Warsaw University Clearing 2026/2027: Available Spots in August

Facts about vacancies in Warsaw (Forecast for August 2026):

• Warsaw University of Technology (WUT): Vacancies almost always remain in faculties such as: Paper and Printing, Environmental Engineering, or Technical Physics. Even if the Main Building at the University of Technology Square seems impregnable, the faculties on Narbutta Street or Nowowiejska Street often open the second round. The thresholds here usually fall by 10-15%.
• University of Warsaw (UW): Search in niche majors: Slavic Studies, Articles on Culture, Philosophy or niche philologies (e.g. Hungarian). The Ochota Campus (biology, chemistry) rarely has vacancies for full-time places, but for evening (paid) studies, recruitment often lasts until mid-September.
• Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Ursynów): This is where the heart of supplementary recruitment beats. Majors such as Agriculture, Horticulture or Wood Technology are waiting for candidates with open arms. The campus at Nowoursynowska Street offers some of the best social conditions in the city, so it is worth considering these destinations as a “safe haven”.
• WAT (Bemowo): The Military University of Technology often has vacancies in civilian studies, especially in fields related to materials engineering or chemistry.

Costs: The admission fee in 2026 is PLN 85 (standard courses) or PLN 150 (arts/exam-required courses). If you are submitting papers for 5 courses in the second round, prepare PLN 425, which is not refundable, even if you do not get in.

How to grasp the second round step by step?

1. Monitoring of IRK/ERK systems

Each university has its own system. Don’t look for information on general portals – go directly to:

• irk.uw.edu.pl
• irk.pw.edu.pl
• sggw.edu.pl/rekrutacja

Check the status of “Open Recruitment”. In 2026, these systems are integrated with a trusted profile, so logging in takes seconds.

2. The “Transfer after the first year” strategy

Many students end up in a “related” field of study in supplementary recruitment (e.g. instead of Computer Science at WUT, they choose Technical Mathematics), only to move to their dream field of study after a year, thanks to a high average and passed ECTS exams. This is a legal and effective way to circumvent the high July thresholds.

3. Documents – don’t get caught up in formalities

If you get a “Qualified” message, you usually only have 48-72 hours to submit your paperwork to the admissions committee.

• Where: You can take the documents in person or send them by courier (the date of receipt counts!) to points such as the WUT Mechanics Building (Narbutta Street) or the Kazimierzowski Palace (University of Warsaw).
• What: The original of the secondary school leaving certificate (not a photocopy!), photos (evidence format) and a signed application from the IRK system.

Red flags:

• “Krzaki” Universities: Beware of private schools advertising at ZTM stops at the Politechnika Metro Station, which promise a “diploma without studying”. In 2026, the Ministry tightened controls – such diplomas are worthless on the Warsaw labor market.
• Payment after the deadline: If you make a transfer on Friday evening and the deadline passes on Monday morning, the IRK system may not book you. Use instant payments (BLIK/Przelewy24).

Table: Summary of opportunities in supplementary recruitment (Warsaw 2026)

Why do most students rely on supplementary recruitment? (Error Analysis)

The most common reason for failure is not a lack of points, but the psychological error “All or nothing”. Candidates who did not get into law at the University of Warsaw give up recruitment altogether, instead of enrolling in a related field of study in the second round.

• Missed deadlines: The second round lasts for a short time. At WUT, the window for enrollment in the IRK in August often lasts only 5 days. If you go on vacation without internet access around August 10, you will lose a year.
• Incorrect conversions: Each university in Warsaw counts points differently. The University of Warsaw prefers Polish and history, WUT prefers mathematics and physics. A student with a brilliant high school diploma in physics can “drop out” at the University of Warsaw, and be in the top at WUT – it is a mistake to apply according to “prestige” and not according to your own point profile.
• No insurance (ZUS/USOS): If you do not get into the second round by the end of September, you lose your student status and thus your parents’ health insurance (if you do not work). This forces you to enroll in any private university just to keep the status and discounts on the ZTM city card.

