Budapest Metropolitan University (METU)

Budapest Metropolitan University (METU) is a state-accredited private university in Budapest, founded in 2000, that teaches bachelor's and master's degrees in English across business, communication, tourism, and art and design. For non-EU students in 2026/27, a business bachelor's costs $3,910 (€3,500) per semester and an art bachelor's $5,580 (€4,990). There is no compulsory IELTS: your English is assessed in an online interview. The next intake is February 2027 for business, communication and tourism only, with a non-EU application deadline of 20 November 2026.

METU calls itself Hungary's largest private university. Its real distinction is applied teaching: studios, case work and industry projects rather than research output. If rankings and research matter most, compare it with Hungary's public universities such as Corvinus.

METU fits you if you:

• want an English-taught bachelor's straight after secondary school without sitting a language test;
• are applying to graphic design, animation, film or media design and have a portfolio to show;
• prefer project-based management, marketing, tourism or international relations teaching;
• can pay two semesters in advance, which the residence permit file requires.

The titles below come from METU's English programme catalogue; fees are the 2026/27 non-EU rates per semester. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Turkey pay the lower EU rate.

Business Administration and Management builds a core of economics, corporate finance, accounting, logistics, ERP systems and controlling, then splits into Financial Management, Global Marketing or International Business; a specialisation only runs with at least 15 students. Graphic Design BA starts with drawing, lithography, screen printing and desktop publishing and finishes with UI/UX, responsive web design and a diploma project.

• Bachelor's: completed secondary school with an average above 50% in each year and in the final exams; BSc programmes also want a school maths grade above 60%.
• Maths test: business and tourism BSc applicants may sit a 30-minute maths test during the interview, depending on their overall grade average.
• International Relations BA: expect extra interview questions on current global issues.
• Art programmes: a portfolio is required at both levels.
• Master's: a related bachelor's degree with an average above 50%. At least 30 credits in the relevant field must be recognised (60 for Management and Leadership MSc and Tourism Management MSc). Missing credits are completed alongside the degree for a fee; with fewer than 30 credits you start with a one-semester Pre-Master programme.
• MBA: CV, motivation letter and an employment certificate showing at least three years in a professional or managerial role after a bachelor's degree, or two years after a master's.

English. METU expects roughly IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 69 for bachelor's and IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 79 for master's entry, but no certificate is required, and the admissions team can override a certificate based on interview performance. Applicants below the level are offered a one- or two-semester English Preparatory Program at $3,340 (€2,990) per semester.

1. Pick a programme and intake. Art programmes start only in September; business, communication and tourism also take February starters.
2. Register on DreamApply (apply.metropolitan.hu), pay the $110 (€100) registration fee and upload your passport, school records and, for art, your portfolio. Applicants from Bangladesh, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan pay a non-refundable $225 (€200) fee before documents are checked.
3. Online interview on Zoom, plus the maths test where it applies.
4. Conditional acceptance. METU issues mandatory invoices for two semesters of tuition and the $170 (€150) enrolment fee; insurance, dormitory and visa assistance are optional extras.
5. MoveMe registration. Signing up to METU's relocation platform is a required part of the process after acceptance.
6. Residence permit. Apply as described in the residence permit section below.

Students from Russia and Central Asia follow the same route as other non-EU applicants. Keep the bank confirmation of your tuition payment: the immigration file needs it.

Dates from METU's admissions page, checked on 7 October 2026:

The November date only works if your documents are ready now: the immigration office can take up to 60 days to decide after you apply. Starting from scratch, aim for September 2027.

METU charges in euros per semester and notes that fees may rise each year in line with inflation published by the Hungarian National Bank. The example assumes a non-EU business bachelor's student in a shared twin room in the residence METU offers, on a 10-month contract.

Without the deposit and flights, the first year of a business bachelor's comes to about $15,630–17,860 (€13,980–15,980); an art bachelor's to about $18,960–21,190 (€16,960–18,960). A single room at $575 (€515) a month adds roughly $1,900 (€1,700) over ten months.

There are no tuition-free places on METU's English programmes. What exists is a set of university discounts and Hungary's government scholarship.

• Early Bird: 10% off first-year tuition for applications before the early deadline (already closed for February 2027).
• Excellence award: 15% off first-year tuition, awarded by the admissions team on the basis of your interview, English and grades; you cannot apply for it separately.
• Sibling discount: 5% each for the whole programme while both siblings study at METU.
• Cap: combined discounts cannot exceed 25% in a semester.

Stipendium Hungaricum. METU is listed among the programme's host institutions. Scholarship holders pay no tuition and receive a monthly stipend of about $135 (HUF 43,700), a dormitory place or about $120 (HUF 40,000) a month towards rent, and medical insurance; the scholarship programme catalogue shows which METU programmes are open to them. Eligibility depends on your country's agreement with Hungary: more than 100 sending partners take part, each with its own fields, levels and nomination route, and you apply through the scholarship system rather than to METU directly. Check your country's entry on the official partner page before planning around it.

The study residence permit is issued by Hungary's National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF).

• Where to apply: nationals who need a visa apply at the Hungarian consulate in their country of citizenship or residence; visa-exempt nationals may apply inside Hungary during a lawful stay.
• File: admission letter, proof of tuition payment, proof of means (bank statement, a notarised family support declaration with proof of the sponsor's income, or a scholarship certificate), full health cover, a Hungarian address and a photo. Minors also need notarised parental consent translated into Hungarian or English.
• Decision: within 60 days of application.
• Entry: once approved, the consulate issues a D visa valid for 3 months for one entry and 30 days' stay to collect the permit; the card is posted to the university.
• Validity: at least one year and up to three, renewable. Renewal can be refused if you have not graduated within 1.5 times the standard study period.
• Work: up to 30 hours a week in term and up to 90 days a year full-time outside term.
• After graduation: while your study permit is still valid you can apply for a permit to look for work or start a business at the level of your degree.

A study permit does not let family members join you on a family reunification permit. If you book METU's dormitory and your permit is refused, the dormitory fees are refunded on presentation of the OIF decision; once the permit is approved, the booking can no longer be cancelled.

• Nagy Lajos király útja 1–9, District XIV — business, communication and tourism;
• Rózsa utca 4–6, District VII — design and graphics;
• Infopark, Gábor Dénes utca 2, District XI — media and film;
• Infopark sétány 1 — art and design theory.

Graphic design students work in lithography, screen-printing, linocut and risograph studios with a laser cutter, 3D printer and bookbinding workshop. Business teaching leans on case studies and simulated business environments.

METU has no halls of its own; it offers places in a residence about 12 minutes by public transport from the main building, with a pool, gym and shared kitchens. From 1 August 2026 a twin-room place costs $385 (€345) a month on a 10-month contract or $415 (€370) on a 5-month one; a single room costs $575 (€515) or $615 (€550). Cancel by 15 August (autumn) or 15 January (spring) to get the dormitory payments back. METU puts a private flat at $670–895 (€600–800) a month.

Consider other options if you:

• need tuition-free study and do not qualify for a government scholarship;
• want a research-led university or a top-ranked brand;
• want to start an art or design degree in February;
• cannot pay a full year of tuition before the residence permit application.

Common mistakes:

• spending months on IELTS preparation instead of preparing to speak confidently in the interview;
• skipping maths revision before the business-programme test;
• putting a portfolio together in the final weeks;
• counting on the early-application discount for February 2027 after 30 September 2026;
• applying in the last days before 20 November and running out of time for the permit.

For the wider picture of public and private options, see our guide to studying in Hungary.