New scientific categories and the right of universities to nostrify

Only a university with the scientific category A+, A or B+ in the discipline of the studies a diploma concerns may nostrify it (Art. 327(4) of the Law on Higher Education and Science). For doctors and dentists this is usually medical sciences, for pharmacists pharmaceutical sciences, for nurses and midwives health sciences, and for vets veterinary science.

On 22 July 2026 the Minister of Science and Higher Education announced the end of the next stage of the 2022–2025 evaluation and published a list of planned categories. The decisions were delivered by 31 July 2026. Universities had 30 days to request reconsideration, so some categories may still change.

Which universities are affected

In the planned list, categories below B+ went to, among others:

• Casimir Pulaski Radom University: B in medical sciences,
• Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw: C in medical sciences,
• the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice and the Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz: B in pharmaceutical sciences.

If these categories become final, the universities will lose the right to nostrify in these disciplines. The law does not say directly what happens to procedures already under way. If your application is being handled at one of these universities, ask the dean’s office.

We show each university’s categories, discipline by discipline, in the catalogue and the ranking. We will update them once the final decisions are made.

Sources: announcement of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 22 July 2026, list of planned categories.