Czech Technical University in Prague
České vysoké učení technické v Praze (ČVUT)
One of Europe's oldest technical universities: free in Czech, and from about 110,000 CZK a year in English.
- Students
- 18,168
- International
- 20%
- of students
- Tuition
- CZK 110K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1707
About CTU
The Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU, or ČVUT in Czech) traces its origins to 1707, when Emperor Joseph I responded to Christian Josef Willenberg's petition to teach engineering in Prague, which makes it one of the oldest technical universities in the world. It split into Czech and German-language institutions in 1869, took its present name in 1920, and was closed by the Nazi occupiers from 1939 until 1945. Today it has 18,168 students, almost 20% of them from abroad.
CTU is organised into eight faculties: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Architecture, Transportation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Information Technology, plus university institutes such as the Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies and the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC). You apply to a faculty, not to the university, and each faculty sets its own entrance rules and dates.
The big decision for international applicants is language. Programmes taught in Czech carry no tuition fee, while English-taught bachelor's programmes cost 55,000 CZK per semester at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and 64,000 CZK at the Faculty of Information Technology, and each faculty sets its own fee. CTU suits applicants who are strong in mathematics and want a rigorous engineering, computing or architecture degree in a central European capital at a moderate price.
Why students choose CTU
Czech-taught programmes are tuition-free, and CTU faculties and institutes offer Czech language courses for foreign applicants who want to take that route.
English-taught bachelor's degrees, such as Informatics (FIT) and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (FEE), cost 110,000 to 128,000 CZK a year, modest by EU and US standards.
Most faculties sit on the Dejvice campus, about 15 minutes' walk from Prague Castle, with the National Library of Technology on site.
Student teams build electric racing cars (eForce), rovers and rockets for international competitions.
Admissions
Academic year 2027/28 entry (2026/27 conditions shown where 2027 dates are not yet published)
Selectivity
CTU publishes no university-wide admission rate. Each faculty runs its own admission procedure: for example, FIT admits bachelor's applicants who pass its mathematics test or an equivalent SCIO test, while the Faculty of Electrical Engineering assesses English-programme applicants through an online interview.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school leaving certificate | Completed secondary education, plus the faculty's entrance requirements |
|---|---|
| Recognition of foreign education (nostrification) | Foreign secondary school certificates must be officially recognised in Czechia or verified by CTU before enrolment |
| Czech-taught programmes | Applicants must be able to study in Czech; CTU faculties offer Czech language courses for foreign applicants |
| English language | IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 65 Faculty-specific. FIT: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 65, FCE or equivalent B2, or proof that your secondary school taught in English. FEE: TOEFL iBT 70, IELTS 6 or TOEIC 800 (Duolingo not accepted), with spoken English checked at interview. |
Deadlines
- Most faculties, English-taught bachelor's (first round) Non-binding31 March (2026 date)
For 2026 entry, applications opened on 1 December 2025 (FIT: 1 January 2026) and closed on 31 March 2026. FIT has only one round.
- Some faculties and institutes Non-binding30 April (2026 date)
Study at CTU states that applications close on 31 March or 30 April depending on the faculty or institute.
Deadlines for 2027/28 entry had not been published at the time of checking; the dates above are from the 2026 cycle. Some faculties, such as FEE, may run a second round in summer, but FEE advises that only applicants who do not need a visa apply in it because admission decisions come in early September.
How to apply
Choose a faculty and programme, fill in CTU's electronic application for study, pay the admission fee (CZK 1,050 under the rector's fee decree for academic year 2026-27, which should apply to admission procedures for 2027/28 entry; it was CZK 950 in the 2026 round, and CTU's general admissions pages still quote CZK 950, so check the amount in the faculty's 2027 admission conditions) and upload the documents the faculty asks for, such as a transcript, motivation letter (FEE) and English certificate. Then sit the faculty's entrance exam or interview, get your school certificate recognised (nostrification), and pay the first semester's tuition before registration for English-taught programmes. Non-EU students then need a long-term student visa.
What admissions looks for
- A solid grounding in mathematics: FIT's entrance test covers algebra, functions, analytic geometry, combinatorics and logic.
- For English-taught programmes, English at roughly B2 level, proven by IELTS, TOEFL or similar.
- At FEE, motivation and spoken English shown in an online interview with the admission committee.
- A recognised secondary school leaving certificate.
Tips for applying to CTU
- 1 Apply to the specific faculty: admission rules, tests and deadlines differ between faculties.
- 2 Start nostrification of your school certificate early; it must be completed before enrolment, and CTU recommends applying immediately.
- 3 For FIT, you can take the SCIO online test on several dates between January and April instead of the single in-person mathematics test in May.
- 4 If you can study in Czech, the Czech-taught version of your programme has no tuition fee, but you must be able to follow classes in Czech from the start.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CZK
The rector can reduce the foreign-language tuition fee on the proposal of a dean. CTU offers merit scholarships and the Professor Vlček scholarship for foreign students who promote CTU's reputation, and the Czech government funds scholarships for students from some developing countries. Tuition does not cover accommodation, food, transport, books or health insurance.
