Hungarian university ranks among World’s Top 200

Hungarian universities have moved further up in international rankings, the state secretary for higher education, vocational training and youth said on Monday.

The Semmelweis University has broken into the top 200 institutions in the Times Higher Education subject rankings and is now central Europe’s leading medical school, Veronika Varga-Bajusz told public current affairs channel M1. Twelve Hungarian universities are in the top 5 percent globally, with nine excelling in engineering and seven in life sciences, covering all major academic fields, she said. She noted that the government’s aim is for a Hungarian university to reach the global top 100 by 2030.

Whereas in 2020 Hungarian universities held 24 positions across global rankings, they now they occupy 60, the state secretary said. She said this showed that systematic planning and strategic work had delivered significant results. The progress made by Hungarian universities over the last five years meant that they now provided internationally competitive education at home, she added.

Regional universities are also rising, with half of all students enrolled outside Budapest, Varga-Bajusz said. Last year, engineering and IT were the most popular fields, but teacher training also saw high demand, she said. Labour market-aligned courses were expanding, and student recruitment remained stable, she added.

Noting that applications for 2026 are open until 15 February, Varga-Bajusz said that last year, 107,000 of 129,000 applicants were admitted, and similar numbers were expected this year.

Meanwhile, Varga-Bajusz told public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió that rankings reflected opportunities for students and were vital for the nation.

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