Transition from private to public university after the second round

If supplementary recruitment at the University of Warsaw or Warsaw University of Technology fails, you don’t have to waste a year studying for the retake matura exam. In Warsaw, the most effective, albeit expensive, method is the so-called bridge strategy. It consists in enrolling in August or September at a reputable private university (e.g. PJATK at Koszykowa Street, Kozminski University at Jagiellońska Street or Lazarski University at Świeradowska Street) in a course similar to your dream program.

• Crediting ECTS: ECTS credits are the key. If you complete your first year at a private university with a high average and similar subjects (e.g. Mathematical Analysis, Microeconomics), you can apply for a transfer to the second year of full-time studies at WUT or the University of Warsaw.
• Program differences: The dean’s offices at Noakowskiego Street (WUT) or Krakowskie Przedmieście Street (UW) will set you curricular differences that you need to make up for (usually 2-3 subjects).
• Profit: You save a year of life, you have student status, ZTM discounts and a credit card, and finally you graduate from a prestigious public university.

Recruitment for English-language courses: A hidden gate in the second round

An often overlooked thread in supplementary recruitment are English-taught programs. In fields such as Data Science, International Business or Environmental Engineering, there are almost always vacancies because they require a language certificate (IELTS, TOEFL or an internal university exam).

• Costs: Remember that in 2026, most English-language courses at public universities for Polish citizens are paid (on average €2500-4000 per year).
• Last minute certificate: If you do not have a certificate, check the dates of certification exams organized by the UW Language Teaching Center or the WUT Foreign Language Center. They are often held in the last week of August especially for candidates from the second round.

Student status “suspended”: Risk of social security and insurance

The most dangerous moment for a candidate from supplementary recruitment is the period between September 30 and the date of matriculation in October. If your old ID card (e.g. from high school or previous studies) expires on September 30 and a new supplementary enrollment card has not yet been issued:

• Health Insurance: You have 4 days to apply for insurance if you do not have student status. Your parents must “connect” you to their Social Insurance Institution again immediately after you receive your certificate of admission to university.
• Mandate contract and net rate: If you work in Warsaw’s gastronomy (e.g. around Chmielna Street or Bulwary Wiślane), the lack of student status means that the employer must pay full contributions from your salary. Your daily allowance will fall by about 20-30%.
• ZTM tickets: In 2026, inspectors on buses 190 or 523 are merciless. If your Varsovian Card has a coded student discount and you don’t have a valid ID card for the semester, you’ll pay a fine, even if you have a certificate of admission. A certificate is not a document entitling to a discount.

Local “Zagłębie” vacancies: Faculties you forget about

In Warsaw, supplementary recruitment most often concerns faculties located far from the Main Campus, which have a smaller number of applicants due to their location:

• Faculty of Physics of the Warsaw University of Technology (75 Koszykowa Street): Majors such as Photonics or Technical Physics are elite, but due to the degree of difficulty, they often have vacancies in August.
• Faculty of Geology, University of Warsaw (93 Żwirki i Wigury Street): Located on the Ochota Campus, it often offers vacancies in fields related to environmental protection or exploration.
• Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Nowoursynowska Street): The gigantic campus in Ursynów often has vacancies in Logistics or Tourism, which are a great alternative to the crowded courses at SGH.
• UKSW (1/3 Wóycickiego Street – Młociny): The campus in Młociny is far from the center, which discourages many, but thanks to Metro M1, access is instant. Look for places there in Family Studies or European Studies.

Scholarships in the second round: Do latecomers get money?

Many students from supplementary admissions think that the scholarship fund is already “empty”. This is a mistake. The budget for social scholarships and the Rector’s scholarship for 2026/2027 is set for the entire year.

• Deadlines in USOS: As a second-year student, you will get access to the USOS (University Study Service System) later than others (often only at the end of September). You must apply for a social scholarship immediately. Even if the decision is made in November, you will get compensation from October.
• Rector’s Scholarship for “Supplementary”: If your Matura scores were very high, but for some reason (e.g. a mistake in the IRK in the first round) you are running in the second round, you are still entitled to the Rector’s Scholarship for the best first-year students. In 2026, the amounts for the EaP are in the order of PLN 1200-2000 per month.

