Which fields of study are worth choosing in Poland in 2026? The answer to this question depends not only on the popularity of a field, but also on the demand for specialists, the development of individual sectors and the current educational offer of Polish universities. Based on official labour market forecasts and the educational programmes of higher education institutions, we will consider the fields that have the most well-founded prospects for study and subsequent employment in 2026.
Medicine and health sciences
Medicine remains one of the most well-founded fields in terms of labour market demand. In the nationwide “Occupational Barometer 2026” forecast, doctors, nurses and midwives, as well as care professionals, are listed among occupations facing a shortage of candidates. A shortage of medical personnel is observed not only in individual regions but also at the national level.
The educational offer of Polish universities corresponds to this demand. For example, Warsaw Medical University offers a range of programmes for the 2026/2027 academic year, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, emergency medical care, pharmacy, physiotherapy, medical analytics and public health.
The fields worth paying attention to include:
- medicine
- nursing and midwifery
- emergency medical care
- medical analytics
- physiotherapy and other healthcare-related specialities
Artificial intelligence, information technology and cybersecurity
Digital fields remain an important part of the educational offer of Poland’s leading technical universities. At the same time, not all professions in information technology are considered to be in shortage at the national level. For example, a relative balance between supply and demand is forecast for analysts, testers and computer systems operators.
However, universities are actively developing specialised programmes related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and intelligent systems. For example, in the 2026/2027 academic year, Warsaw University of Technology offers, among others, cybersecurity, computer science, automation and robotics, Internet engineering and electronics.
Therefore, the prospects of digital fields in 2026 should primarily be associated with narrow specialisation and modern technological competencies, rather than simply obtaining a degree in information technology.
Energy and green transition
Another field with a clear connection to market needs is energy. In the nationwide “Occupational Barometer 2026”, electricians and energy specialists are included among occupations facing a shortage of workers. At the same time, the situation for electrical engineers and energy engineers is generally closer to balance, although staff shortages are also forecast in certain regions.
Polish technical universities are offering an increasing number of specialised educational programmes. In particular, the following are available:
- energy
- renewable energy and energy management
- nuclear energy
- hydrogen energy
- sustainable energy systems
- energy transition
- environmentally friendly energy sources
Thus, it is possible to choose not only traditional energy studies, but also specialisations related to renewable sources, hydrogen, nuclear energy and the transformation of energy systems.
Automation, robotics and modern engineering
Polish technical universities are actively developing programmes focused on the automation of production and the digitalisation of industry. For example, Warsaw University of Technology offers automation and robotics, industrial automation, robotics and computer science, as well as automation and robotisation of production processes for the 2026/2027 academic year.
At the national level, specialists in electronics, automation and robotics predominantly fall into the category of balanced supply and demand. At the same time, the significant number of relevant programmes at technical universities demonstrates the important role of such competencies in modern engineering education.
Psychology and special education
In 2026, certain social and educational specialities are also promising in terms of workforce demand. The nationwide forecast classifies psychologists and therapists, teachers in special schools and integrated classes, teachers of vocational subjects and specialists in practical vocational training as shortage occupations.
These fields are also represented in the educational offer of Polish universities. For example, the Maria Grzegorzewska University offers programmes in psychology, special education, pre-school and primary education, social work, speech therapy and other educational programmes for the 2026/2027 academic year. The University of Warsaw also offers studies in psychology.
Thus, this is one of the cases in which the educational offer directly corresponds to professional groups for which the official forecast indicates a shortage of personnel.
Finance, accounting and digital management
In the nationwide forecast for 2026, independent accountants are classified among shortage occupations. At the same time, this does not mean that there is a shortage of all specialists in economics or finance, so the prospects of such a field should be assessed with regard to the specific specialisation.
At the Warsaw School of Economics, the fields of study include finance and accounting, applied economics, logistics, quantitative methods in economics and information systems, as well as international business, finance and management.
At the same time, Warsaw University of Technology combines management education with technological competencies. Its programmes and specialisations include digital finance, artificial intelligence in management, machine learning, generative artificial intelligence and digital industry technologies.
Therefore, programmes that combine finance or management with data analytics, information systems and digital technologies may be particularly relevant.
How to choose a relevant field of study?
The name of a speciality alone is not sufficient to assess future career prospects. Even the same field at different universities may differ in its programme, specialisations and graduate employment outcomes.
To assess a specific university or field in Poland, it is possible to use the state system for monitoring the economic outcomes of graduates. It allows educational programmes to be compared using actual graduate data, including:
- salary levels
- time taken to find the first job
- unemployment rate
- relative earnings level
- relative risk of unemployment
Such indicators make it possible to assess not only the popularity of a speciality but also the actual outcomes of graduates after completing their studies.
Which fields are worth considering in 2026?
If both the official forecast for the Polish labour market and the current educational offer of universities for the 2026/2027 academic year are taken into account, medicine and healthcare, energy, psychology and special education can be particularly highlighted.
Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analysis, automation and robotics are also widely represented in the programmes of leading technical universities. However, their prospects are better assessed on the basis of a specific specialisation, university and graduate employment indicators.
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