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Hungary’s capital and largest city, Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one of its most-visited.
But why have one city when you can have two? Fun fact: Budapest is split in two halves (Buda and Pest) either side of the Danube river, the city has everything you’d want in a charming European capital: fairy-tale architecture, fascinating history, great cuisine (known for its use of paprika), and fairly low living costs.
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities, Budapest offers a great student life, with a large selection of unique ‘ruin pubs’, bohemian cafés, bars, clubs and live music venues, as well as events such as the Sziget music festival, one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Those interested in studying in Budapest will be pleased to learn that the city is ranked as the best in the world for affordability, thanks to the low cost of living. Tuition fees average only US$3,600 per year.
The city is also packed full of museums and galleries, such as the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery, which boasts more than 100,000 pieces of European art. And if you fancy a break from your studies, you could relax in one of the city’s famous thermal springs.
Budapest is noted for its strengths in the arts, entertainment, fashion, education, finance and sport. The city is home to over 35 higher education institutions, five of which appear in the QS World University Rankings® 2023 – and there are many opportunities for international students to study in English or other popular languages such as French or German.
Best universities in Budapest: QS Best Student Cities ranking: 66th
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.
Why study in Budapest?
Amazing culture
There’s more to Budapest than meets the eye! Hungary boasts a lively museum scene, rich Hungarian music heritage, and numerous world-famous artists, it'll be a while before you run out of things to do in Budapest.
The capital has a wonderful mix of art museums and cultural centres, with galleries representing Hungarian culture dotted all over Budapest.
If you'd like to check out the galleries and museums in Budapest, a number of them provide an insight into Hungarian culture: the Hungarian National Gallery, the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest, the Kunsthalle, the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, and finally, the Museum of Applied Arts.
Relax like the Romans
Budapest is also known as the ‘Spa Capital’ of Europe, with a strong wellness culture, thanks to the delightful benefits of the Carpathian Basin’s thermal water. A well-known “secret” of the Hungarians, Budapest baths play a vital part in Hungarian culture.
The Romans were the first to introduce bathing culture in the region, and archaeologists have found the remains of various baths of the onetime Pannonia. After the Romans, came influence from the Turks, with three Turkish baths still existing in Budapest today: the Rudas, Király and Rác baths.
Budapest hot baths are an integral part of everyday life, and not just for pampering sessions, as the water's natural healing properties work wonders for stress, arthritis, and joint problems. Here are three baths to try: the Széchenyi, Gellért and Rudas Baths (at Rudas there’s even a rooftop pool with panoramic views of the city).
Party culture
Although studying abroad is about studying in a new location and learning about a new culture, there's still room to party, right? Some of your best memories when you look back on your time abroad will be made while partying the night away. And where better than Budapest?
Budapest has a vibrant party culture with all sorts of different places to choose from. While you're in Budapest, be sure to enjoy the city's world-renowned ruin bars.
Budapest is one of the most affordable cities in the world for students - coming in at 30th in the world this year. So if you want to ensure value for money while studying and living your life, look no further than Budapest.
Hungarian universities charge tuition fees, but compared to other countries in Europe they are very affordable. Depending on the university and the programme, you can expect to pay around 2,500 to 3,000 euros per year; Engineering programmes can be a bit more expensive at up to around 5,000 euros per year.
Numbeo estimates that a single person's monthly costs without rent will be US$599.68, and rent is even cheaper! With a one-bedroom apartment in the city only costing US$494.01 in rent.
Remember, before you travel to Budapest, Hungary doesn't use Euros and still uses Hungarian Forint (which explains the low, low costs).
Careers in Budapest
Interested in solving the challenges facing the world today? You could land a job at BP's GBS organisation (an integrated part of BP) which is situated in Hungary. The offices in Budapest focus on customer service, finance, accounting, procurement, human resources services and other enabling functions.
Graduates could also land jobs at IBM, Citi, and Diageo.
Niamh is Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.
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Study in Budapest
Niamh Ollerton
Updated Jun 30, 2022Save
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Hungary’s capital and largest city, Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one of its most-visited.
But why have one city when you can have two? Fun fact: Budapest is split in two halves (Buda and Pest) either side of the Danube river, the city has everything you’d want in a charming European capital: fairy-tale architecture, fascinating history, great cuisine (known for its use of paprika), and fairly low living costs.
