Higher education and scholarly study in Hungary have a lengthy and interesting history. Additionally, teaching in foreign languages most notably English has a lengthy history. Hungary’s alluring combination of top-notch education at reasonably inexpensive tuition and living expenses attracts international students. The University of Szeged (SZTE), Semmelweis University, and Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) are regarded as the premier institutions in Hungary and have acceptable rankings among the top 200 universities in Europe. Very admirable outcomes for the tiny nation of 10 million inhabitants in Central Europe.

Hungary’s universities

Hungary is dedicated to being a top hub for higher education, despite not being as well-known as European locations like the UK, Germany, or France when it comes to studying abroad. In addition to offering more courses taught in languages other than Hungarian, most frequently English, universities in Hungary are also embracing a rising number of overseas students, both on exchange programs and for full degrees.

Universities in Hungary provide three levels of degree:

  • Alapképzés (bachelor’s).
  • Mesterképzés (master’s).
  • Doktori képzés. 

This is in accordance with the Bologna Process, which strives to make higher education institutions throughout Europe more compatible (doctorate). Master’s programs last one to two years, doctoral programs three years, and bachelor’s degrees commonly three to four years. It’s also possible to finish a single five or six-year course, which combines the bachelor’s and master’s levels.

Hungary’s top universities

The top universities in Hungary to apply to are listed below:

The Szeged university

It is the top-ranked institution in Hungary and is currently ranked between positions 501 and 550 in the QS World higher learning institutions Rankings and 27th in Emerging Europe and Central Asia. The institution, which is eager to welcome international students, takes part in the Erasmus exchange program and offers scholarships to overseas students in all subject areas. The majority of classes are taught in English, and some bachelor’s degrees require an introductory course in the language. It is ranked among the top 450 higher learning institutions worldwide in six fields, including agriculture, where it ranks top 200 overall.

Eötvös Loránd university

It is one of the biggest and most prestigious universities in Hungary, is situated in Budapest, and is ranked 651–700 in the world and 30th in the EECA area. With a founding date of 1635, it is also one of the oldest. Numerous well-known scientists and four Nobel Prize winners are among Eötvös Loránd’s former students. In its eight faculties, the institution currently enrolls roughly 28,000 students, including 2,000 foreign students.

University of Debrecen

As of 2018, it was ranked 35th globally and between numbers 651 and 700 in the EECA region. They have their main campuses in Debrecen, the second-largest city in Hungary. It offers a wide range of courses taught in English and has a strong commitment to accepting international students. It is rated as one of the top universities globally for six subjects with regard to QS World higher learning institutions rankings by Subject, including spots and the top 300 globally for modern languages, medicine, and forestry.

Budapest’s Corvinus university

It is placed 45th in the EECA and 801–1000 globally. In 2016, it had just under 11,000 students registered, including more than 1,400 from countries other than Hungary. Many of these students are engaged in a variety of programs taught in several languages, such as English, French, and German. For both economics and business as well as agriculture and forestry, it is currently placed top 350 universities worldwide.

Budapest University of Technology and Economics 

It is placed equal to 28th in the QS EECA  higher learning institutions rankings 2018 and is positioned between 751 and 800 in the QS World higher learning institutions  rankings in 2018. It also appears seven times in the 2017 QS World higher learning institutions rankings by Subject, including rankings top 300 globally for both mathematics and material sciences. It teaches a variety of languages, including Hungarian, English, German, French, and Russian, just like the Corvinus University in Budapest.

Take away

The University of Pécs, the oldest nationally and ranked 63rd with regard to  EECA rankings, as well as Szent István University, Kaposvár University, the University of West Hungary, Széchenyi István University, the University of Pannonia, and the University of Budapest, are other renowned universities in Hungary that all provide assistance for international students.