School of Medicine, University of Zagreb

What School of Medicine, University of Zagreb does

The School of Medicine, University of Zagreb (Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, MEF) is a public higher education institution founded in 1917 in Zagreb, Croatia, and one of the oldest medical faculties in Southeast Europe. It is a constituent faculty of the University of Zagreb and serves as Croatia's primary medical education provider, delivering a six-year integrated undergraduate and graduate medical program in Croatian, a two-year graduate nursing program, six specialized postgraduate doctoral programs (including Biomedicine and Health and Neuroscience), and postgraduate specialist programs such as Healthcare Management (LMHS). International students are served through the Medical Studies in English (MSE) program launched in 2009, and the institution maintains clinical training partnerships across at least six major Zagreb hospitals including KBC Zagreb (Šalata, Rebro, Petrova), Sestre milosrdnice, Merkur, Dubrava, Jordanovac and Vrapče.

MEF's core digital product is MEF-LMS, a Moodle-based learning management system with AAI@EduHr authentication, integrating with the ISVU student information system and offering dedicated portals for each study track (MEF, MSE, DSS, PDS). A January 2026 upgrade added advanced cross-document content search and laid foundations for future AI-assisted personalization. Supporting infrastructure includes the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, the Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, the Institute of Anatomy 'Drago Perović' (with a body donation program), and the Central Medical Library. Research output is anchored by multiple Centers of Excellence in reproductive/regenerative medicine and translational/clinical research, and by the Croatian Medical Journal.

MEF's revenue model is a hybrid public funding structure: domestic tuition for the core medical program is government-funded through the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education via the NCVVO admissions system, while international tuition (MSE), postgraduate specialist fees, national and EU research grants (Erasmus+, Croatian Science Foundation, EU framework programs), continuing medical education programs, and public procurement/clinical service contracts with partner hospitals constitute supplementary revenue streams. Go-to-market combines centralized national admissions for domestic students, direct international recruitment for MSE via mse.mef.unizg.hr, Erasmus+ mobility exchanges, and clinical training placements across the partner hospital network. The faculty is governed by a Dean and Faculty Council under University of Zagreb oversight, with no private shareholders or external investors.

Name

School of Medicine, University of Zagreb

Legal name

Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu

Website

https://mef.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The School of Medicine, University of Zagreb is Croatia's oldest and largest public medical faculty (founded 1917), delivering six-year MD programs in Croatian and English, nursing, doctoral and specialist postgraduate education, and biomedical research across a network of Zagreb teaching hospitals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC), Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

Keywords

• Medical education
• Healthcare training
• Biomedical research
• Graduate medical studies
• Clinical teaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Revenue from student tuition for Medical Studies in English program (for international students) and postgraduate specialist programs. Basic medical studies are government-funded for domestic students.
2. Research Grants and Projects: Funding from national and international research projects including Erasmus+, Croatian Science Foundation, and EU framework programs. Revenue from project-based research activities and collaborations.
3. Continuing Medical Education: Revenue from lifelong learning programs, specialist training programs, and continuing medical education courses offered through the faculty.
4. Public Procurement and Services: Revenue from public procurement contracts, facility rentals, and specialized medical services provided to partner healthcare institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The School of Medicine, University of Zagreb delivers accredited medical and health science education through a six-year integrated medical degree (in Croatian and English), a two-year graduate nursing program, doctoral programs in Biomedicine and Health and Neuroscience, and postgraduate specialist tracks including Healthcare Management. It supports these programs with the MEF-LMS Moodle-based e-learning platform, ISVU-integrated enrollment, hospital-based clinical rotations across six Zagreb hospitals, and dedicated research institutes for neuroscience, public health, and anatomy.

