Universities in Hungary

Hungary offers international students affordable education and living costs in a modern multicultural country in the EU with a fascinating history, sharing borders with countries including Austria, Slovakia and Croatia.

The types of University

There are 80 universities and higher education colleges in Hungary. Universities in the country mostly fall into the following categories:

• Universities – Which tend to be research-led. There are several universities in Hungary, the largest of which are the University of Debrecen, the University of Pécs and the University of Szeged.
• Universities of applied sciences – focus on the practical application of the taught subjects and includes Hungarian institutions such as Eszterházy Károly University, the University of Nyíregyháza and the University of Pannonia.
• Institutions of technology – specializing in the teaching of engineering and practical sciences, Hungary boasts institutions such as Szent István University and John von Neumann University.
• Medical schools – Focusing purely on the tuition of medicine and related fields, examples in Hungary include Semmelweis University and the University of Veterinary Medicine.
• Business schools – Focusing mainly on the tuition of business and related fields, examples in Hungary include Budapest Business School and Corvinus University.

Language of tuition

The official language of Hungary is Hungarian (Magyar), and as such many universities in Hungary offer courses taught in Hungarian.

Many universities in Hungary also offer courses delivered entirely in English, for example the University of Pecs offers a wide range of bachelors and masters degrees taught in English.

Popular Hungarian cities for international students

• Budapest – Centrally located in Hungary on the Danube river, Budapest is the most common destination for international students. Offering UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit, and lots of history and culture to absorb, it is easy to see what makes this city so popular. Budapest is home to many institutions such as Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eötvös Loránd University and Corvinus University.

• Debrecen – Located towards the east of Hungary, Debrecen is the country’s second largest city and is of great historical importance to the country. It is also a largely forested city. Debrecen is host to the University of Debrecen, which is one of Hungary’s largest universities.

• Pecs – Located in the south west of the country close to the border with Croatia, Pecs has a strong history of the arts and is host to the oldest university in Hungary, the University of Pecs.

• Miskolc – In the north east of Hungary near the Bükk Mountains lies Miskolc, which is a popular location for international tourists and home to the University of Miskolc.

The top universities in Hungary

Hungary has a long history of higher education and has many prestigious universities that feature in world university rankings such as the QS rankings and Times Higher Education rankings, including the the University of Szeged, University of Debrecen, the University of Pécs, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Table of the top ranked universities in Hungary

See below for a list of universities and higher education providers in Hungary. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see which courses are available for international students.