Warsaw School of Economics (WSE) is the oldest economic university in Poland. It is also considered to be the most prestigious. It was founded in 1906 as a private school under the name of August Zieliński Private Trade Courses for Men. On July 30th 1919 it became a separate legal entity and was granted the status of an institution of higher education, thus becoming a separate scientific institution.

It was renamed Szkoła Główna Handlowa (SGH) in 1933. Following World War II and establishment of the communist regime in Poland SGH was nationalized and its name changed to Szkoła Główna Planowania i Statystyki [Main School of Planning and Statistics]. The school regained it's pre-war name after the fall of communism in 1991, though it remains to be a public institution.Today Warsaw School of Economics offers course leading to Bachelor's or Master's degrees to both full-time and extra-mural students. It also offers doctoral and Postgraduate Programmes.Warsaw School of Economics is a member of CEMS.