More than 126,000 students apply for university places

Janos Csak told a press conference that the number has increased from 99,000 last year, adding that the rising number of applicants indicated that Hungary’s higher education system “has become more attractive”.

He said the government implemented many changes in the past 5 years with the aim of developing a nation of “economically strong, culturally confident, self-sufficient families here and in the Carpathian Basin”.

Csak welcomed that more students than ever applied from disadvantaged regions, and that many indicated a desire to become school and kindergarten teachers.

State Secretary Balazs Hanko attributed the increase in the number of applicants to a revamped entrance system, noting that 20 percent of applicants chose majors in engineering, science, maths and computer technology.

Hanko also noted that 11 Hungarian universities were among the world’s top 5 percent.