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A recent analysis of international student data for the 2025/2026 academic year, done by the Study in Croatia initiative, shows that Croatian higher education institutions continue to attract a diverse and growing international student population.

In 2025/2026, the average age of international students in Croatia was 24, although the majority of students were aged 23 or younger. This shows that Croatia is particularly appealing to younger students pursuing undergraduate and graduate education in an international setting.

Women make up the majority of international students in Croatia. In the 2025/2026 academic year, 56.4% of all international students were female, reflecting broader European trends in higher education mobility and participation.

In the 2025/2026 academic year, international students in Croatia came from 96 countries around the globe, demonstrating the increasing global visibility of Croatian universities. Nevertheless, Europe remains the dominant region of origin. The largest number of international students came from Central Europe, accounting for 41.7% of the total international student population. At the same time, Croatia has seen a rise in students arriving from Southern Europe, which represented 20% of international students, as well as from Western Europe, accounting for 14.3%. The leading countries sending students to Croatia in 2025/2026 were Germany, France, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia. 

When choosing Croatian study programmes, international students most frequently enrol in biomedicine and healthcare, social sciences, and technical sciences. Biomedicine and healthcare stand out as the most popular fields. In 2025/2026, as many as 58% of international students in Croatia were enrolled in programmes related to biomedicine and healthcare.

The continued growth in the number and diversity of international students reflects Croatia’s expanding role as an international study destination. With higher education institutions offering more programmes in English and other foreign languages such as Italian, German, and Slovenian, as well as by strengthening international partnerships and improving student mobility opportunities, Croatia is positioning itself as an increasingly competitive and attractive place for higher education in Europe.