Study in Budapest, Hungary

About Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary, in the centre of the country on the Danube. The river divides the city into hilly Buda on the west bank and flatter, busier Pest on the east. It had 1,675,777 inhabitants on 1 January 2026, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). The Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Budapest is also Hungary's main student city: half of the country's university students study there, according to Study in Hungary, the official portal run by the Tempus Public Foundation. For international students, the draw is a wide choice of English-taught programmes in a capital where living costs are lower than in most Western European cities.

Studying in Budapest

Hungary has 64 accredited higher education institutions, and together they offer more than 700 programmes in English, German, French and other languages. Degrees follow the bachelor's, master's and doctoral structure with ECTS credits, while medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, architecture and law are taught as integrated one-tier programmes. The official language is Hungarian, a Finno-Ugric language unrelated to its neighbours, so learning some basics helps in daily life. The Stipendium Hungaricum is the government's main scholarship programme for international students.

Our directory lists five schools in Budapest: four higher-education institutions and one vocational school.

• McDaniel College Budapest, founded in 1994, is the Budapest campus of the American McDaniel College. It awards American degrees, with an average of eight students per class.
• IBS International Business School has offered business education since 1991, with bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes and campuses in Budapest, Vienna and Mauritius.
• Central European University (CEU) was established in 1991 and moved its main campus and degree programmes to Vienna in 2019. Its Budapest site remains the base for research institutes, the archives and the CEU Summer University.
• Duna International College, established in 2010, runs preparatory programmes for students who want to go on to partner universities in fields such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering and business.
• BGSzC II. Rákóczi Ferenc Technikum is a Hungarian-language secondary technical school with programmes in business and management and in tourism and hospitality.

Cost of living for students

Study in Hungary puts the rent for a room or flat in Budapest at HUF 120,000 to 220,000 a month plus utilities, and landlords usually ask for a deposit of at least two months' rent. A university dormitory is the cheapest option: its cost calculator gives an average of HUF 36,000 a month for Budapest. Tuition depends on the school; McDaniel College Budapest, for example, charges EUR 4,600 per semester in the first two years (Fall 2026 rates), and its housing costs EUR 3,500 to 4,500 per semester.

Students from EEA countries may work without a limit on hours. Students from outside the EEA with a residence permit for study may work 30 hours a week during term, or 90 days or 66 working days outside term.

Getting around and daily life

BKK runs the city's metro, trams, buses and trolleybuses. A single ticket costs HUF 500 and a monthly Budapest pass HUF 8,950; the student monthly pass (HUF 3,450) is only available to EU citizens with an EU student ID and an address in Hungary. The airport shuttle bus costs HUF 2,500 per trip.

Students from outside the EU/EEA who stay longer than three months need a residence permit for study, with proof of accommodation, enough money and full health insurance. Winters are cold and summers warm: January is usually the coldest month and the warmest period is late July to early August, while the average annual temperature in most of Hungary is 10 to 11.5 °C (1991-2020, HungaroMet).

Frequently asked questions

Can I study in English in Budapest?

Yes. Hungarian institutions offer more than 700 programmes in English and other foreign languages, and schools in Budapest such as McDaniel College and IBS teach in English.

How much does a month in Budapest cost for a student?

Rent is the largest cost: HUF 120,000 to 220,000 a month for a room or flat, or about HUF 36,000 for a dormitory place, according to Study in Hungary. A monthly transport pass costs HUF 8,950.

Can international students work in Hungary?

EEA students may work without a limit on hours. Non-EEA students with a residence permit for study may work 30 hours a week during term.

Is Central European University still in Budapest?

CEU moved its main campus and degree programmes to Vienna in 2019. Its Budapest site still hosts research institutes, the archives and the CEU Summer University.