ACADEMIC STAFF AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, 2025/2026 ACADEMIC YEAR

In the 2025/2026 academic year, there are 19 471 members of academic staff working at institutions of higher education on employment contract or contractual agreement basis. Expressed by the full-time equivalent, the total number of members of academic staff amounts to 13 578.0, out of which the share of those working on the employment contract basis is 82.7% and of those working on the contractual agreement basis 17.3%.

Out of the total number of academic staff working on the employment contract basis, there were 75.0% of doctors of science and 13.5% of masters of science and masters/specialists. The share of women in the total number of academic staff working on the employment contract basis is 52.4% (the share of women holding a degree of doctor of science is 74.2%, while 13.0% of women hold a degree of master of science and master/specialist).

The share of women in the total number of academic staff working on the contractual agreement basis is 54.1%. There are 45.1% of doctors of science among academic staff working on the contractual agreement basis (the share of women holding a degree of doctor of science is 41.2%), while 22.7% of them hold a degree of master of science and master/specialist (the share of women is 19.9%).

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

The data are the result of statistical processing of data collected from the institutions of higher education in the Republic of Croatia through the Annual Report on Academic Staff (ŠV-60 form) at the beginning of an academic year.

Coverage and comparability

The survey covers institutions of higher education in the Republic of Croatia and data are comparable to those from the previous academic years.

Definitions and explanations

Institutions of higher education are universities as well as faculties and art academies as their component part, polytechnics and schools of professional higher education.

Institutions of higher education can be public and private.

University is an institution that establishes and conducts university studies in at least two areas of scientific or artistic activity in a number of fields, as an autonomous and integrated process, directly or through its faculties, art academies and departments.

University comprises the following: faculties, art academies, departments and institutes and other units according to the law.

Professional studies can also be taught at universities and their units.

Faculty is an institution of higher education, a component part of a university, where university studies are organised and conducted and where scientific and professional work in one or more scientific or professional fields are developed. Professional studies can also be conducted there.

Art academy is an institution of higher education, a component part of a university, where artistic studies are organised and conducted and where top artistic endeavours and scientific and research activity in the field of art are nourished. Professional studies can also be conducted there.

University department is a component part of a university, where university courses are taught and where scientific, artistic or professional work in a particular field of science or an interdisciplinary area is developed.

Polytechnic and school of professional higher education are institutions that establish and conduct professional studies. Polytechnic is a school of higher education that conducts at least three different studies in at least three different fields and cannot have schools of professional higher education as its component parts.

Academic year starts on 1 October of the current year and ends on 30 September of the following calendar year.

At the institutions of higher education, teachers are elected to scientific-educational, artistic-educational, educational, associate and professional titles.

The institutions of higher education may entrust the teaching to visiting professors or teachers without election to the scientific-educational title.

Scientific-educational titles and artistic-educational titles are assistant professor, associate professor and full professor.

Educational titles are lecturer, senior lecturer, college professor, language instructor, senior language instructor, artistic associate and senior artistic associate.

Associate titles are assistant and senior assistant.

Professional titles are professional associate, senior professional associate and professional adviser.

Visiting professors or teachers are persons (scientists, artists or professionals) who can teach at institutions of higher education without the obligation of concluding an employment contract with them, and in conformity with the provisions of the statute without election to the scientific-educational title.

The total number of teachers is not an actual number of physical persons; the number of teachers expressed as a full-time equivalent would correspond to the actual number of physical persons.

Full-time equivalent (FTE) is expressed in person-years and presents time as a share of full working time in which persons in employment are engaged in work.

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
Press corner: press@dzs.hr

Persons responsible:
Mario Vlajčević, Director of Demographic and Social Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Acting Director General

Prepared by:
Marija Gojević and Ana Šojat

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