Under Communism, all the higher educational establishments depended on state, except the Catholic University of Lublin. The reform of the higher education from 1990 authorized the creation of private establishments, which rise today with more than two hundreds, that is twice more then the publicly-owned establishments.

Poland counts today nearly two million students in polytechnic schools, academies and other institutions of higher training, that is fourth more than ten years ago. The structures of assistances are however very limited at the national level, each University has its own office of information for students.

A diploma at end of secondary studies, the "swiadectwo dojrzalosci" is necessary for the Poles, to integrate the University, but not sufficient because the majority of the establishments do tests or organize a contest. The academic year generally comprises two six-month periods per year, made up each of fifteen weeks of course, at a rate of thirty hours per week approximately.

The universities continue to exempt a rather theoretical teaching. The majority of the students obtain a magister into five or six years of studies. They can continue these studies of three or four years for obtaining the doctorate. There are also technological or professional dies made up of a first cycle which is concluded by the title licencjat (lic) or inzynier (inz) which can be prolonged by the second a two years cycle. At the end of this cycle students obtain the title of magister.

The establishment of the not-academic sector generally propose short studies (first cycle and optionally second cycle) in specialized fields and for targeted professions.

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