Wrocław has a great tradition as an academic and research centre.

Ten Nobel Prize winners in various fields have been associated with the University of Wrocław during the 300 years of its existence.
They are: F. Haber (chemistry), F. Bergius (chemistry), M. Born (physics), R. Selten (economics), P. Ehrlich (medicine), O. Stern (physics), G. Hauptmann (literature), T. Mommsen (literature), P. Lenard (physics), and E. Buchner (chemistry).

Above all Wrocław is the breeding ground of engineers who have laid foundations for the electronic, chemical, machine, and other industries after World War Two.

Wrocław is currently Poland's third largest centre of higher education in all fields.
At the start of the academic year 2001/2002, the city's 21 institutions of tertiary education had an enrolment of 134 thousand, of which:

• University of Wrocław – 42.5 thousand,
• Wrocław University of Technology - 29 thousand,
• Wrocław University of Economics - 17 thousand,
• Agricultural University of Wrocław - 10 thousand,
• Wrocław Medical University - 3.5 thousand.

• Wrocław Academy of Music
• Academy of Fine Arts
• University School of Physical Education
• State School of Drama
• Military Academy
• International School of Logistics and Transport

Classes are taught by 6.3 thousand full-time academic staff, more than 1200 of whom hold professorial posts.

Higher education is enjoying a surge of interest from young people and graduation rates are on the rise. This trend has increased the ranks of highly qualified specialists in all fields as well as skilled workers.

Wrocław-based establishments of tertiary education take top or fairly high places in national rankings published by Wprost, Polityka, and Perspektywy magazines.
The rankings, prepared by independent bodies, reflect a number of criteria including the quality of academic publications, the structure of the staff, as well as the facilities and conditions for studying, such as libraries and student accommodation.

In 2002, the top ten institutions of higher education, out of 75 establishments that were ranked, included the Wrocław University of Technology (6th place) and the University of Wrocław (8th place). The Wrocław Medical University came fifth in a ranking of medical universities.

On 4 March 2003 six programmes at the Wrocław University of Technology were granted accreditations confirming the high standard of teaching offered. In connection with Poland's preparations for EU accession it is necessary to adopt standards of teaching that will be recognized throughout Europe. Following the adoption of the Bologna Charter, signed by the education ministers of 29 countries, accreditation commissions have been appointed to grant accreditations to the best universities. There are several such commissions in Poland, including the Accreditation Commission for Universities of Technology, which on 4 March 2003 started awarding accreditations to the best programmes offered by engineering schools.
The Commission confirmed that six programmes: computer science, architecture and town planning, control engineering and robotics (at the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Faculties) have excellent staff, experts in their respective fields, appropriate technical facilities, and offer a high quality of teaching.
The award of accreditation to six programmes does not mean that only six are good enough. They are only a good start; further programmes are being proposed for accreditation or are in the process of being audited by the Commission.

In addition to more than 123 pre-school education establishments, 100 primary schools, 71 lower secondary schools, and 49 secondary schools of general education, nearly 120 vocational schools at the basic and secondary levels, and 21 institutions of tertiary education, Wrocław is home to numerous research institutes, business organizations and establishments promoting innovation, and cultural institutions, which all strongly stimulate the development of the city and region. The activities and influences of some of them extend further: nationwide or internationally.

Research and research-and-development institutes:

• Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Wrocław Branch
• 16 PAN institutes.
  The most important, internationally renowned ones, include:
  - Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy,
  - Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research,
  - International Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures,
  - Space Research Centre.
• More than a dozen industrial research-and-development institutes, including
  - Institute of Power Systems Automation,
  - Industrial Institute for Automation and Measurements,
  - Electrotechnical Institute,
  - Institute of Telecommunications, Institute for Mechanized Construction and Rock Mining.
  The above are either independent institutes or branches.
• National Ossoliński Institute