The main task of this research paper is to understand changes in the Polish higher education after 1989 from the world polity perspective.      However, the most important part of the research is an evaluation of diffusion of the knowledge society and measure its impact on higher education. The analysis is focused on three major factors considered to be crucial for building the pillars of knowledge society in higher education: a) access, b) quality, c) effectiveness. The analysis is based on review the following literature: the Polish public debate on higher education which took place on major magazines and newspapers, the law of higher education (1990-2007), official policy papers and expertise (1990-), reports published by OECD, World Bank, UN on higher education in Poland (1990-2007), reports published on the Polish higher education in the context of the Bologna Process, international agreements on higher education (1990-2007), the public statistics both international (EC, World Bank, OECD) and national (GUS). To complete the desk research findings, a number of non-standardized in-depth interviews with top people in the Polish higher education were conducted.