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Universities in Prague: Public and Private Options, Fees and Admission for International Students

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According to the Czech Ministry of Education's register, Prague has eight public universities — Charles University, the Czech Technical University (ČVUT), the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE), the University of Chemistry and Technology (VŠCHT), the Czech University of Life Sciences (ČZU), the Academy of Performing Arts (AMU), the Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM) — plus the state-run Police Academy and 17 private institutions. Czech-taught degrees at public universities are free for every nationality. For 2027 entrants an English-taught bachelor's costs from $2,270 (€2,000) a year at ČZU to $6,810 (€6,000) at VŠE; English-taught private programmes cost roughly $3,950–14,470 a year. Škoda Auto University, often grouped with Prague schools, is not in Prague but in Mladá Boleslav.

A key point for Russian citizens: Czechia restricts visa services for Russian and Belarusian nationals, and the Czech embassy in Moscow does not accept study visa applications from Russian citizens, even those holding a second citizenship. An offer from a Prague university does not solve entry. Applicants from Kazakhstan and most other countries apply and obtain visas under the standard procedure.

This guide covers how Prague's universities differ, which English-taught programmes they offer and what they cost, where students live and what that costs, how admission works and how to choose. The 2026/27 intake has closed. For 2027/28, VŠE opens applications on 1 November 2026, ČZU's Economics and Management has been accepting them since 15 September, and Charles University's Czech-taught programmes close on 28 February or 31 March. Data checked on 24 September 2026; US dollar figures use the ECB rate of 29 September 2026.

Ornate Baroque facade with a pediment, statues, a red tiled roof and street lamps at the corner of a square under a blue sky
The Baroque facade of the Clementinum on Mariánské náměstí, the former Jesuit college historically tied to Prague's university and now the National Library, Prague, Czech Republic. Photo: Skot / source, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Prague's universities at a glance

University Focus English-taught programmes and fees (year stated) Our profile
Charles University (Univerzita Karlova) Comprehensive: medicine, law, sciences, humanities, mathematics and physics, social sciences, education $45 (€40) to $34,770 (€30,620) a year depending on programme; medicine at the First Faculty $27,540 (€24,250) in 2026/27 Charles University
Czech Technical University (ČVUT) Engineering, IT, architecture, transport, nuclear physics, biomedical engineering Faculty of Electrical Engineering: $5,120 (CZK 110,000) bachelor's, $6,140 (CZK 132,000) master's at the current rate ČVUT
Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE) Economics, finance, management, international relations, informatics and statistics $6,810 (€6,000) for bachelor's and master's for students admitted from 2027/28 (previously $5,680 (€5,000)); application fee $115 (€100) VŠE
Czech University of Life Sciences (ČZU) Agriculture, economics and management, environment, forestry, engineering, tropical agriculture Economics and Management bachelor's $2,270 (€2,000) for the 2027/28 intake ČZU
University of Chemistry and Technology (VŠCHT) Chemistry, chemical and food technology, materials, biotechnology Chemistry programmes $3,930 (CZK 84,500) in 2026/27; the intake-year rate applies throughout —
AMU, AVU, UMPRUM Theatre, film, music and dance; fine art; design and architecture Selection by creative competition; conditions set by faculties —
Private universities (MUP, UNYP, Anglo-American, VŠFS, CEVRO and others) Business, law, international relations, psychology, media MUP $3,950 (CZK 85,000); UNYP $13,910–14,470 (CZK 299,000–311,000) in 2026/27 for non-EU nationals —

Two practical takeaways. For engineering and IT the main option is ČVUT, for economics VŠE, and Charles University covers almost everything else, including medicine. And a "Prague" university does not always mean studying in Prague: Charles University's medical faculties include Plzeň and Hradec Králové, ČVUT's Faculty of Biomedical Engineering is in Kladno, and VŠE's Faculty of Management is in Jindřichův Hradec in the south of the country.

Charles University: the widest choice

Charles University has 17 faculties in three cities (Prague, Plzeň and Hradec Králové), about 55,300 students, over 11,400 of them international, and 346 programmes taught in foreign languages (university data for 2025). In the QS World University Rankings 2027 it is joint 273rd, down from 265th a year earlier.

What matters for applicants:

  • Free in Czech, paid in English. Faculties set English-taught fees, ranging from $45 (€40) to $34,770 (€30,620) a year; medicine and dentistry are the most expensive.
  • Deadlines. Czech-taught bachelor's and master's programmes close on 28 February or 31 March depending on the programme. English-taught deadlines are set by each faculty, from February to summer.
  • Czech language. Each faculty sets its own requirement: some ask for a B1, B2 or C1 certificate, some build a language test into the entrance exam, and for others passing an entrance exam held in Czech is enough. Three of the five medical faculties require a C1 certificate.
  • Entrance exams usually run from May to July. For English-taught programmes they are held in English, most often in Czechia.

