Palacký University Olomouc
Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
The Czech Republic's second-oldest university, founded in 1573, in a city where students shape daily life.
- Students
- 23,132
- International
- 12%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1573
About UP
Palacký University Olomouc traces its origins to 22 December 1573, when the Jesuit college in Olomouc was given the right to award degrees. That makes it the oldest university in Moravia and the second-oldest in the Czech Republic. Most of its faculties were closed in the 1850s after students and professors backed the 1848 revolution, and it was fully re-established in 1946, when it took the name of the historian František Palacký.
Today about 23,000 students study across eight faculties: Theology, Medicine and Dentistry, Arts, Science, Education, Physical Culture, Law and Health Sciences, alongside the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN). The university says it offers more than a thousand combinations of bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, with 180 accredited programmes taught in foreign languages. In 2025 it counted 2,677 international degree students from 88 countries.
For international applicants the biggest draws are the English-taught six-year General Medicine and five-year Dentistry programmes, which follow the same curriculum as the Czech-language degrees. Programmes taught in Czech are free of tuition for students of any nationality, so the university suits both students who want an affordable English-taught professional degree and those willing to learn Czech. Olomouc is compact and walkable, and the university describes it as a city where roughly every fourth or fifth resident is a student.
Why students choose UP
English-taught General Medicine (EUR 12,500 a year) and Dentistry (EUR 14,000 a year) degrees, accredited by a WFME-recognised authority, with graduates eligible for the USMLE pathway.
All programmes taught in Czech are free of tuition fees, whatever your nationality.
University dormitories on two main campuses (4,485 beds in 2025), with rooms from roughly EUR 95 a month and canteen meals at around EUR 3.
More than 40 student clubs, the Academia Film Olomouc popular-science film festival (organised since 1966) and membership of the Aurora European Universities Alliance.
Admissions
Entry September 2027
Selectivity
Palacký does not publish an overall acceptance rate. It received 34,419 applications in 2025 (applications, not individual applicants; students can apply to several programmes). Admission is programme by programme: the English-taught Medicine and Dentistry programmes require an entrance exam and plan to admit about 80 and 20 students respectively.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels (Medicine and Dentistry in English) | Completed A-levels in three subjects, with no set grade requirement, plus a pass in the faculty's entrance exam. |
|---|---|
| Other secondary school qualifications | A completed secondary education equivalent to A-levels; applicants educated outside the Czech Republic must have it recognised by the university as a condition of admission. |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 87 For General Medicine and Dentistry: Cambridge FCE or higher, IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 87 or PTE Academic 59, or the faculty's own English test. Applicants whose secondary or university education was in English are exempt. Other English-taught programmes set their own requirements. |
Deadlines
- General Medicine and Dentistry in English (2026 intake, for reference) Non-binding Passed31 July 2026
For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 1 November 2025 and had to be complete two weeks before the chosen entrance exam date; extra August exam dates were only for EU citizens and residence permit holders.
Dates for September 2027 entry had not been published when checked on 30 September 2026; for 2026 entry, Medicine and Dentistry applications opened on 1 November. Non-EU applicants are advised to choose exam dates no later than May, because a Czech residence permit can take up to three months.
How to apply
Choose a programme in the university's catalogue and apply through the online application form at admission.upol.cz: upload the required documents and pay the application fee online (EUR 80 for Medicine and Dentistry). An application only counts as complete once documents and fee are in. Admitted students then have their foreign secondary education recognised and legalise their documents as instructed in their notice of proposed admission.
What admissions looks for
- For Medicine and Dentistry, a pass in the entrance exam in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics.
- A completed secondary education equivalent to A-levels, formally recognised by the university.
- English at about IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 87 for the medical programmes, unless you were educated in English.
- For Czech-taught programmes, enough Czech to study, since those programmes are taught entirely in Czech.
Tips for applying to UP
- 1 Book an early exam date: the medical faculty runs online and in-person sessions from January onwards, and non-EU students need time for a residence permit.
- 2 Use the sample tests in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and English that the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry publishes, together with its list of exam topics.
- 3 Submit a complete application, including documents and the EUR 80 fee, at least two weeks before your chosen exam date.
- 4 If you can learn Czech, compare the free Czech-taught version of your programme with the English-taught one, which charges between EUR 2,000 and EUR 14,000 a year.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The university offers merit scholarships awarded by faculty deans, research scholarships, social bursaries for students in hardship and accommodation bursaries for students from outside the Olomouc district, and says more than 80% of students received some form of scholarship last year. International students can apply for specific funding opportunities; no tuition waivers are listed for the English-taught medical programmes.
