Debrecen4U February 16, 2026

Stipendium Hungaricum: The University of Debrecen tops the list among foreign applicants

The University of Debrecen carries out exemplary work in recruiting international students and plays a decisive role in the success of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme, which has become a scholarship of significant international standing over the past thirteen years, as highlighted by Ádám Imre Szűcs, Deputy State Secretary for training, scholarship programs, and science diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, during his visit to the institution.

The Deputy State Secretary explained that the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme has matured into an internationally recognized brand that effectively supports Hungarian higher education since 2013. “On a global level, it is one of the largest state-funded scholarship programs. In recent years, approximately 40,000 students have studied in Hungary with the support of the program. Currently, more than 100 countries participate in the scholarship system, and this year it received over 110,000 applications. Our goal is that after completing their studies, scholarship holders will contribute in the long term to strengthening our bilateral relations,” he said.

According to Szűcs, the University of Debrecen plays a leading role in the education of international students in Hungary. “The effectiveness of the institution’s recruitment activities is demonstrated by the fact that the University of Debrecen has the highest number of international students in Hungary – more than 7,700 – nearly two thousand of whom study with the support of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme and the Diaspora Higher Education Scholarship Programme. The University of Debrecen is a market leader in this field and offers many innovative solutions to its students that serve as a model for the entire program,” he added.

Within Stipendium Hungaricum, young people can choose from nearly 30 Hungarian higher education institutions. Among applicants, the University of Debrecen is the most popular; nearly 22 percent of the applications for the 2026/27 academic year were submitted to the University of Debrecen’s English-language programs.

“As a university located outside the capital and in Eastern Europe, the University of Debrecen must compete for every student. Through decades of work and significant financial investment, we have succeeded in becoming an attractive higher education institution on an international level. International students play a decisive role in our institution, and we would like to ‘bind’ our most talented students to the university in the long term. Among other things, in doctoral education, in teaching international students, and our international economic partners also rely on the knowledge of our international students. However, this requires simplifying and revising the legal background and framework of their stay,” emphasized Zoltán Bács, Chancellor of the University of Debrecen.

At the University of Debrecen, 1,985 students began the 2025/26 academic year within Stipendium Hungaricum, while 10 students started under the Diaspora Higher Education Scholarship Programme.

“For the 2025/26 academic year, a record number of more than 30,500 applications were submitted to the University of Debrecen within the program. For 2026/27, 50 percent more – nearly 44,000 – submitted applications. During this year’s recruitment period, we maintained contact with 70,000 young people. This year – similarly to last year – the Medicine program, the Public Health MSc, and the Computer Science BSc received record numbers of applications. These figures also demonstrate the international popularity of the University of Debrecen and the effectiveness of our active recruitment campaign. This is the measure of how seriously and professionally we conduct international recruitment,” said Attila Jenei regarding the application data.

The director of the University of Debrecen’s International Education Coordinating Center highlighted that the so-called “country nominations” and admission procedures will determine in June how many students may continue their studies at the university with funding provided by the Hungarian Government. According to Attila Jenei, no growth is expected in the number of students participating in the programme; despite the record number of applications, the institution will likely be able to admit 600–700 students in the 2026/27 academic year, given the available permanent budgetary framework.

“At the University of Debrecen, the Stipendium programme is part of a package through which we also aim to reach fee-paying international students. Therefore, this group is also among the target audiences of our promotional campaign. Thanks to the Stipendium programme, the number of fee-paying students has also increased significantly in recent years.

However, the university is not alone in this project, as the city of Debrecen is also an active participant. We are very grateful to the residents here for creating such a welcoming environment for our nearly 8,000-strong international student community, where they can feel safe and comfortable,” added Attila Jenei.

The discussion also covered, among other topics, the university’s unique recruitment system, the housing situation of international students, their healthcare provision, programs supporting their integration, and the economic development impacts of the program. During his visit, Deputy State Secretary Ádám Imre Szűcs also met with international students studying within Stipendium Hungaricum.

Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)