Want to study abroad? Choose from the best Hungarian universities

Have you ever dreamt of leaving your country for a semester, for a year, or even for the length of an entire university career? If your answer is yes, let me tell you why you need to choose Hungary and provide you with a little help when choosing the best institution that fits you.

Let me start with a quick pros and cons list. Cons: none. Pros: a ton.

Hungary is a beautiful little country in the middle of Europe that has everything.

Modest-sized mountains reaching to the sky in winter, nice beaches around the largest Central European lake, the coolest music festivals all through spring and summer, cosy yet vibrant cities specialised in giving the best university experience. Moreover, it is a rather cheap option wherever you decide to study in the country for a high-ranking university diploma. No matter if it is for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or a PhD. To top it off, a standard university course (not medical or law school, of course) lasts 3 years in Hungary, as opposed to the 4 years of many European universities.  

If this did not convince you, the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings definitely will.

9 Hungarian universities are featured on the list of the UK-based university ranking magazine.

These institutions, of course, are considered the best, most popular, and most famous in the country – no wonder they made it to this prestigious list.

For many years, the Semmelweis University of Medicine in Budapest (SOTE, as we call it in Hungary) is leading this mini-list. The university was last ranked between the 400-500^th position in the world. Apart from offering an extremely prestigious degree whichever course you choose,

32% of all students come from other countries,

so a multicultural environment is already a given. Moreover, the university is also a list-leader when it comes to another factor, the ratio of female and male students. A little over two-thirds of all students are women.

If you want a school dominated by women but you are not keen on learning all the details of human anatomy because you are more into social issues, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) is your destination. Just as in the case of SOTE,

almost twice as many female students attend lectures than their male colleagues,

and I do not refer to the fact that men tend to skip more classes. ELTE is a bit behind SOTE on the international list, and “only” 10% of all full-time students are foreigners. However, you can quite literally study anything in English from an undergrad to a PhD level. Apart from living in Budapest, you can also be a part of amazing scandals like when 

a participant appeared without pants at the scientific conference of the university.

When it comes to the ranking, the University of Pécs follows. First of all, Pécs is one of the most amazing cities in Hungary that was transformed into a university paradise. Moreover, 24% of students come from all over the world to study at Hungary’s first university. The ratio of female and male students decreases compared to the already mentioned institutions, but the university is still dominated by the weaker but not less intelligent sex.

The University of Debrecen offers several BA and MA courses in Business, Commerce and Marketing, Business Economics, or Tourism, among others, all of them in English. A little less than a quarter of all students are foreigners. Apart from the undeniable beauty of the Northern Great Plain’s capital, the city offers many possibilities to have fun while spending your summer vacation. The most well-known event is the Debrecen Flower Carnival, a 55-year-old tradition organised every year on the national holiday of August 20.

If you are looking to study in a breathtaking and vibrant university city with a cosmopolitan vibe, you have to choose Szeged. It is not only one of the most beautiful cities of Hungary but the high number of international students will make sure you do not only learn whatever your course includes but everything there is to know about your favourite country you are dying to visit.

All BA courses of the university related to economy, business, and tourism are available in English.

If you would rather explore all the beauty and fun the Hungarian capital has to offer, I would recommend you choose between the two rival universities situated on the opposing banks of the Danube, almost right opposite each other. Both the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Corvinus University of Budapest (Corvinus) are excellent choices, as they are two of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

There is a huge variety of courses offered completely in English, be it International Relations, International Economics, or Communication and Media.

While most of the courses offered by BME are more technical and related to engineering, Corvinus rather concentrates on social training and qualification, apart from its excellent courses in economy and business. If you found the course you like at both universities, maybe the higher number of university students attending Corvinus can help decide.

Whichever university, city, or course you choose, you can be very sure that

you will have an amazing time, acquire a world-class education and will spend much less money than you would in almost any other European city.

Read alsoFudan University, one of the world’s best, to build a campus in Budapest by 2024

Source: timeshighereducation.com, websites of universities