Study in Croatia: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Croatia's largest university, the University of Zagreb, publishes an annual brochure of study programmes taught in English, and for 2026-27 it covers medicine and the health sciences as well as economics, engineering, agriculture, geology and European studies. The School of Medicine's Medicine Studies in English programme admits up to 60 students, and the university also teaches Dental Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in English. There is no single university admission route: each faculty runs its own application, fees and deadlines.

Fees reflect that split. For 2026-27 Medicine costs EUR 12,000 a year paid at once, or EUR 12,200 in two instalments; Dental Medicine and Pharmacy EUR 10,000; and Veterinary Medicine EUR 10,500. The Faculty of Economics and Business charges EUR 5,000 for its English bachelor's and master's programmes, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing EUR 5,574 for bachelor's and EUR 5,970 for master's study, and smaller specialised masters run from EUR 1,115 a year for Chemical and Environmental Technology to EUR 7,500 for Biomedical Mathematics. Application fees are set by faculties too, for example EUR 300 at the School of Medicine.

The School of Medicine admits applicants through several online entrance exam sittings during the year; for 2026-27 they ran from January to August 2026, and applicants exempt from the exam through MCAT or a previous degree applied by 15 June. The School of Medicine accepts TOEFL iBT 60, IELTS 6 or Duolingo 105 as proof of English.

The University of Zagreb states that it does not currently offer financial assistance to foreign citizens, and that foreign students must have sufficient means for their whole stay.

A student from outside the EU applies for temporary stay for the purpose of studying, normally at a Croatian embassy or consulate, although visa nationals coming for university study may apply at a police administration. The approval fee is EUR 46.45, and producing the biometric residence card costs EUR 31.85, or EUR 59.73 in the accelerated procedure, when the card is issued within 5 working days instead of 30 days. Since an amendment to the Aliens Act published in May 2026, the stay can be approved for the planned length of the programme, up to three years, and a student may work up to 25 hours a week without a separate permit. A graduate with a Croatian higher education qualification can be granted up to one year, not renewable, to look for work or set up a business.