What SWPS University does

SWPS University (Uniwersytet SWPS) is a private Polish higher-education institution founded in 1996 and headquartered in Warsaw, operating across 8 campuses in Poland's major cities (Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław, Poznań, Sopot). The university specializes in social sciences, humanities, psychology, law, design, and business, organized into 15+ faculties and degree programs at undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postgraduate levels. It is the largest private university in Poland, with the strongest positioned psychology program in the country, and was rebranded in 2024 from SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny to Uniwersytet SWPS to reflect a broader institutional scope.

The core product portfolio centers on degree-granting education (Studia wyższe), postgraduate studies (Studia podyplomowe), and doctoral programs through the Szkoła Doktorska, with distribution supported by the Wirtualna Uczelnia (Virtual University) portal and the Mój USWPS mobile application for iOS and Android, plus library integrations with EBSCO, Legalis, and LEX. Adjacent revenue and ecosystem products include the OpenEdu online courses and certifications platform, the Trainer School (Szkoła Trenerów), the Language School (Szkoła Językowa), the School of Form design school, clinical psychology services through CBT clinics in Warsaw and Poznań, and a Knowledge Transfer Centre (Centrum Transferu Wiedzy) and SWPS Innowacje unit for research commercialization.

The business model is predominantly subscription-recurring tuition across annual academic cycles, augmented by professional-services revenue from EU and national research grants and applied research projects. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, combining open days (Drzwi Otwarte), online applications, high-school outreach, social media, education fairs, and a dedicated international recruitment office. Strategic partnerships include the ERUA European University Alliance and a co-branded Nike merchandise collaboration, with external recognition via THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 and HR Excellence in Research from the European Commission.

Name

SWPS University

Legal name

Uniwersytet SWPS

Website

https://swps.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SWPS University is Poland's largest private university, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Warsaw, operating 8 campuses across Poland to deliver undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postgraduate programs in psychology, social sciences, humanities, law, design, and business to domestic and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Private university
• Social sciences
• Psychology programs
• Postgraduate studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Warszawa

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees: Primary revenue from tuition fees charged for various study programs including undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postgraduate studies. Fees vary by program and campus.
2. Research grants and projects: Funding from European Union programs, national research grants, and applied research projects for businesses and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SWPS University is a private higher education institution in Poland offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postgraduate degree programs across psychology, law, humanities, social sciences, and design, delivered through a network of 8 Polish campuses and supported by an online Virtual University platform and a mobile application (Mój USWPS). The university also operates complementary units such as a CBT Clinic, Counseling Center, Language School, Trainer School, and Career Office.

Product overview

SWPS University operates as a comprehensive private university with a multi-campus presence across Poland (Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław, Poznań, Sopot). The institution offers a diverse portfolio of educational products including higher education degree programs (psychology, law, management, design, journalism, IT, humanities), postgraduate studies, and doctoral programs through its Szkoła Doktorska. Digital service delivery is supported through the Wirtualna Uczelnia (Virtual University) online portal and the Mój USWPS mobile application for iOS and Android. Professional development offerings include OpenEdu online courses, certification programs, and specialized schools (Language School, Trainer School). The university provides clinical services through its Psychology Clinics in Warsaw and Poznań, and supports business collaboration via the Knowledge Transfer Centre and SWPS Innowacje. A notable partnership with Nike enables branded merchandise sales through a dedicated e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of Form: Design school within SWPS University offering programs in design and architecture
• Re_Mind Kongres i Festiwal Psychologiczny
• HumanTech Summit
• Mój USWPS