Product overview

The School of Medicine, University of Zagreb operates primarily as an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of medical and health science programs. Its main digital product is MEF-LMS, a Moodle-based e-learning platform supporting multiple study programs including the six-year integrated Medical Studies in English (MSE) for international students, the Croatian-language medical degree, a two-year nursing graduate program, doctoral programs in Biomedicine and Health and Neuroscience, and various postgraduate specialist programs. The institution also runs a body donation program for anatomical education and maintains a Central Medical Library. The LMS integrates with the ISVU student information system for enrollment management and offers dedicated portals for each study track (MEF-LMS for medicine, MSE-LMS for English studies, DSS-LMS for nursing, and PDS-LMS for postgraduate studies).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Studies in English (MSE) Six-year integrated undergraduate and graduate medical degree program taught entirely in English for non-EU international students, with EU-recognized Bologna Process credentialing.
• Integrated Medical Degree (Croatian-language) Six-year integrated undergraduate and graduate medical degree program taught in Croatian, government-funded for Croatian citizens and EU residents via the NCVVO admissions system.
• Graduate Nursing Program (Diplomski studij sestrinstva) Two-year graduate nursing program leading to a Master of Nursing degree, covering advanced clinical nursing, leadership, and evidence-based practice.
• Postgraduate Doctoral Programs University doctoral study programs in Biomedicine and Health and in Neuroscience, supporting thesis-based research leading to doctoral dissertations.
• Postgraduate Specialist Programs University postgraduate specialist programs including Healthcare Management (Leadership and Management of Health Services, LMHS) and other specialist tracks.
• MEF-LMS Learning Management System Moodle-based e-learning platform with AAI@EduHr authentication, advanced document search across PDF, PPT, DOCX, XLSX, and image descriptions, ISVU student information system integration, and dedicated portals per study track (MEF, MSE, DSS, PDS).
• Body Donation Program (Program za darivanje tijela) Program operated by the Institute of Anatomy enabling citizens to donate bodies for medical education and research, with dedicated registration and counseling services.
• Central Medical Library (Središnja medicinska knjižnica) Central medical library providing academic resources, research materials, and information services to faculty students and staff.
• Continuing Medical Education (Lifelong Learning) Lifelong learning courses and continuing medical education programs for practicing physicians and healthcare professionals.
• Croatian Medical Journal Internationally recognized medical journal published by the faculty as a vehicle for research dissemination and academic reputation building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 medical students graduate annually from the faculty
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Medical School MostarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Zagreb and Mostar Medical Faculties signed an agreement to establish a Center for Public Health. This collaboration aims to strengthen public health education and research capacity across the region, combining expertise from both institutions to address shared healthcare challenges.
• EUmetriosis ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research consortium focused on endometriosis, with MEF participating in patient recruitment for clinical research studies.
• Alliance4LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean alliance of medical universities and research institutions focused on strengthening biomedical research and education. MEF participates as partner institution with collaborative opportunities for researchers.
• CROMSIC (Croatian Medical Students' International Committee)minorOthersStudent organization enabling medical students to participate in international medical education exchanges, research competitions, and professional development events.
• EMSA (European Medical Students' Association)minorOthersEuropean medical student network providing exchange opportunities, congress participation, and professional collaboration for medical students.
• CARNet (Croatian Academic and Research Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational research and education network providing internet connectivity, IT infrastructure, and digital services to Croatian academic institutions including MEF.
• Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo (Croatian Institute of Public Health)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in public health education and research; the School of Public Health 'Andrija Štampar' maintains close ties with national public health institutions for epidemiology training and research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Semmelweis University: Budapest-based medical university offering English-language medical programs for international students, with comparable scale, EU location, and similar dependence on international tuition alongside state funding — directly comparable to Zagreb's MSE strategy and regional positioning.
• University of Pécs Medical School: Hungarian medical school with strong English-language international program and comparable scale; competes for international students with similar pricing tier and Central European value positioning.
• Jagiellonian University Medical College: Kraków-based English-language medical program with comparable international student focus, public university structure, and Central European positioning; competing for the same non-EU international medical student market.
• Charles University - First Faculty of Medicine: Prague-based medical faculty with a centuries-old tradition and English-language medicine program for international students, operating within a public university structure similar to MEF and competing for the same Central European international student market.

Regional players

• University of Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine: Slovenia's primary medical faculty, a regional peer with comparable scale, public university structure, and clinical hospital training network; competes with Zagreb for Slovenian and broader Western Balkans medical students and researchers.
• University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine: Serbia's largest medical faculty with similar scale, public university structure, and English-language programs for international students; competes regionally for the Western Balkans student pipeline and research collaborations.

Broad incumbents

• Medical University of Vienna: Larger, well-established Central European medical university with broader research footprint and global brand; operates in the same market for international students and EU research funding, but with significantly more resources and reputation.
• Karolinska Institute: Sweden's premier medical university, a globally recognized benchmark for European medical education and biomedical research; while significantly larger and better-funded, it serves as the gold standard for EU medical schools that MEF's doctoral programs and research centers are benchmarked against.
• Sapienza University of Rome - Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry: Italy's largest medical faculty with substantial international research footprint and clinical training network; comparable in scale and breadth of programs though with greater resources and global recognition.
• Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine: Germany's leading medical faculty with strong biomedical research profile; competes for EU research funding, doctoral candidates, and international collaborations in the same European academic medical ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mef

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about School of Medicine, University of Zagreb