Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences

About Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences

MATE’s present institutional identity dates from 1 February 2021. Hungarian legislation records that the former Szent István University continued under the name Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem, translated as the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The university’s official history describes the 2021 organization as bringing together Szent István University, Kaposvár University, the Gyöngyös campus of Eszterházy Károly University, and the Georgikon faculty in Keszthely, alongside agricultural research institutes. The founding year reported here is therefore 2021, while individual campuses and predecessor schools have substantially older histories. The university is maintained by the Foundation for the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In the Hungarian system, this foundation-maintained arrangement places MATE outside the category of a state university while retaining its status as a state-recognized higher-education institution performing a public educational function. For international comparison, private-nonprofit is the closest available classification. MATE has five principal campuses. Gödöllő is the headquarters and a major center for agricultural, environmental, technical, and economic study. Buda in Budapest emphasizes areas including food, horticulture, and landscape-related disciplines. Gyöngyös, Kaposvár, and Keszthely host additional subject clusters. This structure gives students access to specialized locations but also makes campus assignment consequential: facilities, housing conditions, travel patterns, and the surrounding city differ substantially among programs.

For international self-financed bachelor’s and master’s applicants, MATE used its online DreamApply system for the 2026/27 cycle. The official procedure required a completed application, motivation letter, curriculum vitae, academic records, evidence of B2-level English, and a non-refundable EUR 100 application fee. Bachelor’s applicants had to provide their secondary-school final examination documentation; master’s applicants needed an official bachelor’s degree certificate and transcripts. Documents had to be in English and authenticated, with certified translations where applicable. After document review, applicants were contacted for an interview. Successful candidates received a preliminary acceptance letter containing payment instructions. The university issued the final letter of acceptance after proof of the required tuition payment, after which students needing immigration permission could begin the study-visa process. Admission requirements should be checked at program level because academic preparation and interview expectations may vary. The most recent official self-financed deadline found for 2026/27 was 3 July 2026 at 23:59 CET; that deadline has passed as of 20 August 2026 and must not be reused for a later intake. Scholarship applications followed separate platforms and calendars. The official program page states that the listed 2026/27 scholarship application period had closed. Doctoral admission uses a separate research-focused process, and applicants should consult the relevant doctoral school rather than following the bachelor’s and master’s workflow.

MATE awards bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Its 2026/27 English-language portfolio is concentrated in agriculture and related applied fields, but it extends into engineering, environmental studies, business, tourism, and arts. The official list includes Gödöllő bachelor’s programs such as Agricultural Engineering, Business Administration and Management, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Wildlife Management Engineering. Other campuses host programs including Food Engineering and Horticultural Engineering in Budapest, Tourism and Catering in Gyöngyös, and Film and Media Studies in Kaposvár. The English-taught master’s selection is broader and more specialized. Gödöllő offerings for 2026/27 include Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural Water Management Engineering, Animal Husbandry Engineering, Aquaculture, Crop Production Engineering, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Engineering, Finance, Management and Leadership, Mechanical Engineering, Rural Development Engineering, and Supply Chain Management. Budapest, Kaposvár, Keszthely, and Gyöngyös provide additional options. Program lengths vary: listed bachelor’s degrees generally run for six to eight semesters, while listed master’s programs usually require three or four semesters. Doctoral study is administered through MATE’s doctoral schools and leads to PhD-level qualifications. A 2026 doctoral call confirms active full-time doctoral recruitment in both state-scholarship and self-financed forms. Doctoral applicants should consult the relevant school because research topics, supervisor expectations, documentation, and selection procedures are not interchangeable with bachelor’s or master’s admission. Prospective students should verify both the teaching language and campus shown for their exact program. MATE’s multicampus structure means that closely related disciplines may be taught in different cities, and not every program or funding route is available at every location.