Products and services

• Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs Multi-year bachelor's and master's degree programs in psychology, law, humanities, social sciences, and design, taught in Polish and English, targeting domestic and international students seeking accredited higher education qualifications.
• Doctoral Studies (Szkoła Doktorska)
• Postgraduate Studies Specialist postgraduate and MBA programs for graduates and working professionals seeking professional development and credentialed specializations, delivered in flexible formats.
• OpenEdu Online Courses Open-access online courses and continuing-education content delivered through a dedicated e-learning platform for self-learners and the general public.
• Language School Foreign-language courses (e.g., English, Spanish, German) for SWPS students and external learners seeking certified language proficiency.
• Trainer School Certification program preparing professionals (trainers, coaches, facilitators) with skills for delivering group training, workshops, and developmental interventions.
• Virtual University (Learning Management Platform) Centralized learning management system providing course materials, timetables, grades, and digital resources to enrolled students across all campuses and online programs.
• CBT Clinic Cognitive-behavioral therapy services provided to external clients, also serving as a clinical training site for SWPS psychology students.
• Counseling Center Psychological counseling and mental-health support for students, staff, and external clients.
• Career Office Career counseling, job-search support, and employer-matching services for SWPS students and alumni.
• Knowledge Transfer Centre Unit that brokers applied research, consulting, and expert services between SWPS faculty and external businesses, governments, and NGOs.
• SWPS Innowacje Applied-innovation arm that collaborates with external organizations on research, prototyping, and product-development projects drawing on university expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized in THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ERUA (European University of Rural Areas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPS University is a member of ERUA (European University of Rural Areas), a European university alliance focused on collaboration in education, research, and innovation across multiple institutions.
• Nike & USWPS CollaborationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnique collaboration with Nike resulting in branded merchandise and co-branded products sold through dedicated retail channels.
• EARMA (European Association of Research Managers)minorOthersSWPS University joined EARMA, a prestigious community of research managers, to enhance research management practices.
• European Universities Association (EUA)minorOthersMembership in European Universities Association for higher education policy engagement.
• International Association of Universities (IAU)minorOthersMembership in IAU for global higher education networking and collaboration.
• Millennium Docs Against GravityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Millennium Docs Against Gravity documentary film festival for cultural and educational events.
• Gutek FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm dialogue series 'Dialogi filmowe – kino i społeczeństwo' co-organized with Gutek Film.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kozminski University: Kozminski University is a leading private university in Warsaw offering business, management, law, and finance programs. It is directly comparable to SWPS as a top-tier Polish private higher education institution competing for the same domestic student pool and employer-recognition rankings.
• Lazarski University: Lazarski University is a private university in Warsaw with strong programs in law, economics, and international relations. It competes directly with SWPS in Warsaw for law and social science students and operates with a comparable tuition-driven private university model.
• Vistula University (Akademia Finansów i Biznesu Vistula): Vistula University is a private Polish university in Warsaw offering economics, management, and international relations programs. It is comparable to SWPS as a multi-faculty private Polish higher education provider competing in overlapping disciplines.
• WSB Universities: WSB is one of the largest private university networks in Poland with campuses across multiple cities. It is directly comparable to SWPS in operating a multi-campus private higher education model targeting working adults and undergraduate students across Polish voivodeships.
• Collegium Civitas: Collegium Civitas is a private Polish university in Warsaw specializing in social sciences, political science, sociology, and international relations. It is directly comparable to SWPS in the social sciences and humanities segment of Polish private higher education.

Broad incumbents

• University of Warsaw: The University of Warsaw is Poland's largest public research university, offering tuition-free programs in psychology, law, social sciences, and humanities. It is comparable as a broad incumbent competitor whose public status and scale shape the competitive landscape for SWPS in Poland.
• Jagiellonian University: Jagiellonian University in Kraków is a leading Polish public research university covering humanities, social sciences, law, and psychology. It is comparable to SWPS as a broad incumbent competing for top students and faculty in psychology and social sciences.
• SGH Warsaw School of Economics: SGH is Poland's leading public economics and business university based in Warsaw. It is comparable to SWPS as a broad incumbent competitor in management and business education, and a destination for high-achieving Polish students.
• University of Phoenix: University of Phoenix is a large US-based private for-profit university serving adult and online learners across multiple disciplines. It is thematically comparable to SWPS as a multi-campus, multi-program private higher education provider with tuition-driven revenue, although operating in a different regulatory market.

Others

• SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (former name): SWPS University was formerly known as "SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospołeczny." Included as an identity reference rather than a separate peer; useful for understanding the institution's rebranding history.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cp_swps
• Facebookfacebook.com/szkolawyzszapsychologiispolecznej
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uniwersytet-swps
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniwersytet_swps
• TikToktiktok.com/@uniwersytetswps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SWPS University