- 55,000 CZK per semester
- Tuition, English-taught bachelor's (Faculty of Electrical Engineering)
- 64,000 CZK per semester
- Tuition, English-taught bachelor's (FIT)
- 1,050 CZK
- Admission procedure fee (rector's fee decree for academic year 2026-27; CTU's general pages still quote 950 CZK, the fee in the 2026 round)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters: winter semester from 21 September 2026 (teaching to 10 January 2027), summer semester from 15 February 2027
Informatics (BSc, FIT)
CTU's most popular programme in both Czech and English, with six specialisations from information security to computer science chosen during the degree.
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (BSc, FEE)
A three-year English-taught bachelor's combining mathematics, power engineering, electronics, programming and cybernetics.
Mechanical Engineering (BSc, FME)
One of CTU's top English-taught programmes by interest, leading to master's options such as automotive and energy engineering.
Civil Engineering (BSc, FCE)
CTU's largest faculty by students, offering its bachelor's in English as well as Czech.
Architecture and Urbanism (FA)
Among CTU's most popular Czech-taught programmes; architect Eva Jiřičná studied architecture at CTU.
Research
- The Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) and the University Centre of Energy Efficient Buildings (UCEEB) are among CTU's six university institutes.
- The Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics (IEAP) and the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering anchor CTU's physics research.
- CTU is a member of the EuroTeQ alliance of technical universities and has agreements with more than 300 partner universities.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Transportation Sciences
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies
- Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC)
CTU had 4,047 graduates in 2024, 597 of them international (CTU in numbers).
Student life
Most CTU faculties are on the Dejvice campus in Prague 6, with canteens, sports facilities, the National Library of Technology and several dormitories within walking distance; other dorms are up to 30 minutes away by public transport. International degree students start with an orientation week and can take a semester-long course on surviving in the Czech Republic. The Student Union runs clubs such as Silicon Hill, Sincoolka and Buben, and student teams such as eForce build electric formula cars, rovers and rockets for international competitions.
- Orientation Week for international degree students one week before the academic year starts.
- The International Student Club (ISC) runs a buddy programme for incoming students.
- Student engineering teams: eForce (electric formula racing), CTU Robotics (rovers and drones) and CTU Space Research (rockets).
- Free, confidential psychological counselling for students.
Housing. CTU offers dormitory places for foreign students, always on a campus with a student canteen; admitted students can book CTU dormitories after acceptance.
Location
Prague is the Czech capital, with well-known sights like Charles Bridge and Prague Castle and fast-changing districts such as Karlín, Žižkov and Holešovice. CTU's main campus in Dejvice is not far from the centre, about 15 minutes on foot from Prague Castle and the Lesser Quarter. Public transport is extensive, and students get discounts on transport, sport and cultural events.
Nearest airport: Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
Notable alumni
- VP Vladimir PrelogNobel Prize in Chemistry 1975; chemical engineering diploma from CTU in 1928
- FK František KřižíkInventor and electrical engineer whose self-regulating 'Plzeň lamp' arc light won a gold medal in Paris in 1881
- EJ Eva JiřičnáArchitect and designer known for glass staircases; studied architecture at CTU
- JZ Josef ZítekArchitect of the National Theatre and the Rudolfinum in Prague; graduated from the Prague Polytechnic
- VH Václav HavelPlaywright and president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic; studied at CTU's Faculty of Economics for two years
- IL Ivo LukačovičFounder of Seznam.cz, the Czech web portal and search engine; studied at CTU
- ZF Zbyněk FrolíkFounder of LINET, a maker of hospital beds; studied technical cybernetics at CTU
Frequently asked questions
Is the Czech Technical University free for international students?
Yes, if you study in Czech: Czech-taught programmes have no tuition fee for any nationality. English-taught bachelor's programmes cost 55,000 CZK per semester at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and 64,000 CZK per semester at the Faculty of Information Technology. Each faculty sets its own fee.
What English score do I need for CTU?
It depends on the faculty: FIT accepts IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 65, while the Faculty of Electrical Engineering asks for TOEFL iBT 70, IELTS 6 or TOEIC 800 and does not accept Duolingo.
Does CTU have an entrance exam?
Yes, set by each faculty. FIT uses a mathematics test in May or a SCIO online test; the Faculty of Electrical Engineering holds an online interview.
When is the application deadline at CTU?
In the 2026 cycle, applications for English-taught bachelor's programmes closed on 31 March or 30 April depending on the faculty (FIT: 31 March). Dates for 2027 entry are set by each faculty.
Do I need to get my high school diploma recognised to study at CTU?
Yes. Foreign secondary school certificates must be recognised in Czechia (nostrification) or verified by CTU before you can enrol, so start the process as soon as you apply.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to CTU in the QS World University Rankings 2027.