Goal 4 - Quality education

Higher education institution a unit forming part of the science and education system, conducting studies in at least one field. Universities may be public and non-public; non-public universities are established on the basis of a permit of the Minister competent for higher education and science. Universities provide education in the form of full-time and part-time studies.

A graduate of studies receives a diploma of graduation in a specific field and profile confirming higher education and professional title:

- a bachelor, engineer or equivalent attesting higher education at the same level – in the case of first-cycle studies;

- Master's degree, master's degree in engineering or equivalent attesting higher education at the same level – in the case of second-cycle studies and uniform master's studies.

The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) was developed by UNESCO as a tool for collecting and presenting internationally comparable statistics on education. It was first developed in 1970 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The current version of the ISCED-F 2013 classification was approved at the session of the UNESCO General Conference in October 2013. For statistical purposes, Polish fields of study are assigned by representatives of the Central Statistical Office in cooperation with representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to groups and subgroups of fields of study based on the Classification guidelines.

Technical and natural sciences according to the ISCED-F 2013 classification include groups of: natural sciences, mathematics and statistics; information and communication technologies; technology, industry, construction.

The data are presented according to the actual location of universities and foreign units / branches.

Data until 2011 – without schools of the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but including foreign units of Polish universities abroad (published at the place of the home university).

Data since 2012 – including schools of the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but without foreign units of Polish universities abroad.