IBS — International Business School Budapest: Fees, Degrees and Entry
A private business college in Budapest where English-taught bachelor's and master's programs lead to a University of Buckingham degree plus an IBS diploma.
IBS Budapest (International Business School, officially IBS Nemzetközi Üzleti Főiskola) is a private business college founded in 1991 and recognized by the Hungarian state. Its English-taught bachelor's, master's and MBA programs run jointly with the University of Buckingham in the UK. Graduates receive two documents: a Buckingham degree and an IBS diploma.
IBS suits students who want a business, finance, management or psychology degree in English, with a British degree at the end and classes in a compact campus in Budapest. It also suits applicants whose grades are average: the bachelor's minimum is a 50% school average.
It does not suit you if you need a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, want medicine or engineering, or cannot pay a full year of tuition before your visa.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
Founded | 1991 (first graduates in 1995) |
Status | Private higher education institution recognized by the Hungarian state; type: főiskola (college) |
State accreditation | Since 1997 |
Degree partner | University of Buckingham (UK), joint degrees since 2020 |
Degree awarded (BSc, MSc, MBA) | University of Buckingham degree + IBS diploma |
Main campus | Graphisoft Park, Óbuda (District III), Budapest, by the Danube |
Other campus | Vienna |
Language of instruction | English |
IBS Budapest fees for international students
IBS charges in euros. Below is the current price list; fees for the next academic year are not published yet.
| Program | Length | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
BSc (Buckingham + IBS) | 3 years | €4,000 per semester, €8,000 per year |
BSc with Dublin Business School | 2 years in Budapest + 1 year in Dublin | €4,000 per semester, €8,000 per year |
MSc (Buckingham + IBS) | 1.5 years (3 semesters) | €12,800 for the whole program |
MBA in Strategic Data-Driven Management | 1.5 years (3 semesters) | €12,800 for the whole program |
International University Foundation |
One-time fees and payment rules
- Application fee: €200, non-refundable. Your application becomes valid only after this payment.
- Registration fee for non-EU students: €1,200, paid once (BSc, MSc, MBA, Foundation).
- Prepayment before the visa: non-EU students pay the full first year plus registration before IBS issues the admission certificate for the visa. For the BSc this is €9,200 (€8,000 + €1,200).
Add living costs: roughly €800–1,300 a month in Budapest, depending on whether you share a flat. Our cost of studying in Hungary guide breaks this down.
What a first BSc year at IBS costs
EUR, current price list for non-EU students
- BSc tuition, one year€8,000
- Registration fee€1,200
- Health insurance on arrivalabout €300
- Application fee€200
- Consular fee for the residence permit€110
Programs and the degree you receive
All programs cover business, management, finance, psychology and international relations. There is no medicine or pre-med track.
Bachelor's (BSc, 3 years, Buckingham + IBS). You choose Corporate Finance or Business Management. Business Management has specializations: Arts, Marketing, HRM & Business Psychology, Tourism, Diplomacy & International Relations, and AI/Data Analytics. The first year is common; you pick the specialization from year two.
Bachelor's with Dublin Business School. Business Administration and Management, International Business Economics, Commerce and Marketing, and Psychology. Two years in Budapest, then semesters five and six at DBS in Ireland, with an Irish DBS BSc in addition to the IBS BSc.
Master's (MSc, 1.5 years). Strategic International Management with Finance, Marketing or AI & Cybersecurity specializations, plus IT for Business Data Analytics. Classes have run on weekday evenings.
International University Foundation (1 year). Includes 400 hours of English plus study skills. It leads into an IBS bachelor's or master's and accepts students with pre-intermediate English.
For BSc, MSc and MBA, "the degree is conferred by The University of Buckingham and by IBS." In Hungary, these programs are registered with the Educational Authority as programs of a foreign university operating in the country. The PhD leads to a Buckingham degree only.
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Admission requirements for international students
IBS does not describe an entrance exam for the BSc; the decision rests on your documents. The application goes through the IBS online portal, one program per application.
How to apply to IBS
1
Check your grades. Bachelor's: a school leaving certificate with an average of at least 50%. A-levels need at least CCC; US High School Diploma, IB and other systems are accepted. Master's: a first- or second-class bachelor's degree in any field.
