Education

Students in Prague are doing well. Based on the findings, the number of university students per 1000 inhabitants in Prague between 2013 and 2020 was at the top of the list compared to other cities. This high concentration of university students in the city showcases exceptional potential for economic growth, innovation, creativity, and cultural advancement.

The fact that the educational metric has declined in Prague over the seven-year period between 2013 and 2020 can be deemed as a negative trend, mirrored similarly in Warsaw and Vienna, cities that have comparably higher values. Meanwhile, cities with lower values such as Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Zurich, have shown a slightly increasing trend, thus narrowing the gap between the cities.

Chart: Number of university students per 1000 inhabitants

Year: 2013-2020

Area: NUTS 2

*Source: Eurostat, Munich: stadt.muenchen.de 

Higher education institutions in Prague still relatively struggle in terms of quality. However, it must be noted that the rankings favor smaller, more selective institutions over the larger, more comprehensive ones.

Chart: Average score in the THE university ranking and the number of students in the main universities in each city

Year: 2017-2021

Area: City territory

Source: Times Higher Education 

The relatively low performance rankings of Czech and Polish institutions are noteworthy, particularly when considering the results of PISA literacy tests. These assessments have demonstrated that students in Prague and Warsaw secondary education systems have surpassed their Western counterparts, not only in absolute terms but also in regards to educational expenditure. However, this trend appears to absent at the tertiary level of education.

Chart: Average PISA literacy study results

Year: 2009-2015

Area: City territory, countries

Source: OECD via Evidence Institute and University of Warsaw