Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU): Admission, Fees and Housing

Mendel University in Brno (Mendelova univerzita v Brně, MENDELU) is a public university founded in 1919 and named after the geneticist Gregor Johann Mendel. It has five faculties covering agriculture, forestry and wood technology, business and economics, horticulture, and regional development, plus an Institute of Lifelong Learning. Every Czech-taught programme is free for admitted students of any nationality, but selection differs by faculty: Forestry and Horticulture rank applicants on school grades and require international applicants to hold a B2 Czech certificate, while Business and Economics and Regional Development run tests. The main English-taught option is economics at the Faculty of Business and Economics (PEF), at $3,720 (CZK 80,000) a year with September and February starts.

Who is MENDELU for?

MENDELU makes sense if you are interested in agricultural and food sciences, forests and wood, horticulture, agricultural economics or regional development. In the same city, Brno University of Technology covers engineering and IT, and Masaryk University offers a classic broad range; in Prague, the Czech University of Life Sciences has a similar profile. Browse more options on the Czech Republic page.

Where do teaching and field training take place?

The main campus in the Černá Pole district near Brno's centre houses all faculties except Horticulture, plus the library, canteens and a botanical garden with an arboretum; a hall of residence is next door. Practical training happens on university-owned land: extensive forests, a third of them in a protected landscape area, and a farm in Žabčice with experimental fields, around 1,200 cattle and vineyards that double as a gene bank of grape varieties. The university reports about 1,500 staff and more than 100 degree programmes in Czech and English.

Which faculties and fields does MENDELU offer?

Bachelor's degrees take three years (Bc.); master's degrees take two years (Ing., or Ing. arch. in landscape architecture).

How much does MENDELU cost?

These rates come from the annex to Rector's Order 16/2025, in force since 14 June 2025; no separate price list for the 2027/28 intake had been published on the check date. If Czech-taught study runs beyond the standard length, the first extra year is free, the second costs CZK 18,000 ($840), and from the fifth extra year the charge is CZK 36,000 ($1,670) a year.

At PEF, first-year students pay for the whole year; afterwards they may pay per semester, by 31 August for winter and 31 January for summer. Payment is possible by card through the university system, by bank transfer, or through Flywire in your home currency. See the cost of studying in Czechia for comparisons and how to pay for studies abroad from Russia for legal payment routes.

How do you apply to English-taught programmes at PEF?

The application portal reopens on 15 October 2026 under new conditions. Under the published conditions for 2027/28:

1. Online application in the university information system with a motivation letter. Choose the programme code ending in "A" (bachelor's B-EAMA; master's C-EAMA or C-OIA). Under the official 2027/28 conditions the application fee is CZK 1,000 ($46) per application and is non-refundable; the faculty's admissions web page does not state the amount, so rely on the PDF.
2. Online test. Bachelor's applicants sit the TPSA in English: 80 points for reasoning tasks and 20 for English, with 60 of 100 needed to pass. A Scio General Academic Prerequisites (GAP) result at the 60th percentile or higher, no more than two years old, can replace it. Master's applicants take a 25-question test in economics and management or in informatics.
3. Motivation letter assessment, also with a 60-of-100 minimum, possibly followed by an online interview.
4. Recognition of previous education, signing the study contract and paying the fee.
5. Visa, for non-EU citizens.

The faculty also lists admission costs beyond tuition: CZK 900 ($42) for recognition of previous education and a CZK 5,000 ($230) accommodation deposit, refunded in full if your visa is refused or you withdraw before applying for it.

Online tests run weekly, and a pass is valid for two years, which leaves time for recognition and the visa. A failed test can be repeated after three months. The dean decides on admission; the faculty's international office aims to answer emails within 14 days.

How do you get into a free Czech-taught programme?

MENDELU's English website puts it briefly: Czech-taught programmes are free for all admitted students, provided they pass the admission requirements in Czech. In practice each faculty sets its own rules. Forestry and Wood Technology and Horticulture (2026/27 conditions) rank applicants on their average grades over the last two and a half years of school, with no exam; international applicants other than Slovaks post a certified copy of a Czech certificate at B2 or higher. Furniture Design at the Forestry faculty adds a creative exam. Business and Economics and Regional Development run tests in Czech. The application fee for Czech-taught programmes in 2026/27 was CZK 600 ($28), or CZK 800 with a creative exam. Application windows for 2027/28:

At PEF the Czech bachelor's application fee is CZK 1,000; the entrance exam (a study aptitude test, or an informatics test for the IS/ICT administration programme) runs 17 April – 2 May 2027. A Scio OSP result at the 60th percentile or higher, taken between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027, is one way to be exempted. Enrolment takes place in person between 14 June and 16 July 2027.

