In recent years, the number of students in Poland has been steadily declining. The demographic slump is taking its toll, and universities are emptying out. But there is one place where something completely different is happening. Young people are coming here from Ukraine, Belarus, as well as Nigeria, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia.
The demographic downturn and emigration mean there are fewer and fewer young people at universities. Surprisingly, against this backdrop, one city in eastern Poland looks entirely different – Lublin. According to a report by the Educational Foundation Perspektywy, around 110,000 international students from 179 countries are studying in Poland. The capital of the Lublin region is attracting more and more of them.
One in ten is a foreigner
Across all universities in Lublin, nearly 60,000 people are studying, including close to 9,000 international students. Despite the nationwide downward trend, the number of students in the city remains at a similar level, while the number of foreign students continues to grow. Where do they come from? The largest group consists of students from Ukraine and Belarus, but the list is long: Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Norway. International applicants most often choose management, computer science, and medical studies. At Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), in the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 16,400 students were enrolled, with more than 10 percent being foreigners.
Several reasons why Lublin
The influx of students is impacting the entire city. New service outlets, restaurants, and private dormitories are emerging around the campuses of UMCS and Lublin University of Technology. The rental market follows the rhythm of the academic year, and the education sector has become one of the key pillars of the local economy. Lublin has a clear price advantage. The cost of living is significantly lower than in Warsaw, Kraków, or Wrocław, while the quality of educational offerings improves year by year. Interestingly, in terms of the number of students per 1,000 residents, Lublin ranks third in Poland – 174 students per thousand inhabitants. That is more than in Kraków and Wrocław.
It is worth noting that some time ago, two public universities from Lublin were ranked among the best in the global Center for World University Rankings, placing them in the prestigious group of just under 8 percent of the world’s top universities. The institutions are planning further investments in campuses and laboratories, and international applicants are increasingly treating Lublin as their first choice rather than an academic plan B.