QS World University Rankings 2026: 3 Hungarian universities among the world’s top 2% – UPDATED
Hungarian universities have maintained a strong presence in international rankings, with the latest data revealing that three Hungarian institutions are now ranked among the world’s top two percent, the Minister for Culture and Innovation announced on Thursday. This is yet another compelling reason to pursue higher education in Hungary.
Three Hungarian universities among the world’s best
Out of approximately 30,000 universities worldwide, 12 Hungarian institutions are ranked within the top five percent. Among them, three — Eötvös Loránd University, the University of Szeged, and the University of Debrecen — are placed within the top two percent, Balázs Hankó told public news channel M1.
The QS World University Rankings consider teaching quality, research output, industry income, and international outlook. Hankó noted that Hungarian institutions have made significant progress in nearly all of these areas over the past five years.
Hankó attributes success to government reforms
According to the minister, the government introduced higher education reforms five years ago, based on recommendations from university senates advocating for a more flexible, performance-based, and autonomous system.
Since then, the number of international publications by Hungarian universities has risen by 50 percent. Cooperation with industry stakeholders has improved, applications from international students have increased, and the number of patents filed has grown sevenfold, he said.
Speaking on public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió, Hankó stated that Hungarian university students gain knowledge that is directly applicable in the labour market, adding that graduates find employment within an average of 42 days.
More than 8,400 institutions evaluated
Out of over 8,400 higher education institutions from 106 countries assessed by QS, the University of Debrecen ranked 563rd with an overall score of 29.4. Each university is rated on research and discovery, learning experience, employability, global engagement, and sustainability. The University of Debrecen improved by nine places compared to last year, making it the highest-ranked Hungarian university, according to its website.
Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) ranked 584th with a score of 28.7, while the University of Szeged was placed 597th with 28.3. Last year, ELTE ranked 564th and the University of Szeged 570th.
Ten Hungarian universities appear on this year’s list. Among the top 1,000 are five Hungarian universities, including the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the University of Pécs, both of which have improved their standings.
Regional competitors outperform Hungary
Hungarian media outlets have highlighted that no Hungarian universities have yet entered the global top 500.
Leading the global rankings are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a perfect score of 100, Imperial College London with 99.4, and Stanford University with 98.9.
In Central Europe, several universities have made it into the world’s top 500. The list includes two universities each in Vienna, Warsaw, and Prague, and one each in Krakow, Innsbruck, Graz, Brno, and Linz. The highest-ranking institution in the region is the University of Vienna, positioned 152nd globally.
UPDATE: Culture and Innovation Ministry
The culture and innovation ministry said in a statement that the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the University of Pécs had both risen in the QS World University Rankings, the former to the 711-720 range and the latter to the 741-751 range.
The Széchenyi István University of Győr, Óbuda University and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences are ranked in the 1001-1200 band, while the University of Miskolc and Pannon University are ranked in the 1200-1400 band.
Meanwhile, the Times Higher Education international rankings now includes 12 Hungarian universities, the statement said. The University of Debrecen and the University of Szeged are ranked among the top 400 institutions, while Széchenyi István University the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences have risen to the 401-600 band.
The rankings of other Hungarian universities are as follows: Eötvös Loránd University (601-800) the University of Sopron (801-1000), Semmelweis University, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, the Budapest University of Economics and Business and Pannon University (1001-1500), Budapest Metropolitan University and the Jon von Neumann University (1500+).
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