2
Prove your English. Bachelor's (B2): IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72, Cambridge B2 (169), Duolingo 105 or PTE 50. Also accepted: over 60% on an advanced English school exam, schooling in English, or native speaker status. Master's (C1): IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 95, Cambridge C1 (176), Duolingo 120 or PTE 58.
3
MBA only: a math or finance module in your transcript, a CV, 3–5 years of work experience and a motivation letter.
4
Prepare documents. Get a certified English translation of any document not in English. Apostille your certificate if your country uses apostille (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain). Nigeria, Egypt, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not in the Apostille Convention, so documents go through consular legalization. You will need originals at enrollment and for the residence permit.
5
Apply online, upload documents and wait for the document check. Then pay the €200 application fee; the decision follows.
IBS has not published its deadlines for the next intake, and for the last autumn intake its own pages gave two different dates. Do not plan around the latest date. Count backward from September: document check, prepayment transfer, 4–5 weeks for the visa, then travel.
What to know before you apply
- IBS is a college, not a university. The English programs lead to a British Buckingham degree plus an IBS diploma. If you need recognition at home for a government job or further study, check how your ministry treats a UK degree before you pay. We help you ask the right questions.
- No Stipendium Hungaricum. IBS is not a participating institution; it has its own scholarships (below).
- The first year is paid before the visa. For the BSc, that is €9,200 upfront. The fee page says €200 is kept if the visa is refused, while the visa page still mentions €400. Get the refund rule in writing before you transfer money.
Scholarships at IBS
For the BSc, the Starter Scholarship gives 25% off the first semester if you meet extra criteria; current students can earn an Academic Scholarship. The Budapest Master's and MBA Scholarship gives 10–35% off the first payment with a CGPA of 3.00–4.00 or a 75–100% average. The Dr Frances Robinson Scholarship covers 75% of master's fees for one new student per intake, and IBS graduates get 25% off a next program. Deadlines for the next academic year are not published yet.
Rankings and accreditation
IBS has been state-accredited since 1997 and operates with permission from Hungary's Educational Authority (Oktatási Hivatal).
The Buckingham partnership started in 2012; since 2020, all Buckingham programs at IBS are joint degrees. The British Accreditation Council accredited IBS in 2010, 2016 and 2023. FIBAA accredited 10 IBS programs in 2021, including BSc Business Management and BSc Corporate Finance.
We do not quote rankings for IBS. For a business college, the degree partner and recognition at home matter more.
Housing and student life
Classes take place in three restored historic buildings in Graphisoft Park, Óbuda, next to the Danube. The IBS Residence Hall is in the same park, with en-suite rooms. Current prices:
| Room | 5-month contract | 10-month contract |
|---|---|---|
Single | €670 | €640 |
Double | €550 | €480 |
The deposit is €500. Places fill up, so apply for a room as soon as you have an offer. If the hall is full, the IBS international advisor helps students find other housing.
Students can work up to 30 hours a week during the study period and full-time for up to 90 days a year outside it. After graduation, a job-search residence permit is available for up to 9 months.
Student visa
Applicants from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt and other visa-required countries apply at the Hungarian embassy or consulate at home. The consular fee is €110.
You need proof of enrollment, a language certificate, proof of funds, a Hungarian address, health insurance, a passport and photos. Hungary's immigration office sets no fixed minimum balance, but IBS recommends showing about €8,000 a year of regular income plus your parents' sponsorship. After arrival, you have 30 days to get your residence card. Full steps are in our Hungary student visa guide.
Other options in Hungary
If you need a scholarship, start with Stipendium Hungaricum: Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh, UAE, Oman and Bahrain are eligible; Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are not. For another private business degree, compare Budapest Metropolitan University (business: €3,500 a semester for non-EU students) and McDaniel College Budapest. For a large public university, see the University of Debrecen; for medicine, medicine in Hungary. The full overview is on study in Hungary.
14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.
- What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
- What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
- Who files the visa application — you or the university
- Five red flags that mean you should not pay
Send us your certificate, grades and English score. We check them against IBS's requirements, calculate your first-year budget including the visa prepayment, and compare IBS with 2–3 alternatives in Hungary. The first consultation is free: use the site form, WhatsApp, Telegram or our contacts page.
