Hungary is a pretty ideal destination for international students with its high quality of life, safe environment, vibrant culture, exciting history, and relatively affordable cost of living compared to neighboring European countries. It is also home to several internationally renowned universities with many Nobel Prize winners. Here, we will be looking at some of the best affordable universities in Hungary for international students.
Hungarian medical and dental schools are globally recognized, and several universities offer English or other foreign-language courses in these fields. Local students in Hungary also start learning English at a young age, making the country quite convenient for international students to fit in. There are also Hungarian language courses and preparatory programs offered at most universities for an affordable price.
In addition to the country’s excellent course offerings, international students can also benefit from the generous Hungarian Scholarship program that covers tuition fees, medical insurance, monthly allowance, and even accommodation expenses during the entire duration of the study program. Many universities also offer career assistance for students to get a part-time job to support their education and other living costs during their stay in the country.
Related Scholarships
Cheap Universities in Hungary
1. University of Pannonia
- Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs: €2,700 – €3,000
- Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs: €3,000 – €4,000
The University of Pannonia’s predecessor was launched in 1949. It currently has three campuses in Vezprém (Vezprém, Nagykanizsa, and Kőzseg) and one in Zalaegerszeg. The four campuses collectively host around 5,000 students—almost 300 of whom are from 17 other countries. More than 50% of the international student population are recipients of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship.
This affordable university in Hungary offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. programs for international students under four faculties: Business & Economics, Engineering, Information Technology, and Modern Philology & Social Sciences. International students are required to present an English language proficiency certificate for admissions.
UP is renowned for offering a balance of low-cost quality education and entertainment to its students through numerous cultural events and leisure activities that allow them to socialize and build connections with professors and fellow students. Such interactive events include the Freshmen Camp and the annual Vezprém University Days—the university’s very own music festival.
2. University of Szeged
- Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs: €3,000 – €6,200
- Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs: €3,600 – €8,200
Originally a Catholic university launched in 1851 in Cluj-Napoca in Romania, offering courses in Arts and Theology, the University of Szeged (SZTE) is another affordable university in Hungary. It is also among the most prestigious and multi-awarded universities in the country and a member of multiple international higher education organizations.
The university has over 21,000 students—20% of which are international students from over 115 countries. They can choose from SZTE’s numerous international undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral study programs, such as Agriculture, Humanities, Law, Music, Sciences, and more.
SZTE takes pride in its international identity and aims to attract more outstanding students and highly qualified teaching staff in its steadily growing population. To achieve this, the university offers generous scholarships to international students and multiple foreign-language courses. There are also numerous student and staff mobility programs to boost everyone’s learning opportunities and develop a more global skill set.
3. Eötvös Loránd University
- Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs: €3,600 – €9,600
- Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs: €4,400 – €8,380
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) originated from Slovakia in 1635 and moved to Budapest in the 1770s, where it came to be known as the Royal Hungarian University. Eventually, in 1950, it got its current name as a tribute to a world-famous physicist who happened to be one of the university’s professors.
Throughout its almost 400 years of existence, ELTE has gained global recognition, mainly due to its award-winning alumni and professors. The university’s long history also doesn’t hinder its continuous growth and expansion with the integration of more learning institutions and the creation of new faculties within the past 20 years.
This university in Hungary with cheap tuition fees ranks high in global university rankings in research and multiple scientific fields. As a result, modern-day ELTE hosts roughly 33,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the country with the highest number of course offerings and over a hundred foreign language programs. It is also highly ranked by students and alumni in national student satisfaction evaluations.
4. Szent István University
- Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs: €4,000 – €5,000
- Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs: €4,000 – €6,000
The Szent István University (SZIU) was founded in 2000 from the merger of numerous higher education schools, some dating as far back as 1787. Its seven faculties are spread among five campuses: Gödöllő where the headquarters is located, Budapest, Gyöngyös, Kaposvár, and Keszthely.
This affordable university in Hungary specializes in agriculture, mechanical engineering, economics & social sciences, and food science. It has established partnerships with universities in Europe, Asia, the former USSR-member countries, Africa, and the US to offer global learning and market standards for these programs.
The campus locations are also pretty attractive for international students because each one of them offers a unique experience of Hungarian history, culture, and cuisine. Despite the high demands of education, students can find something fun and leisurely to do during their break.
5. University of Pécs
- Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs: €4,400 – €8,000
- Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs: €4,400 – €11,000
The University of Pécs (UP) is the oldest university in Hungary that opened in 1367 at the behest of King Louis the Great. It is also one of the largest in the country, born from the integration of multiple learning institutions that have established excellence in their respective specializations.
Currently, this affordable Hungarian university has around 20,000 students, which includes roughly 4,500 from over 80 countries. The student body is divided among the ten faculties in UP that offer a wide array of courses, including arts, business, engineering, humanities, law, sciences, and medicine—the latter of which has earned the university a good reputation in world rankings.
The university has been offering courses in English for more than 35 years and started offering German courses ten years ago. Along with the university’s numerous global partnerships, this move helped the University of Pécs attract outstanding international staff and students.
