Mendel University in Brno
Mendelova univerzita v Brně
Brno's green university: agriculture, forestry, food, business and development studies, with its own forests, farm and vineyards.
- Acceptance rate
- 73%
- 2027/28 academic year (September 2027 intake; February intakes also exist for the English-taught programmes)
- Students
- 9,958
- 7,150 undergraduates
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- CZK 65,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1919
About MENDELU
Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU) was established on 24 July 1919 as the University of Agriculture, the oldest agricultural university in Czechoslovakia, and has carried the name of Gregor Johann Mendel, the founder of genetics, since the mid-1990s. At the end of 2025 it had 9,958 students: 7,150 in bachelor's, 2,448 in follow-on master's and 360 in doctoral programmes, with 1,426 foreign nationals (14.3%).
Teaching is organised in five faculties and one institute: AgriSciences, Forestry and Wood Technology, Business and Economics (the largest, with about a third of all students), Horticulture (based in Lednice), Regional Development and International Studies, plus the Institute of Lifelong Learning. Apart from Horticulture, everything sits on one campus in Brno's Černá Pole district, next to a botanical garden and arboretum. The university also runs extensive forests, a farm in Žabčice with about 1,200 cattle, and vineyards that double as a gene bank of grape varieties.
Most students study in Czech, which is free. For international applicants there are two fee-paying English-taught bachelor's degrees, Economics and Management and International Territorial Studies, both admitted through online entrance tests held throughout the year. MENDELU suits students who want hands-on, applied study in food, land, forests and the rural economy, or an affordable business or development degree in a large student city.
Why students choose MENDELU
Some fields are unique in the Czech Republic, for example viticulture and furniture design and production, and are taught using the university's own vineyards, forests and farm.
The English-taught bachelor's cost 80,000 CZK a year (Economics and Management) and 65,000 CZK a year (International Territorial Studies), while Czech-taught degrees are free for everyone who passes the entrance exam in Czech.
All faculties except Horticulture are on one campus close to the centre of Brno, with the library, canteens, botanical garden and a dormitory nearby.
Every foreign student is offered a place in MENDELU's halls of residence in Brno or Lednice, which have more than 3,000 beds.
Admissions
2027/28 academic year (September 2027 intake; February intakes also exist for the English-taught programmes)
In 2025, 10,306 people submitted 13,415 applications to MENDELU and 9,765 applications received an offer, about 73% (university Annual Report 2025, Figure 8); the university states that about 49% of those admitted then enrolled. The rate is per application, not per person. The Faculty of Business and Economics had the most applicants (4,752). English-taught bachelor's programmes require a minimum entrance-test score.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school leaving certificate | Completed secondary education; foreign certificates must be recognised (nostrification) before enrolment, which MENDELU can help arrange (Faculty of Business and Economics fee 900 CZK) |
|---|---|
| Economics and Management BSc (English, B-EAMA) | At least 60/100 in the online study prerequisites test, then nostrification and a signed study contract with first-year tuition paid |
| International Territorial Studies BSc (English, B-INTSE) | At least 60/100 in the study prerequisites test, an English certificate (IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72, Cambridge B2 First 160 or Duolingo 100), a motivation letter and verified school documents |
| Czech-taught programmes | Same conditions as Czech applicants, including the faculty entrance exam taken in Czech; no tuition fee within the standard length of study |
| English language | IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 72 Minimums shown are for International Territorial Studies at the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies (IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72, Cambridge B2 First 160, Duolingo 100). The Faculty of Business and Economics asks for proof of English and may test applicants who have none; for the Czech Education Ministry's visa-appointment scheme it lists evidence such as IELTS 5-6 or TOEFL 87-109, or a medium-of-instruction letter. |
Deadlines
- International Territorial Studies (English): September intake (2026 cycle) Non-binding Passed9 August 2026 (previous cycle; past)
September-intake test dates were for EU applicants or transfers from European universities only. Dates for September 2027 are not yet published.
