Rankings: The 12 best universities in Hungary for 2025/2026
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Hungary has become one of the top choices for international students looking to study in Central Europe. With a mix of historic universities, modern facilities, and a growing number of English-taught programmes, Hungary offers high-quality, affordable education in a culturally rich environment.
The rankings below highlight the best universities in Hungary for international students. With respectable ranks among the top 200 universities in Europe, institutions like Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, the University of Szeged, Semmelweis University, and the University of Pécs are considered one of the best. Very respectable results for the small Central European country of just 10 million people!
Hungarian universities are also internationally recognised for their strong programmes in medicine, natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering.
Whether you choose to study in Budapest, a dynamic capital city with a vibrant student scene, or in smaller academic hubs like Szeged or Pécs, you’ll benefit from a supportive atmosphere and an affordable cost of living.
| University | QS Ranking 2025 | THE Ranking 2025 | ARWU Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) | 564 | 801 | 501 |
| University of Szeged | 570 | 1001 | 401 |
| University of Debrecen | 574 | 801 | – |
| Budapest University of Technology and Economics | 721 | 1201 | 801 |
| University of Pécs | 771 | 1001 | – |
| Corvinus University of Budapest | 1001 | – | – |
| Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences | 1001 | 1001 | – |
| Széchenyi István University | 1001 | 1501 | – |
| Óbuda University | 1201 | 601 | – |
| University of Miskolc | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| University of Pannonia | 1201 | 1201 | – |
| Semmelweis University | – | 251 | 601 |
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
From its glorious capital Budapest to its beautiful nature, Hungary offers a wealth of experiences to international students. Dozens of universities offer degree programmes in English at reasonable tuition fees.
Read more about studying in Hungary
