The University of Debrecen has achieved its highest application numbers in the past fifteen years. More than 21,000 students applied to its programs in the general admission process, and over 11,000 applicants selected the university as their first choice.
Among the faculties, the Faculty of Economics and Business was the most popular, but many applicants also chose programs in IT, engineering, education, and medical and health sciences.
The University of Debrecen has strengthened its leading position among higher education institutions outside the capital. Thanks to its wide range of programs, it is popular among both Hungarian and international applicants, which is clearly reflected in the application numbers. In the recently closed application period, a total of 21,321 applicants applied, with 11,386 marking the university as their first choice—making this the highest number of applications in recent years.
At a press conference on Thursday, it was highlighted that internationally recognized programs and marketable degrees are attracting an increasing number of applicants.
Once again, the Faculty of Economics and Business proved the most popular, with 2,286 first-choice applications. It was followed by the Faculty of Child and Special Needs Education (1,581), the Faculty of Humanities (1,479), the Faculty of Health Sciences (1,280), and the Faculty of Engineering (927). The largest growth in applications was seen at the Faculty of Music (138%), the Faculty of Child and Special Needs Education (117%), and the Faculty of Science and Technology (115%).
Among undergraduate and undivided programs, the most popular choices were law, special education, early childhood education, commerce and marketing, and business administration and management.
Teacher training programs also saw significant growth, with 1,037 applicants selecting them as their first choice—a major increase compared to 2025.
Among newly launched programs, the Artificial Intelligence master’s program at the Faculty of Informatics stood out with 192 applications (65 first-choice), along with the radiography master’s program and the contemporary popular music master’s program.
According to Vice-Rector Károly Pető, the university plays a key role nationally and ranks first among non-capital institutions. He emphasized that the continued growth reflects strong demand across multiple fields and highlights the institution’s strengths in education, research, and innovation.
Beáta Ölvetiné Szabó, Director of Admissions and Continuing Education, stated that the university’s recruitment strategy has been highly successful, contributing to the record-breaking number of applicants.
Nationwide, a record 140,427 students applied to higher education institutions this year—the highest number in the past 15 years. Compared to 2022, nearly 30,000 more applicants chose fields such as engineering, science, IT, medical and health sciences, agriculture, and teacher training.
The administrative period runs from the end of March until July 7, during which applicants can modify their data or preferences. Admission score thresholds are expected to be announced on July 21.
(unideb.hu)