Key Highlights

• Established in its present form on 1 February 2021
• Legal continuation of the former Szent István University under a new name
• Foundation-maintained, state-recognized Hungarian higher-education institution
• Five principal campuses in Gödöllő, Budapest, Gyöngyös, Kaposvár, and Keszthely
• Headquarters located at the Szent István Campus in Gödöllő

Student Life & Environment

Student experience varies by campus. At the Gödöllő headquarters, academic buildings, research activity, green campus space, sports facilities, and a university dormitory are concentrated in and around the Szent István Campus. Official student-life information describes sports clubs, cultural and volunteer activities, student associations, international events, and an international community garden. The university also identifies student and doctoral student representative bodies within its support structure. MATE provides campus-based international coordinators and practical arrival guidance for incoming students. Its Student Services Centre coordinates learning and communication workshops, mental-health and career guidance, equal-opportunity support, mentoring, internship-search assistance, company visits, alumni activity, and graduate tracking. These services are useful points of contact, but their delivery and language availability may differ by campus. University accommodation should not be assumed. MATE’s June 2026 accommodation guidance says dormitory capacity is limited and gives priority to newly arriving scholarship holders. The Gödöllő dormitory is located on campus and maintains designated coordinators. Separate dormitories serve the Buda, Kaposvár, Keszthely, and Gyöngyös campuses. The university’s 2026 arrival information describes double, triple, and quadruple rooms for eligible newcomers in Gödöllő and states that students arriving with family need accommodation outside the dormitory. Applicants should obtain written housing confirmation before making travel plans or financial commitments.

Location & Surroundings

MATE’s official address and headquarters are in Gödöllő, at Páter Károly utca 1. The town lies northeast of Budapest and is known for the Royal Palace of Gödöllő. The Szent István Campus is a spacious, green academic setting rather than a central-city campus. A railway station beside the campus provides a practical connection with Budapest, which can expand students’ access to cultural activities, services, and off-campus housing. The university is not confined to Gödöllő. Buda Campus is in Budapest, while the other principal campuses are in Gyöngyös near the Mátra region, Kaposvár in southwestern Hungary, and Keszthely on the western shore of Lake Balaton. Applicants should evaluate the city attached to their chosen program rather than relying only on the database location. Commuting between campuses is not a normal substitute for selecting the correct study location. Housing and daily transport needs also differ. Some students can live in a campus dormitory, while others may need private accommodation. Official Erasmus guidance specifically warns that exchange-room availability in Gödöllő can be very limited and notes rail travel from Budapest as an alternative.

Costs & Career Outcomes

MATE publishes tuition by program and campus in euros rather than using a single university-wide rate. For 2026/27, listed English-taught bachelor’s tuition ranged from EUR 1,500 to EUR 2,500 per semester. Examples included EUR 2,200 for Agricultural Engineering in Gödöllő, EUR 2,300 for Business Administration and Management there, and EUR 2,500 for Mechanical Engineering. Listed master’s fees ranged from EUR 2,500 to EUR 3,300 per semester, with many Gödöllő programs priced at EUR 2,800 or EUR 3,000. Applicants should use the exact fee beside their chosen program. The university stated that tuition for the first two semesters had to be paid before admission and entry into Hungary for self-financed bachelor’s and master’s students. This payment was a condition for the admission decision. The separate application fee was EUR 100 and non-refundable. These figures apply to the published 2026/27 cycle and should be rechecked for subsequent intakes. Housing, food, transportation, insurance, immigration costs, and personal expenses are additional. Dormitory availability is limited, so students should budget for private accommodation unless they have a confirmed place. Scholarship schemes exist, but eligibility, coverage, and deadlines differ; the English-program page indicated that 2026/27 scholarship applications were already closed. MATE’s Student Services Centre supports internship searches, promotes placement opportunities, arranges company visits, and provides career and life-planning guidance. It also coordinates alumni services and graduate tracking. These resources can help students make professional contacts, but the reviewed sources do not substantiate a placement rate, typical salary, or guaranteed employment outcome.