Established in 1919, AGH UST is a leading technical university in Poland, renowned for its programs in mining, metallurgy, materials science, computer science, and engineering.
AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków was established in 1919 as the Academy of Mining, a few months after Poland regained independence, and it has kept the initials AGH for Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza, the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy. It has about 25,000 students and 4,000 staff. The main building is on Aleja Mickiewicza, close to the old town, and the large student town beside the campus is one of the biggest in the country.
In its early decades the school trained engineers for Poland’s mines, steelworks and oil fields. It now teaches mining and geoengineering, metallurgy, materials science, geology, geophysics, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, automation, computer science, mechanical engineering, energy, applied mathematics and humanities for engineers. The university is among the leaders in Poland in these fields, and it attracts a large number of applicants every year.
The Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet AGH runs several of the most powerful supercomputers in Poland, among them the Prometheus and Helios systems, which are used by scientists across the country for simulations in physics, chemistry and engineering. AGH also operates the Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, and it works with the mining and metals industry and with firms in energy and information technology. A tradition of student scientific circles encourages early research.
Public universities in Poland teach full-time studies in Polish without tuition for Polish citizens, while programmes in English and studies for foreign students are normally paid, and fees vary by programme. Check the current tariff. Polish applicants use the national online recruitment system with results from the secondary school exam, and international students apply through the university’s own portal. Scholarships are available through national agencies.
Kraków offers affordable living, and the AGH student town has dormitories, sports facilities and cultural clubs within walking distance of lecture halls. The nearby salt mines of Wieliczka are a popular excursion for geology students.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Sound Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of CESAER, EUA, UNITE!. Strong collaborations with industry (e.g., KGHM, ArcelorMittal, Comarch) and international research institutions.
Research:
Advanced materials & Nanotechnology, AI & Data science, Energy technologies & Climate, Robotics & Automation, Earth sciences & Sustainable resources.
Famous Alumnis:
Jerzy Buzek, Aleksander Kwaśniewski (attended briefly)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4000
Current students***:
25000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
180000
Pros
Leading technical university with strong industry connections, particularly in mining and materials, high research activity, modern campus facilities.
Cons
Focus on traditional heavy industry fields alongside modern tech, can be very specialized.
Best For
Leading technical university with strong focus on materials, mining, computer science, and engineering.
Another national school that puts metrology, aerospace and transportations at the centre is Silesian University of Technology, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Gdańsk University of Technology shares the core fields of this institution, namely metrology, marine science and aerospace; it is smaller, enrolling about 15,000 students against roughly 25,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Wrocław University of Science and Technology sits close to this institution on metrology, aerospace and transportations; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Also strong in sound engineering, metrology and aerospace, Poznań University of Technology makes a sensible second look at home; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers logistics and food science as well.
Also strong in metrology, aerospace and transportations, Warsaw University of Technology makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Looking internationally, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie in Germany is where metrology, aerospace and transportations get a comparable treatment; it covers astroscience as well, and has almost the same size, at about 23,000 students.
Abroad, Universität Hamburg (Germany) covers sound engineering, marine science and aerospace in a comparable way, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and food science as well.
Osaka Metropolitan University, in Japan, takes a similar route through marine science, aerospace and transportations; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Tokyo Tech in Japan shares the aerospace, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies orientation of this university, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience as well.
Central South University brings a China setting to the same core fields, aerospace, transportations and quality, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is AGH?
At Aleja Adama Mickiewicza 30 in Kraków, Poland.
When was it established?
In 1919, as the Academy of Mining.
What does AGH stand for?
Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza, the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy.
The Academic Computer Centre that runs several of the most powerful supercomputers in Poland, including Prometheus and Helios.
What does it cost?
Full-time studies in Polish are free for Polish citizens, while programmes in English and studies for foreign students are normally paid. Check the current tariff.
How do you apply?
Polish applicants use the national online recruitment system. International students apply through the university's own portal.
Are there courses in English?
Yes, in some programmes, mostly at paid tuition.
Where do students live?
In the large AGH student town beside the campus, with dormitories and sports facilities.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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