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities, Budapest offers a great student life, with a large selection of unique ‘ruin pubs’, bohemian cafés, bars, clubs and live music venues, as well as events such as the Sziget music festival, one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Those interested in studying in Budapest will be pleased to learn that the city is ranked as the best in the world for affordability, thanks to the low cost of living. Tuition fees average only US$3,600 per year.
The city is also packed full of museums and galleries, such as the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery, which boasts more than 100,000 pieces of European art. And if you fancy a break from your studies, you could relax in one of the city’s famous thermal springs.
Budapest is noted for its strengths in the arts, entertainment, fashion, education, finance and sport. The city is home to over 35 higher education institutions, five of which appear in the QS World University Rankings® 2023 – and there are many opportunities for international students to study in English or other popular languages such as French or German.
Best universities in Budapest: QS Best Student Cities ranking: 66th
Eotvos Lorand University (701-750); Budapest University of Technology and Economics (801-1000); Szent Istvan University (801-1000); Corvinus University of Budapest (801-1000); Óbuda University (1201-1400).
More about Budapest
Number of institutions ranked by QS
5
Highest-ranked institution
Eötvös Lorànd University (701-750 in the world)
Population
1,768,000
Average international fees (at ranked unis)
US$3,600
Desirability rank
66th
Employer Activity rank
65th
Affordability rank
30th
Student Mix rank
Student Voice rank
62nd
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.
Why study in Budapest?
Amazing culture
There’s more to Budapest than meets the eye! Hungary boasts a lively museum scene, rich Hungarian music heritage, and numerous world-famous artists, it'll be a while before you run out of things to do in Budapest.
The capital has a wonderful mix of art museums and cultural centres, with galleries representing Hungarian culture dotted all over Budapest.
If you'd like to check out the galleries and museums in Budapest, a number of them provide an insight into Hungarian culture: the Hungarian National Gallery, the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest, the Kunsthalle, the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, and finally, the Museum of Applied Arts.
Relax like the Romans
Budapest is also known as the ‘Spa Capital’ of Europe, with a strong wellness culture, thanks to the delightful benefits of the Carpathian Basin’s thermal water. A well-known “secret” of the Hungarians, Budapest baths play a vital part in Hungarian culture.
The Romans were the first to introduce bathing culture in the region, and archaeologists have found the remains of various baths of the onetime Pannonia. After the Romans, came influence from the Turks, with three Turkish baths still existing in Budapest today: the Rudas, Király and Rác baths.
Budapest hot baths are an integral part of everyday life, and not just for pampering sessions, as the water's natural healing properties work wonders for stress, arthritis, and joint problems. Here are three baths to try: the Széchenyi, Gellért and Rudas Baths (at Rudas there’s even a rooftop pool with panoramic views of the city).
Party culture
Although studying abroad is about studying in a new location and learning about a new culture, there's still room to party, right? Some of your best memories when you look back on your time abroad will be made while partying the night away. And where better than Budapest?
Budapest has a vibrant party culture with all sorts of different places to choose from. While you're in Budapest, be sure to enjoy the city's world-renowned ruin bars.
Testimonials
Cost of studying in Budapest
Budapest is one of the most affordable cities in the world for students - coming in at 30th in the world this year. So if you want to ensure value for money while studying and living your life, look no further than Budapest.
Hungarian universities charge tuition fees, but compared to other countries in Europe they are very affordable. Depending on the university and the programme, you can expect to pay around 2,500 to 3,000 euros per year; Engineering programmes can be a bit more expensive at up to around 5,000 euros per year.
Numbeo estimates that a single person's monthly costs without rent will be US$599.68, and rent is even cheaper! With a one-bedroom apartment in the city only costing US$494.01 in rent.
Remember, before you travel to Budapest, Hungary doesn't use Euros and still uses Hungarian Forint (which explains the low, low costs).
Careers in Budapest
Interested in solving the challenges facing the world today? You could land a job at BP's GBS organisation (an integrated part of BP) which is situated in Hungary. The offices in Budapest focus on customer service, finance, accounting, procurement, human resources services and other enabling functions.
Graduates could also land jobs at IBM, Citi, and Diageo.
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Niamh is Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.
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