Czech Republic

Compulsory education is a nine-year basic school from 6 to 15. Pupils then go to a gymnasium (the academic route), a secondary vocational school or a specialist vocational school.

Prague’s Charles University, founded in 1348, is one of the oldest in Central Europe.

Gymnasiums come in four-, six- and eight-year forms: children enter the last one straight after the fifth year of basic school. All secondary education ends with the maturity exam (Maturita).

Vocational schools give both a qualification and — if the Maturita is passed — the right to enter university.

Study in Czech at public universities is free for everyone, including international students; for English-taught programmes universities charge a fee, but a small one by European standards.

Degrees follow the common European 3 + 2 + 3–4 scheme. Strong areas: engineering, IT, economics, architecture, medicine.

Free study requires a Czech-language certificate (usually B2 level) — you can obtain it in a year on a preparatory course at a university. A foreign school certificate goes through a nostrification procedure.

Almost all universities hold entrance exams — a written test in the relevant subjects and/or an interview.

A low cost of living (one of the most affordable in the EU) and a location in the centre of Europe make the Czech Republic popular for a first experience of studying abroad and for semester exchanges.

For students with a residence permit, part-time work is allowed with no limit on hours. Scholarships are offered by universities and the government (including under development-aid programmes).