For the five medical faculties, their places and competition, see our guide to studying medicine in Czechia.

ČVUT: engineering, IT and architecture

ČVUT has eight faculties: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Architecture, Transportation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering (in Kladno) and Information Technology. Bachelor's degrees take three or four years.

At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the English-taught bachelor's costs $5,120 (CZK 110,000) a year, the master's $6,140 (CZK 132,000) and the doctorate $45 (CZK 1,000). The faculty notes that fees may change slightly from semester to semester. Faculties, maths requirements and dormitories are covered in our ČVUT profile.

VŠE: economics and business

VŠE has six faculties: Finance and Accounting, International Relations, Business Administration, Informatics and Statistics, Economics, and Management. The last is in Jindřichův Hradec; the rest are in Prague.

Students admitted to English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes from 2027/28 pay a single fee of $6,810 (€6,000) a year, or $3,410 (€3,000) a semester; those admitted earlier pay $5,680 (€5,000). The application fee is $115 (€100). VŠE itself estimates Prague living costs at about $7,950 (€7,000) per academic year. Applications for 2027/28 open on 1 November 2026; in the last cycle they ran into the summer, with a final call on 10 June 2026.

ČZU and VŠCHT: the most affordable English-taught options

ČZU has six faculties and an institute. Its English-taught Economics and Management bachelor's costs $2,270 (€2,000) a year for the 2027/28 intake, paid in CZK, with applications open from 15 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. More generally, ČZU runs two application rounds, September to December and January to March, and some faculties set their own dates. The application fee is $40 (CZK 850).

VŠCHT focuses on chemistry and technology. English-taught chemistry bachelor's and master's programmes cost $3,930 (CZK 84,500) a year in 2026/27, and the rate of your intake year applies throughout. The application fee for English-taught programmes is $140 (CZK 3,000), and non-native English speakers need B2+.

Arts universities: AMU, AVU and UMPRUM

Admission here is by creative competition rather than tests: portfolios, practical tasks, auditions or reviews. Conditions, deadlines and language are set by faculties, and individual studios have their own. UMPRUM offers a master's programme in English, while its degrees in Czech form the main track. AMU takes applications through a central online system, with detailed conditions published by its faculties of theatre, film and television, and music and dance. Build your portfolio well before the application, not after it.

Private universities in Prague

The ministry's register lists 17 private higher education institutions in Prague. Their programmes are paid in any language, including Czech, and an accredited programme leads to a degree of the same standing as a public one. Check the institution in the Ministry of Education register before applying: it shows whether a school is public, state or private and whether it has university status.

Private university Annual fee What to know
Metropolitan University Prague (MUP) English-taught $3,950 (CZK 85,000), Czech-taught $3,020 (CZK 65,000) except psychology; the price list states no year Payable in two instalments; application fee $35 (CZK 750)
University of New York in Prague (UNYP) $13,910–14,470 (CZK 299,000–311,000) in 2026/27 for non-EU nationals American and European bachelor's tracks; discounts and scholarships available
Anglo-American University, VŠFS, CEVRO, Pan-European University and others Published by each institution Compare the programme, its accreditation and the total cost for the full degree

Škoda Auto University: Mladá Boleslav, not Prague

Škoda Auto Vysoká škola is a private non-university institution registered in the Central Bohemian Region. Its campus is in Mladá Boleslav, outside Prague, so budget housing and transport for that town. It teaches economics, management, logistics and informatics with an industrial focus.

Study is paid in both languages: in winter semester 2026/27 the bachelor's costs $1,600 (CZK 34,500) in Czech and $2,670 (€2,350) in English; the master's $1,740 (CZK 37,500) and $2,900 (€2,550) respectively. The university runs its own scholarship programme. More in our Škoda Auto University profile.

