Rankings: The 4 best universities in Croatia for 2025/2026
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Croatia is quickly becoming a sought-after study destination in Europe, not just for its beautiful coastline and historic cities, but also for its growing academic reputation. With English-taught programmes expanding and EU-wide recognition of degrees, more international students are considering this Mediterranean destination for their higher education journey.
The rankings below highlight the best universities in Croatia for international students, based on different aspects such as academic reputation, internationalisation, and student satisfaction. From the long-established University of Zagreb to the innovative University of Split and the research-focused University of Rijeka, these institutions provide a wide range of study options and excellent support for international students.
Choosing the right university is a key step in planning your study abroad experience. Whether you're looking for a dynamic student city, strong academic credentials, or specific fields of study, this will help you explore your options and find the Croatian university that best fits your goals.
| University | QS Ranking 2025 | THE Ranking 2025 | ARWU Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Zagreb | 651 | 1201 | 401 |
| Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek | 1201 | – | – |
| University of Rijeka | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| University of Split | 1201 | 1201 | – |
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a universitys research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
Croatia is not only a popular Mediterranean tourist destination, it’s also a great place to study abroad. With a handful of good universities and growing number of English-taught programmes, more and more international students are coming here every year.
Read more about studying in Croatia