Table: Niche majors with the best chance for the second round (Warsaw 2026)

How to get to the last days of recruitment?

August in Warsaw is the time of track renovations (e.g. in Aleje Jerozolimskie or Marszałkowska Street). If you are going to bring documents:

• To the WUT Mechanics Building (Narbutta Street): Don’t count on trams on Puławska Street, take the M1 Metro to the Pole Mokotowskie station and walk 10 minutes.
• To the Ochota Campus (UW/WUM): Use tram lines 7, 9, 15 going along Grójecka Street to Narutowicza Square.
• To the Dean’s Office in Krakowskie Przedmieście: Get off at the Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet Metro station (M2). Buses 116, 180 and 503 often take detours in August for renovations on the Royal Route.

What do students in Warsaw really ask in August?

Where can I find the official list of vacancies at the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw University of Technology?

Official lists of vacancies are not published in the press, but appear directly in the IRK (Online Candidate Recruitment) systems of each university after the first round of confirmation of the will to study is completed. For the University of Warsaw , you must follow the ‘News’ tab on ‘irk.uw.edu.pl’, usually after 20 July. At the Warsaw University of Technology, information about vacancies appears in the recruitment schedule on the ‘biurorekrutacji.pw.edu.pl’ website. Remember that this list is dynamic – if someone resigns at the last minute, the place returns to the system. In 2026, it is also worth checking out the FB groups “Recruitment of the University of Warsaw/WUT”, where student volunteers often upload leaks from recruitment committees about how many people have actually submitted papers.

Are the point thresholds in the second round of recruitment always lower?

This is the most common myth. The point thresholds in supplementary recruitment may be higher than in the first round. This happens when there are only 5 vacancies left for a given field of study (e.g. Management at the University of Warsaw), and 200 people who have “dropped out” of medicine or computer science apply for them. However, in technical faculties (WUT, WAT) and natural sciences (SGGW), the thresholds in August usually drop by a few or a dozen points, because the best candidates are already “knocked down” by other universities. Strategy for 2026: aim in directions where many candidates were missing for the limit in the first round – there the threshold in the second round will be a formality (minimum qualification).

Can I take part in supplementary recruitment if I have already submitted documents to another university?

Yes, you can participate in as many recruitments as you want. The IRK systems of various universities in Warsaw (e.g. UW and WUT) are not connected to each other in a way that would block you from applying. If you get into a better course in the second round, you only need to withdraw the documents from the first university (this requires a visit to the dean’s office and collecting the original matriculation certificate) and deliver them to the new one by the set deadline. Remember that resigning from the first university does not mean a refund of the admission fee. In 2026, the process of withdrawing papers is fast, but it requires an in-person appearance or a notarial authorization for a third party.

What if I don’t manage to deliver the original matura exam to the dean’s office?

In Warsaw, recruitment does not forgive lateness. If the IRK system has set a deadline for the delivery of documents by 3:00 p.m. in the WUT Main Building at Plac Politechniki 1, then at 3:01 p.m. the door is closed and your place is taken by another person from the reserve list. If you can’t be in person, send the documents by conductor delivery (Central Station) or by courier “same day delivery”. In 2026, it is permissible to provide documents by an attorney (parent, colleague) with written authorization (some universities require a notarization, check the IRK regulations!). The absence of the original certificate in the file means automatic resignation.

Are there always places for part-time (evening/part-time) studies in Warsaw?

In most fields of study in the humanities and economics (SGH, UW), recruitment for part-time studies takes much longer, often until mid-September, and it is easiest to find vacancies there. However, for top faculties, such as part-time computer science at WUT or evening psychology at the UW, the limits are running out just as quickly as in full-time ones. The advantage of part-time studies in Warsaw is a lower point threshold, the disadvantage is the tuition fee, which in 2026/27 oscillates between PLN 4500-8000 per semester. If your goal is only “student status” and an identity card, extramural courses at UKSW or SGGW will be the cheapest and most reliable option in supplementary recruitment.