- Economics and Management (English), Faculty of Business and Economics: applications Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 daysPortal re-opens 15 October 2026; rolling weekly tests
For the September intake the study contract must be paid by 10 May (applicants from listed African and South Asian countries) or 10 June (other countries), based on the faculty's current schedule.
- International Territorial Studies (English): February 2027 intake Non-binding In ~2 months20 December 2026
Applications opened 1 July 2026; online tests on 30 October, 27 November and 18 December 2026 and 8 January 2027. The faculty tells applicants who need a visa to use the February intake.
Deadlines for September 2027 were not yet published on 30 September 2026. The dates shown are the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies' February 2027 intake and its 2026 September intake (previous cycle), plus the Faculty of Business and Economics' current contract and payment deadlines. Czech-taught programmes set their own application periods in the MENDELU e-application.
How to apply
Create an e-application on MENDELU's portal (is.mendelu.cz/prihlaska) and choose the English version of the programme (B-EAMA for Economics and Management, B-INTSE for International Territorial Studies). International Territorial Studies has no application fee. You then receive a link to the online entrance test; after passing, you complete nostrification, sign the study contract, pay the first year's tuition (and a 5,000 CZK accommodation deposit if you want a dorm place) and receive the admission documents you need for a Czech long-term student visa.
What admissions looks for
- A pass in the faculty's online entrance test: at least 60 out of 100 for both English-taught bachelor's programmes.
- Proof of English for English-taught study (for International Territorial Studies, a certificate such as IELTS Academic 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 72).
- A recognised secondary school leaving certificate, verified through nostrification or education verification.
- For International Territorial Studies, a motivation letter submitted after the test.
Tips for applying to MENDELU
- 1 Apply to the English version of your programme (code ending in A or E, such as B-EAMA or B-INTSE): both faculties warn applicants not to open an application for the Czech-taught version by mistake.
- 2 If you need a Czech visa, plan around the February intake or apply early: the embassy can take up to 90 days, and admission documents are only issued after the first-year fee is paid.
- 3 Use the sample tests: both English-taught programmes publish sample study prerequisites tests and recommended literature.
- 4 Entrance test results stay valid for two years, so you can pass the test first and complete nostrification and the visa afterwards.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CZK
Studying in Czech is free. The university pays scholarships including accommodation scholarships and merit awards, and students can apply for an accommodation grant through the university system. A refund policy applies if a student visa is refused.
- Free for all nationalities
- Czech-taught tuition
- From roughly 350 euros a month (university's Life in Brno page); more than 3,000 beds in Brno and Lednice
- MENDELU halls of residence
- 5,000 CZK, refundable if the visa is refused
- Accommodation deposit
- About 17 euros a month
- Student public transport pass in Brno
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (winter and summer)
Economics and Management (BSc, English)
A three-year English-taught degree at the university's largest faculty, with February and September intakes and a fee of 80,000 CZK a year.
International Territorial Studies (BSc, English)
Focuses on international development and emerging regions, preparing graduates for development agencies, NGOs and businesses working with developing countries; 65,000 CZK a year.
Viticulture (Czech)
One of the fields MENDELU says is unique in the Czech Republic, taught alongside the university's own vineyards and grape-variety gene bank.
Furniture Design and Wood Technology (Czech)
Furniture design and production is another field MENDELU says no other Czech university offers, backed by its own university forests.
Brewing and Malting and Food Technology (Czech)
Applied food science degrees at the Faculty of AgriSciences, alongside molecular biology and biotechnology.
Research
- CEITEC MENDELU, founded in 2011 at the Faculty of AgriSciences, makes the university part of the Central European Institute of Technology research centre.
- The university forests, a third of them in a protected landscape area, are used to study forest management under climate change.
- The school farm in Žabčice keeps about 1,200 cattle and runs vineyards that serve as a gene bank of grape varieties.
