The study involved 952 high school students and 5,328 current and former university students. WSL, as the only non-public university in Poland, achieved a score of 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5. The following received 4.5 points: Kozminski University, National-Louis University, the University of Economics and Humanities in Bielsko-Biała, and the University of Humanities in Poznań. The list of the top twenty, with a score 0.4 points lower than the best, is closed by the University of Computer Sciences and Economics in Olsztyn and the University of Occupational Safety Management in Katowice. As the initiators of the project say, the goal of the study was to create a “ranking different from all others, taking into account the preferences, expectations, and needs of future, current, and recent students.” The research also allowed for a better understanding of the modern high school graduate. We learn, among other things, that this year’s secondary school graduates want to study in fields that interest them. They focus more on what they like than on what professional prospects await them. They have divided opinions, however, regarding student organizations, cultural offerings, tuition fees, or even international cooperation. For some people participating in the study, these are of great importance, for others – none at all. Especially surprising is the rather low interest in international cooperation. High school graduates do not see the benefits of additional skills and experience that can be gained by participating in student exchanges. They care much more about good student-lecturer relations. At university, they want to be treated as partners, and they expect lecturers to have extensive experience and create a pleasant atmosphere during classes. The opinion of the school among potential employers is of less importance to them, but the possibility of combining studies with work is important. When asked to indicate specific universities, they are more willing to choose good public institutions. As many as 89 percent declare a desire to study at the most well-known universities and technical universities. They rate the University of Warsaw, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, and the Jagiellonian University in Kraków the highest. Only 32 percent of high school students thought about starting at private schools. The obstacle, apart from problems with paying for such studies, is the lack of anyone among friends who has studied at such a university and can evaluate it. A friend’s opinion is one of the most valued sources of knowledge about universities for high school graduates. Much more valuable than open days, job fairs, or information in the media. A separate group of respondents surveyed by the “Nasza-klasa.pl” portal consisted of students and university graduates. In their case, the ratings were based on experience. Almost unanimously, they awarded the leader position to public schools. The research showed that they clearly distinguish the most popular universities from the best ones. This proves that they care more about the quality of education than about prestige or tradition. In the Top 20 list of the most popular public universities created based on their ratings, the leaders are: Warsaw University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). The Łódź Film School (PWSFTiT) and the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) also performed quite well.
On the other hand, on the list of the best private universities, students and graduates definitely rate the Poznań School of Logistics (WSL) the highest. Just behind it are: Kozminski University in Warsaw, the Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu National-Louis University in Nowy Sącz, and the Poznań University of Humanities and Journalism. The research shows that they perceive these universities as schools famous for their high level of teaching, whose graduates are considered to be perfectly educated individuals.
– It is nice to hear good things about your university. Considering that the ranking concerned various universities, regardless of the offered fields and study programs, I assume that the opinions of its participants concern not so much substantive matters, but rather the climate of studying, the relationships prevailing at the university, the knowledge and commitment of lecturers, and their approach to students. These are important things, and we devote a lot of attention to them. But I would like to point out that the value of a diploma is confronted on the labor market. That is why we focus primarily on the quality of education. We want our curricula to be interesting for young people and to meet their interests and the needs of future employers. We want them to distinguish the Poznań School of Logistics from so many higher education institutions in Poland. And I think these are the attributes that our students and graduates appreciate – says Ireneusz Fechner, Chancellor of WSL.