Among the graduates of the Cracow University of Economics are many well-known figures from the worlds of business, politics, and culture.

Among the graduates of our University are:

• Dr Habil. Eng. Mariusz Andrzejewski, Associate Professor - Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance from December 2005 to April 2006
• Rafał Baniak - Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Social Policy in 2004 - 2005 and later at the Ministry of Economy from 2007
• Rafał Brzoska - CEO of InPost
• Prof. Dr Habil. Jan Czekaj, Full Professor - Deputy Minister of Finance in 2002 - 2003, Member of the Monetary Policy Council in 2003 - 2010
• Andrzej Dąbrowski - CEO of SKAWA SA Confectionery Industry Company in Wadowice since 1997
• Andrzej Domański - Minister of Finance in the government formed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2023), graduate in economics from the Cracow University of Economics
• Krzysztof Drohomirecki - restaurateur, founder of "Pożegnanie z Afryką," one of Poland’s first franchise chains
• Marek Dworak - Vice President and President of RMF FM (2004–2009)
• Ireneusz Fąfara - energy sector expert, since April 2024 CEO and General Director of ORLEN S.A.; CEO of Orlen Lietuva in 2010 - 2018. Acting President of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego from May to July 2007 and then President from 2007 to 2009; former Vice President of the Social Insurance Institution between 1999 and 2007
• Tadeusz Ferenc - Mayor of Rzeszów since 2002, Member of Parliament (Sejm) of the 4th term. Awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2010)
• Piotr Gaweł - Member of the Management Board of TVP S.A. for Marketing and Advertising between 2002 and 2006
• Adam Góral - CEO of Asseco Poland
• Prof. Dr Habil. Jerzy Hausner, Full Professor - Minister of Labour and Social Policy in 2001 - 2003; Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Policy in 2003 - 2004; Deputy Prime Minister in 2003 - 2004; Member of the Monetary Policy Council since 2010
• Konrad Hernik - CEO of Armatura Kraków S.A. since 2005
• Prof. Dr Habil Leszek Kasprzyk, Full Professor - Minister Plenipotentiary at Poland’s Permanent Mission to the UN between 1968 and 1971; Vice President of the UN Committees on Natural Resources and Science and Technology from 1975 to 1980; Director of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) Scientific Station in Paris from 1980 to 1985 and in Vienna between 1991 and 1993
• Roman Kluska - founder of Optimus
• Andrzej Kowalczyk - CEO of Zarząd Uzdrowiska Rabka S.A.; Board Member of Uzdrowisko Szczawnica S.A. from 1999 to 2001; Director at the Kraków City Hall between 2003 and 2006
• Bogdan Kucharski - General Director of BP Europa SE
• Lesław Kuzaj - Director for Central Europe at General Electric International
• Olgierd Meysztowicz - CEO of Polindus S.A.
• Dr Aleksander Miszalski, Assistant Professor - Mayor of Kraków
• Agnieszka Odorowicz - Director of the Polish Film Institute from 2005, Deputy Minister of Culture in 2004 - 2005, Vice President of the Institute of Art Association in Kraków (1998 - 2004)
• Jacek Olbrycht - Director General of the Ministry of National Defense since 2007
• Dariusz Orłowski - CEO of Wawel S.A. since 2001
• Prof. Dr Habil. Stanisław Owsiak, Full Professor - Member of the Monetary Policy Council between 2004 and 2010
• Dr Jan Pamuła Assistant Professor - CEO of Kraków-Balice Airport since from 2008, Member of Parliament from 1991 to 1993, former President of the Chamber of Crafts in Kraków and Vice President of BPH Bank in the 1990s
• Marzena Piszczek - research associate at the Department of Finance in Cracow University of Economics; official at the Ministry of State Treasury and the Director of the Kraków Regional Office of the Ministry; Chair of the Supervisory Board of Poland’s largest insurance company - PZU S.A.; represents the State Treasury on the board of special-purpose vehicle Kappa, established by Eureko shareholders and the State Treasury for the company's public offering. Dr. Piszczek also serves as Chair of the Supervisory Board of Zakłady Azotowe in Tarnów
• Katarzyna Rogowiec - bronze medalist at the Vancouver Paralympics, double gold medalist at the Turin 2006 Paralympics; actively employed and supporter of UEK’s ZSN Association for people with disabilities
• Ewa Wachowicz - Miss Polonia 1992, 3rd runner-up at the Miss World pageant, winner of Miss World University title in 1993. Journalist at Polsat Café, former spokesperson for Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak, producer of "Robert Makłowicz’s Culinary Travels" and host of the cooking program "Ewa Gotuje" on Polsat TV
• Prof. Dr Habil. Andrzej Wojtyna, Full Professor - Member of the Monetary Policy Council between 2004 and 2010
• Sobiesław Zasada - sportsman, entrepreneur, founder of the Grupa Zasada
• Rafał Ziobro - first Pole and ninth person in the world to swim across the Strait of Magellan; as well as the first Pole to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar. Founder and long-time director of the Kraków Mountain Festival held at the Cracow University of Economics
• Dr Wiesław Żyznowski, Assistant Professor - graduate of the Faculty of Management at the then Academy of Economics in Kraków, and of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University (PhD in philosophy). Specialist in the philosophy of entrepreneurship. CEO of Mercator Medical S.A. since 2010, owner of Baza Wiesław Żyznowski and the publishing house Żyznowski.

Additionally, many graduates of the Cracow University of Economics hold or have held positions as presidents, vice presidents, management and supervisory board members in major companies including Fortis Bank, Link4, Armatura S.A., Bank BPH S.A., Carlsberg S.A., consulting firms, and enterprises from the “Top 500 Companies in Poland” list, as well as leading scientific and professional societies and committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Among the university's former students (then known as the Higher School of Commerce) were also the renowned actor Zbigniew Cybulski and the poet Zbigniew Herbert.