Polish Higher Education: From State Toward Market, from Elite to Mass Education

The chapter shows substantial changes in the Polish higher education system since 1990. These changes were associated with the shift from centralized, controlled economy to market economy in the context of the economic globalization and democratization. The increased number of students and the emergence of many private universities are a response to the growing educational aspirations of the Polish society. The changes are a subject of public debate focused on advantages and disadvantages of the functioning of private universities and paid studies at state universities. The basic issue will soon not be the education level, but its quality; the name of the university, which issued a given diploma; and doctoral studies, which are now of more elitist character than studies offering lower degrees.