline

Registration runs through the university's IRK admission system with a small application fee of 85 PLN, and the first semester of tuition is payable by 30 September. One detail that says a lot about how NCU treats applicants: if your student visa is refused, the tuition you paid is refunded in full.

What it costs, honestly

Tuition is set by a rector's order at 31,500 PLN per semester, which works out to about €14,700 a year, and the order states the price is binding for the total duration of your studies. Your first-year price is your final-year price. Here is how that sits next to the other universities we work with, for medicine:

Living costs in Bydgoszcz are among the lowest of any city we work in. Budget roughly €500 to €800 a month as a realistic estimate depending on how you live; Polish student cities are famously kind to a student wallet. On financing, NCU itself lists eligibility for national support schemes including Norway's Lånekassen, Sweden's CSN, Ireland's SUSI and Canada's OSAP on its pages, and for Norwegian students we confirm your exact support entitlement with you before you commit to anything.

What the degree is worth afterwards

NCU's MD is an EU medical degree. Under Directive 2005/36/EC it is recognised across the EU and EEA, which is the same mechanism that lets graduates from any of our universities apply for authorisation at home. For Norwegian students that means applying to Helsedirektoratet on your diploma after graduation, exactly as you would with a Slovak, Czech or Latvian degree.

How NCU compares inside our six

We work with six universities, and each one earns its place for a different kind of student. NCU's niche is very clear: it is the university for people who want an exam-decided admission with genuinely no grade requirements, a fixed price, and the latest start of the year. If you want an even cheaper route and do not mind an in-person exam, UPJŠ in Košice is the answer. If you want no exam at all, UNIC in Cyprus and RSU in Riga admit on your grades. The honest comparison is on our universities page, and our team will tell you straight which one fits your profile.

Frequently asked questions

Is NCU recognised in Europe?

Yes. It is a Polish state university, the programme is accredited by the Polish Accreditation Committee, and the MD is an EU degree recognised under Directive 2005/36/EC across the EU and EEA.

How hard is the entrance exam?

It is a fair exam, not a trick. Fifty questions weighted towards biology, a short oral the next day, and admission from 70 combined points. With NCU's official sample tests and a few weeks of structured preparation, well-prepared students pass it. No grade minimums means the exam is the whole game.

Do I need both biology and chemistry?

You need biology plus either chemistry or physics on your diploma. The grades in them do not matter, they simply need to be there.

When would I actually start?

Studies start 1 October, with classes from 2 October. With exam sittings on 8 and 9 September and again on 23 and 24 September, NCU has the latest realistic entry of the year for a same-year start.

What does Medently charge for the help?

Nothing, ever. We are paid by the universities we work with, never by students. You get university selection, exam preparation with official materials, document handling and a person on WhatsApp through the whole thing, free.

Are Polish medical degrees recognised in the UK and EU?

An MD from a Polish state university like NCU is an EU medical qualification under Directive 2005/36/EC, recognised across the EU and EEA. UK registration for European graduates runs through the GMC's routes for relevant European qualifications, so confirm the current requirements for your graduation year. Other countries set their own licensing steps, and we walk you through the one that applies to you.

How much does it cost to study medicine in English in Poland?

The big public English-taught programmes in Poland sit roughly between €14,000 and €19,400 a year. NCU's €14,700, locked for the whole degree, is near the bottom of that band, with Kraków around €16,000 and Warsaw at the top, so you are not paying extra for the no-grade-minimums admission.

Do all medical universities in Poland require entrance exams?

Most run a multiple-choice exam in biology and chemistry, and a few admit on transcripts. NCU uses one online exam with no grade minimums, which keeps the door open for perfectly ordinary diplomas.