6 best universities in Croatia in 2026
Ranking based on the average of the three main global rankings: Shanghai (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS.
University of Zagreb
Average rank: #841
No. 1University of Zagreb
Croatia's largest and oldest university, founded in 1669, spanning virtually every academic field.
No. 2University North
Public polytechnic university in Varaždin and Koprivnica, focused on technology and multimedia.
No. 3University of Split
Public university on the Adriatic coast, strong in medicine, engineering, architecture and marine sciences.
No. 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Leading public university of Slavonia, founded in 1975, spanning sciences, engineering, medicine and humanities.
No. 5University of Rijeka
Public university in the Adriatic port city of Rijeka, known for medicine, sciences and engineering.
No. 6University of Zadar
Public university focused on humanities and social sciences, heir to institutions dating back to 1396.