- 19,013
- Students receiving scholarships (2025)
- 10,000 to 20,000 CZK per month (university Welcome Office estimate)
- Typical student living costs
- From about EUR 95 per month
- Dormitory rooms
- EUR 80
- Application fee, Medicine and Dentistry
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (winter and summer)
General Medicine (MUDr.), in English
Six years, about 80 places, the same curriculum as the Czech degree, with AMSE accreditation and graduates eligible for the USMLE pathway; EUR 12,500 a year.
Dentistry (MDDr.), in English
Five years with about 20 places and hands-on training from the first year; EUR 14,000 a year.
Physiotherapy, in English
One of the few English-taught programmes open to school leavers, at EUR 8,000 a year.
Petroleum Engineering, in English
An English-taught programme for school leavers at EUR 5,200 a year, with a follow-up master's in Petroleum and Geoenergy Engineering.
Law
Palacký's strongest subject in THE's 2026 subject rankings (301-400); the faculty also teaches an English-taught master's in International and European Law.
English Philology, in English
Offered at bachelor's and follow-up master's level, for EUR 4,200 and EUR 2,500 a year respectively.
Research
- CATRIN, set up in 2021, brings together the university's former CRH, RCPTM and IMTM science centres in one advanced technology and research institute.
- The university runs a Science and Technology Park linking research with business, and the Fort Science popular-science centre.
- Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics, studied philosophy and physics at the university's Philosophical Institute from 1840 to 1843.
Schools & faculties
- Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Physical Culture
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN)
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry says its graduates score highly in USMLE tests and work around the world; the university publishes no graduate employment survey figure in English.
Student life
Olomouc is a student city: the university says roughly every fourth or fifth resident is a student, and nearly 2,000 international students arrive each year. Many students live in university dormitories on the Envelopa and Neředín campuses, close to faculties, libraries and sports facilities. There are more than 40 student clubs, from journalism and app development to theatre and radio, and the university hosts Academia Film Olomouc, a popular-science film festival, and student culture festivals. The Academic Sport Centre runs semester courses, and university teams compete nationally in volleyball, basketball, hockey and futsal.
- Academia Film Olomouc, a popular-science film festival organised by the university since 1966.
- More than 40 student clubs and organisations.
- University teams in volleyball, basketball, hockey and futsal, plus a sports hall, swimming pool and boathouse.
- A Welcome Office for international students, with onboarding courses and an ambassador programme.
Housing. Housing is guaranteed for international Medicine and Dentistry students throughout their studies; the university's dormitories on the Envelopa and Neředín campuses and other residences had 4,485 beds in 2025.
Location
Olomouc is a city of about 105,000 people in eastern Czechia, about 61 km north-east of Brno and 200 km south-east of Prague. Its well-preserved historic centre is a protected urban monument reservation, with the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column on the main square. Trams and buses cover the city, and the main station has direct trains to Prague, Brno and Ostrava. The university estimates that students spend 10,000 to 20,000 CZK a month.
Nearest airport: Brno Airport; the university also recommends Prague, Vienna, Kraków and Katowice
Notable alumni
- GM Gregor MendelFounder of genetics; studied philosophy and physics at the Philosophical Institute in Olomouc, 1840-1843
- AV Albrecht von WallensteinCommander of the Habsburg armies in the Thirty Years' War; studied at the University of Olomouc
- BP Bohdan PomahačPlastic surgeon who led the first full face transplant in the United States; studied at the Faculty of Medicine
- FT František TomášekCardinal and 34th Archbishop of Prague; studied at the Faculty of Theology
- LO Lumír Ondřej HanušAnalytical chemist and leading cannabis researcher; graduated from the Faculty of Science
- EV Emil ViklickýJazz pianist and composer; mathematics graduate (1971)
- JŠ Jindřich ŠtreitDocumentary photographer; studied at the Faculty of Education
- JB Jan BalabánWriter; philosophy graduate
Frequently asked questions
Is Palacký University free for international students?
Yes, if you study in Czech: all Czech-taught programmes are free of tuition for any nationality. English-taught programmes charge between EUR 2,000 and EUR 14,000 a year.
How much does it cost to study medicine in English at Palacký University?
Tuition is EUR 12,500 a year for General Medicine and EUR 14,000 a year for Dentistry, plus an EUR 80 application fee.
What is on the Palacký University medicine entrance exam?
A test in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics, taken online or in Olomouc, plus an English test unless you have an accepted certificate such as IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 87 or were educated in English.
When is the application deadline for Palacký University medicine?
For 2026 entry, applications ran from 1 November 2025 to 31 July 2026 and had to be complete two weeks before your chosen exam date. Dates for 2027 entry had not been published at the end of September 2026.
Where is Palacký University ranked?
It is in the 711-720 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, the 1001-1200 band of THE 2026 and the 801-900 band of ARWU 2026.
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.
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