The Czech Republic has a relatively low number of students in tertiary education institutions compared to secondary school graduates. In addition, most students study at polytechnics and only one quarter of the students enrol with a university.
There are 27 public universities in the Czech Republic. They all offer studies free of charge. In contrast there are about 40 private colleges that charge tuition fees.
Recent discussions about tuition fees at public universities led to widespread protests in the Czech Republic with the protesters insisting on the right of free education. Taking this and the general aversion of many Czech people towards privately financed education into account it is unlikely that tuition fees will be introduced in the near future.
This type of tertiary institution offers more practically oriented programs usually taking three years. Polytechnics have fixed curricula including half a year of work experience. In comparison to universities they are preparing students for specific jobs instead of putting emphasis on theoretical knowledge.
The programs are usually completed with exams on your selected specific topic, practical exams and the sitting of a graduate examination paper. The certificate awarded is usually the Absolutorium Report.
Public universities offer great varieties of different subjects, from humanities, business and economics up to medical subjects and law. Their educational emphasis is on theoretical knowledge and university programs take three to five years.
Although public universities do not prepare their students for specific jobs in a way that private universities do, they are still perceived as more prestigious than private ones. Some of the most important universities are the Charles University, the Czech Technical University and the University of Economics, all in Prague.
In 2004, the vast majority of all students in the Czech Republic went to a public university. However the importance of private universities and colleges should not be underestimated.
The first private universities in the Czech Republic were set up around 2000. Most programs have to be approved by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.
Private universities generally do not offer the same variety of programs as public universities, focussing rather on subjects such as international business, management and banking.
This specialisation along with connections to reputable companies worldwide has boosted private colleges’ attractiveness. Additionally, classes are usually held in Czech and English which makes it easier for students to get well-paid jobs outside the Czech Republic.
Nevertheless many Czech people are still prejudiced against private universities and colleges, not just due to high tuition fees, which may range from 50,000 CZK a year to several hundreds of thousands. In addition, there are also very often structural problems due to the approval needed by the Ministry of Education (which can take quite some time). The Ministry is also able to revoke the private institute's license.
A list of private colleges can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.