Living in Prague: dormitories, transport and rent

Item 2026/27 price Source
Bed in a double room, Charles University dormitories $5.85–10.50 (CZK 126–226) a night, about $175–315 a month Price list from 1 May 2026
Single room, same dormitories $7.25–15.30 (CZK 156–329) a night Same
ČVUT dormitories, Strahov to Bubeneč $4.30–13 (CZK 92–280) a night; double room at Strahov $6.05 (CZK 130), about $180 a month Price list from 1 September 2026
Student transit pass, Prague (ages 18–26) $6 (CZK 130) for 30 days, $60 (CZK 1,280) for a year Prague public transport fares
Small flat outside / in the centre $570–1,020 / $680–1,140 (€500–900 / €600–1,000) a month Study in Czechia guideline
Total living costs $625–910 (€550–800) a month per VŠE; $570–910 (€500–800) per Study in Czechia

Dormitories require a deposit when booking: $100 (CZK 2,100) at Charles University; $235 (CZK 5,000) at ČVUT, which becomes a deposit equal to 30 nights. Rooms are allocated ahead of term, so book as soon as you are admitted. For a full budget including insurance, visa fees and the funds requirement, see our guide to the cost of studying in Czechia.

How admission works

  1. Check whether you can get a visa with your passport. For Russian citizens this is the first and decisive step. The procedure for others is in our guide to the student visa and residence permit.
  2. Choose the language. Czech-taught is free but usually needs a language year; English-taught starts immediately but is paid.
  3. Arrange recognition of your school certificate. The university accepts either a nostrified certificate or, where the faculty allows it, its own assessment of your document. See our guide to nostrification in Czechia.
  4. Apply online and pay the fee. For Czech-taught programmes at public universities the deadline is usually late February or March; the fee is, for example, $40 (CZK 850) at ČZU and $45 (CZK 940) at Charles University.
  5. Take the entrance exams. The faculty sets the format: subject tests, aptitude tests, interviews or a creative competition.
  6. After admission: visa, insurance, housing and payment if the programme is fee-paying.

A step-by-step timeline is in our guide to applying to Czech universities.

On Russian citizens and technical programmes: in April 2025 the Czech Ombudsman reminded universities that nationality alone cannot justify refusing admission to technical programmes, and that the sanctions ban on "technical assistance" applies only where there is reasonable suspicion that knowledge will be used in Russia or Belarus. Applicants refused solely because of their passport are advised to appeal. Admission, however, still does not resolve the visa question.

Which university to choose

Goal Where to look in Prague
Engineering, IT, architecture ČVUT; chemistry and materials at VŠCHT
Economics, finance, management VŠE; applied economics with an agricultural angle at ČZU
Medicine, law, psychology, sciences Charles University
An affordable English-taught bachelor's ČZU or VŠCHT
Film, theatre, design, fine art AMU, UMPRUM, AVU
Flexible start, small groups, business programmes Private universities: compare accreditation and full cost
Business and production linked to the car industry Škoda Auto University in Mladá Boleslav

If you are choosing between cities as well as universities, compare Prague with Brno and Olomouc, where rent is lower and strong universities include Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology and Palacký University. For a country overview, see studying in Czechia.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a university for its Prague name without noticing your faculty is in Kladno, Jindřichův Hradec or Plzeň.
  • Treating a private university as the "easy option" without checking programme accreditation and the total cost of the degree.
  • Applying to a Czech-taught programme without a realistic plan for the language and certificate recognition by the university's deadlines.
  • Booking housing or paying for courses before checking the visa route.
  • Budgeting with Prague averages instead of a specific dormitory's price list.

FAQ

According to the Czech Ministry of Education's register, eight public universities, one state institution (the Police Academy) and 17 private ones. All four large public universities — Charles University, ČVUT, VŠE and ČZU — offer English-taught programmes.

Yes, on Czech-taught programmes at public universities, whatever your nationality. You still pay an application fee and, if you exceed the standard length of study by more than a year, a fee for the extra semesters. English-taught and private programmes are paid.

Among the fees we verified, ČZU ($2,270 (€2,000) a year for the Economics and Management bachelor's, 2027/28 intake) and VŠCHT ($3,930 (CZK 84,500) a year for chemistry programmes in 2026/27). VŠE charges $6,810 (€6,000) from the 2027/28 intake and ČVUT's Faculty of Electrical Engineering $5,120 (CZK 110,000) for a bachelor's.

University dormitories are cheapest: a bed in a double room costs $5.85–10.50 (CZK 126–226) a night at Charles University and from $4.30 (CZK 92) at ČVUT. A rented flat costs $570–1,140 (€500–1,000) a month per Study in Czechia's guideline.

No. It is a private institution in Mladá Boleslav, in the Central Bohemian Region. Study there is paid in both Czech and English.

A university may admit them, but the Czech embassy in Moscow does not accept study visa applications from Russian citizens, including dual nationals. Without another legal basis for residence they cannot start their studies.

Under a service agreement we shortlist programmes that match your goal, language and budget, draw up an admission plan and check the visa route for your citizenship. Admission decisions are made by the university and visa decisions by the Czech Ministry of the Interior.

Sources

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