Poland · Pomerania
Study in Gdynia in English: universities, costs and careers for international students
Gdynia was built from scratch in the 1920s as Poland’s deep-water port, and it still shows: a modernist grid of a centre, a working harbour and a maritime university that has trained officers for a century. It is the northern anchor of the Tricity, so students there use Gdansk and Sopot as freely as their own city. If shipping, logistics, offshore energy or business services are your field, Gdynia is a more focused choice than a big general university. Here is what to weigh.
Why Gdynia
Before the detail, the snapshot - what you actually get by studying in Poland’s newest big city.
- Gdynia Maritime University: Poland’s largest maritime university, with English-taught programmes in navigation, marine engineering and transport
- A working port and an offshore wind service base on the doorstep - internships happen where the industry is
- Full access to the whole Tricity: Gdansk’s technical and medical universities are twenty minutes away by commuter train
- A modern, safe, walkable city on the Baltic with lower rents than Gdansk’s old town
Universities & English-taught programmes
Look past the overall ranking to subject strength and the language of instruction - that is what decides your fit.
- Gdynia Maritime University teaches English-language programmes in navigation, marine engineering, transport and logistics, and international business
- Its officer-track programmes carry STCW certification, which is recognised internationally and directly employable at sea
- WSB Merito Gdynia and other private schools add English-taught business, management and IT degrees
- Students commonly combine Gdynia with Gdansk University of Technology courses across the Tricity - the campuses are one commuter line apart
- Curriculum flexibility: Erasmus+ links with Scandinavian and Baltic maritime academies, and shipboard training placements
Career prospects & ROI
A narrow but deep job market - and maritime qualifications travel further than almost any other degree.
- Industry connections: the Port of Gdynia, Crist and Vulcan shipyards, offshore wind service operators, Stena Line, Nordea, Thomson Reuters and Sii recruit locally
- Maritime officer certificates issued in the EU are accepted by shipping companies worldwide - the clearest example of a globally portable Polish qualification
- Students on a Polish study visa or residence permit may work without a work permit and with no weekly hour cap
- Post-study work: a temporary residence permit of up to nine months to look for a job or start a business after graduating
- Salaries at sea and in offshore energy are well above the Polish average; onshore logistics and business-services pay tracks the Tricity generally
Cost of living in Gdynia
Estimates for the 2026 academic yearA student in Gdynia should budget around 672 € a month. The heaviest line by far is rent: a room in a shared flat goes for about 290 €, and most land between 230 € and 380 €.
- Room in a shared flat usually 230 € – 380 €
- 290 €
- Food and groceries
- 200 €
- Student travel pass
- 12 €
- Health insurance
- 25 €
- Phone, internet, electricity
- 60 €
- Books, sport, going out
- 85 €
- Monthly total
- 672 €
Ranked 3 of 8 on cost among the cities we cover in Poland, cheapest first.
Cheapest on our list: Lodz, at about 632 € a month. →What things cost here, against the EU
Across the whole shopping basket Poland sits at 70.2, where the EU average is 100 (2024).
EU average = 100
Consumer prices rose 3.3% over 2025.
Where these numbers come from
The monthly budget is our own estimate, compiled from what student unions, universities and national student services publish. Use it to plan with — it is not a quote.
The price levels, inflation and rent figures are published statistics: Eurostat purchasing power parities and, for German states, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
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What it costs
Tricity living costs without Gdansk old-town rents.
- Tuition for non-EU students: roughly €2,000-€4,000 a year for English-taught bachelor’s and master’s; maritime officer tracks may add certification and sea-training costs
- Living costs: budget PLN 2,900-3,800 a month (about €670-€880), with dormitory places from roughly PLN 500-800 a month
- Proof of funds for the visa: the legal minimum is around PLN 776 a month for each month of stay plus return travel - budget realistically above it
- Health insurance: voluntary NFZ cover for students is about PLN 55-60 a month; travel or private insurance for the visa application
- Scholarships: NAWA programmes for developing-country students and Erasmus+ grants; some shipping companies sponsor cadets directly
Life, safety & culture
A calm, modern seaside city - quieter than Gdansk, and closer to the water.
- Daily language is Polish; the maritime sector works in English, but you will want basic Polish for daily life and free university courses cover it
- The SKM commuter train runs to Sopot and Gdansk every few minutes with a student discount - the whole Tricity is one labour and social market
- Very low crime and a compact centre where the beach, the marina and the campus are all walkable
- A smaller international student community than Gdansk, concentrated in maritime and business programmes, with Tricity-wide student associations
How to apply & the bureaucracy
Direct admission through the university portal, with an extra medical step for the officer tracks.
- Apply through Gdynia Maritime University’s own online system; the October intake usually closes between May and July
- English proficiency: IELTS 6.0-6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79-90, or a secondary certificate taught in English
- Officer-track programmes require a seafarer medical certificate - budget time for it before enrolment
- After admission, apply for the national D student visa with proof of funds, insurance and accommodation, then apply for a residence card once you arrive
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