- The campus botanical garden and arboretum holds an extensive orchid collection and is used for practical classes.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of AgriSciences
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Horticulture (Lednice)
- Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies
- Institute of Lifelong Learning
In the university's 2025 graduate survey, 82% of responding fresh graduates were working (65% of them in their field or a related one), and 89% of graduates one year out were working (80% in their field). The overall first-year non-completion rate was 36.0% in 2025 (42.3% for bachelor's first years).
Student life
Life centres on the Černá Pole campus, where lecture buildings, canteens, the library and the botanical garden sit together, with a dormitory nearby. Horticulture students live and study in Lednice. The canteen serves lunch for about 2.70 euros, and the university holds a Welcome Week and social events for international students, supported by an ESN buddy programme. Field trips to the university forests, farm and vineyards are part of many courses, and the Centre for Sports Activities runs sport for all students.
- Welcome Week and an ESN MENDELU buddy system for new international students.
- Annual MENDELU Career Day (its 10th edition in 2025 had 53 exhibitors) and the JobChallenge job fair.
- Hands-on teaching at the university forests, the Žabčice farm and the Lednice horticulture campus.
- A campus botanical garden and arboretum used for relaxing, running and studying.
Housing. Every foreign student at MENDELU is offered a place in the university halls of residence in Brno or Lednice (over 3,000 beds in shared and private rooms), with prices starting at roughly 350 euros a month according to the university.
Location
Brno is the Czech Republic's second-largest city, with about 65,000 university students according to MENDELU, and the university describes it as safe and more affordable than capital cities. The campus is close to the city centre, and trams, buses and trolleybuses (including night lines) cover the city, with a student pass costing about 17 euros a month. Prague, Vienna and Germany are a few hours away by train or bus.
Nearest airport: Brno-Tuřany Airport (BRQ)
Notable alumni
- DN Danuše NerudováEconomist, Member of the European Parliament since 2024 and 2023 presidential candidate; master's (2002) and doctorate (2005) from MENDELU, later its rector (2018-2022)
- MJ Marian JurečkaFormer Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (2021-2025) and Minister of Agriculture (2014-2017); studied plant protection
- JL Josef LuxFormer Czech Minister of Agriculture and KDU-ČSL leader; graduated from the University of Agriculture in Brno in 1980
- ZN Zdeněk NekulaFormer Czech Minister of Agriculture (2022-2023); Ing. from the Faculty of Business and Economics (1992)
- TM Taťána MaláPolitician and former Minister of Justice (2018); studied economics
- TF Tereza FajksováModel and Miss Earth 2012; public administration graduate
- KG Katrina GreySlovak actress (Hard Target 2); bachelor's and master's in International Development Studies
Frequently asked questions
Is Mendel University in Brno free for international students?
Yes, if you study in Czech: Czech-taught programmes completed within the standard length of study are free for all admitted students, who must pass the entrance exam in Czech. English-taught bachelor's cost 65,000 CZK (International Territorial Studies) or 80,000 CZK (Economics and Management) a year.
What is Mendel University's acceptance rate?
In 2025, about 73% of applications were successful: 9,765 of the 13,415 applications submitted by 10,306 applicants received an offer, according to the university's annual report. English-taught programmes require at least 60 out of 100 in the entrance test.
Which bachelor's degrees does MENDELU teach in English?
Two: Economics and Management at the Faculty of Business and Economics, and International Territorial Studies at the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies. Both last three years and have February and September intakes.
What English score do I need for Mendel University?
For International Territorial Studies the minimums are IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72, Cambridge B2 First 160 or Duolingo 100. The Faculty of Business and Economics asks for proof of English and may test applicants without a certificate.
When is the application deadline for Mendel University?
It depends on the faculty. International Territorial Studies closes on 20 December 2026 for the February 2027 intake; the 2026 September intake closed on 9 August. The Faculty of Business and Economics reopens applications on 15 October 2026 and tests applicants weekly.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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