If you have no Czech yet, the ICV runs a one-year beginners' course taught in Czech from day one for applicants with completed secondary education. More options: Czech preparatory courses and free university education in Czechia.

Do you need nostrification?

MENDELU accepts either full nostrification, a decision with permanent validity across the Czech Republic, or a verification of your previous education for one specific admission procedure. Verification is simpler but cannot be reused elsewhere; under the Rector's Order it costs CZK 900 ($42), non-refundable whatever the outcome. Documents need an apostille and a translation into Czech or English. See nostrification in Czechia.

What visa rules apply to Russian, Kazakh and Belarusian citizens?

Non-EU students need a long-term visa or residence permit for study and must show CZK 115,810 ($5,380) for 12 months; the Ministry of the Interior decides. Details are in our student visa guide.

• Russian and Belarusian citizens. Under Government Regulation No. 55/2024, residence applications they file at Czech embassies are inadmissible, also for dual nationals. The regulation was unchanged on 1 October 2026, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the restrictions on 9 February 2026. There is no student exemption for Russians; Belarusians qualify only with specific Czech government, Czech Ministry of Education or EU scholarships. Only biometric Russian passports are recognised.
• Kazakh citizens apply at the Czech Embassy in Astana by appointment; see studying in Czechia for Kazakh students.

How much do MENDELU halls of residence cost?

Student rates valid from 1 July 2026, per bed per night:

First-year students email the accommodation office of their chosen hall after admission and pay a refundable CZK 5,000 ($230) deposit, returned in full if they cancel by 31 August and half if they cancel by 15 September. Keeping a multi-bed room to yourself costs an extra 80% per empty bed.

Which mistakes cost applicants a place?

• Applying to a Czech-taught programme without a B2 certificate: at the Forestry and Horticulture faculties an international applicant cannot be admitted without a certified copy.
• Selecting a Czech programme code by mistake instead of the one ending in "A".
• Missing a faculty's Czech application deadline, which ranges from 31 March to 30 April.
• Assuming the Faculty of Horticulture is in Brno.

FAQ

Is Mendel University free for international students?

Yes, for every programme taught in Czech within the standard length of study. Selection depends on the faculty: Forestry and Horticulture look at school grades and a B2 Czech certificate, whereas the Business and Economics and Regional Development faculties set admission tests. English-taught programmes charge tuition.

How much does an English programme at MENDELU cost?

At the Faculty of Business and Economics, the Economics and Management bachelor's and master's and the Open Informatics master's cost CZK 80,000 ($3,720) a year. At the Faculty of Regional Development, English-taught bachelor's programmes cost CZK 65,000 and master's CZK 75,000 a year; the International Master of Horticultural Science is free.

What entrance exam does PEF use for English programmes?

Bachelor's applicants take the online TPSA and need at least 60 of 100 points, or submit a GAP score at the 60th percentile or above. The motivation letter is then scored, sometimes with an online interview; master's applicants take a subject test instead.

When can I start an English programme?

PEF admits English-programme students for September and February starts. The application portal for the next cycle reopens on 15 October 2026, and online tests are held weekly.

Can Russian citizens study at MENDELU?

The dean can admit them, but Czech embassies treat their study visa and residence applications as inadmissible under Regulation No. 55/2024, and the Ministry of the Interior decides on residence.

How much is student housing in Brno?

MENDELU halls charge CZK 116–189 per bed per night, roughly $160–260 a month, plus a refundable CZK 5,000 deposit when you book.

Sources

• MENDELU degree programmes, Czech-taught tuition rule, Czech course; About MENDELU; Recognition of foreign education; Key dates 2027/28
• PEF tuition fees; PEF admission process; PEF conditions for English programmes 2027/28 (PDF); PEF Czech bachelor's 2027/28
• Rector's Order 16/2025: fees and English-programme tuition (PDF); Forestry admission conditions 2026/27 (PDF); Horticulture admissions
• ICV Czech for foreigners
• Hall price list from 1 July 2026 (PDF); Accommodation for students
• Government Regulation No. 55/2024; Czech MFA on visa services for Russian and Belarusian citizens; Ministry of the Interior portal: proof of funds

Dollar figures use ECB reference rates of 30 September 2026 (CZK 1 = $0.04646), rounded to $10 (small fees to $1). Facts checked on 1 October 2026.

If you want to work through your route to MENDELU, send a request: document preparation and submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU, and the university makes the admission decision.

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