McDaniel College Budapest: An American Bachelor's Degree in Hungary
A US branch campus in Budapest: a Bachelor of Arts from McDaniel College, Maryland, taught in English. Fees, admission and honest limits.
McDaniel College Budapest is the European branch campus of McDaniel College, a private liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, USA. Students take a four-year Bachelor of Arts taught in English, and the degree is conferred by McDaniel College in the United States. In Hungary, the campus is registered as a foreign institution of higher education, not as a Hungarian university.
It suits students who want an American-style bachelor's in business, economics, psychology, communication, political science or art, with an option to spend time on the main campus in Maryland. It also runs a Pre-Medical track for students who plan to apply to Hungarian medical schools.
It does not suit you if you want a Hungarian degree, a medical degree, a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship or a student dorm. None of these are available at McDaniel in Budapest.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
Type | Branch campus of McDaniel College (Westminster, Maryland, USA) |
In Budapest since | 1994 |
Parent college | Founded 1867; about 1,700 undergraduates |
Status in Hungary | Registered foreign institution of higher education, code FI 82534 |
Degree | Bachelor of Arts from McDaniel College (USA), 4 years |
Language | English |
Majors | 6 |
US accreditation |
Tuition fees at McDaniel College Budapest
Tuition depends on your year of study, not on your major. The table uses the college's current fall price list. Fees for the next academic year are not published yet, so we confirm the price for your intake before you pay anything.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
BA tuition, years 1–2 | €4,600 per semester (€9,200 per year) |
BA tuition, years 3–4 | €4,900 per semester (€9,800 per year) |
Single course | €1,000 per semester |
Entrance processing fee | €100, non-refundable |
College health insurance (mandatory) | about €230 (68,000 HUF) per year |
Pre-Med track, 2 semesters | €8,250 |
Pre-Med track, 1 semester | €7,900 |
Full tuition is due by course registration, paid by transfer in euros. Pre-Med students who need a visa pay the full amount in the first installment.
International applicants can get the Admission Merit Discount of €500 per year. You qualify with one of these: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.5 plus a school average of at least "C"; GCSE grades A–C in six or more subjects; or a US diploma with GPA 2.5 and SAT 1100 or ACT 21. You keep it while your GPA stays at 2.5 or higher. Discounts do not stack and are lost if payment has not arrived by the first day of classes.
On top of tuition, a student in Budapest needs roughly €800–1,300 a month to live. Our cost of studying in Hungary guide breaks this down.
What a semester at McDaniel costs
EUR per semester, current fall price list
- BA tuition, years 1–2€4,600
- BA tuition, years 3–4€4,900
- Pre-Med track, 1 semester€7,900
- Single course€1,000
- Housing (college estimate)€3,500–4,500
Programs and the degree you receive
McDaniel in Budapest offers only bachelor's degrees: no master's and no medicine. Internships and study abroad are available.
Majors in Budapest
- Art and Art History
- Business Administration
- Communication
- Economics
Double majors are possible, for example art and communication or business and economics.
The degree is a Bachelor of Arts from McDaniel College in the United States, not a Hungarian diploma. This matters when you plan a master's or a job at home: it will be assessed as a US degree.
After your first year in Budapest, you can move to the main campus in Maryland. You need a GPA of at least 2.0 and, for non-native speakers, TOEFL iBT 80 or higher. Budapest students can study up to two semesters in Maryland at a discounted tuition cost; the college does not publish the size of the discount. In the US, tuition, housing and meals must be paid in full before Orientation.
Pre-Medical and Pre-Veterinary track
The Pre-Med track is a preparation course, not a degree. It prepares students for the entrance exams of Semmelweis University, the University of Szeged, the University of Pécs and the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, veterinary medicine and other fields.
There is no guaranteed admission to medical school after Pre-Med. You apply to the medical university yourself and sit its entrance exam. According to McDaniel, almost 90% of its Pre-Med students get into the programs they wanted. Students with A grades in all subjects get 10% of the fee back. Insurance, textbooks and housing are not included.
Medical school is a separate cost: about €15,800–18,700 or $16,750–17,900 a year at the four classic Hungarian medical universities. See medicine in Hungary.
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Admission requirements for international students
McDaniel uses rolling admissions: applications are reviewed as they arrive. The college looks at school grades, English, the essay, motivation and the recommendation, and, where applicable, its own entrance exam.
How to apply
1
Check your school certificate — you must have finished secondary school and be eligible for university in your home country. British-curriculum students need GCSEs in six subjects; US diploma holders need SAT or ACT scores. Certificates from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh or Egypt are assessed by the college itself.
2
Plan your English — TOEFL or IELTS is not required to apply, but a good working knowledge of English is. You must meet the college's TOEFL requirement by the end of your second year.
3
Prepare the documents — application form, an essay of at least 300 words, school certificate and transcript with a certified English translation, one recommendation letter in English, CV, photo and passport scan. If you finish school in the year you apply, you can send the final certificate later.
4
Certify documents for Hungary — Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Oman and Bahrain use the apostille. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not in the Apostille Convention, so their documents need consular legalization.
5
Watch the timeline — in the last cycle, the deadline for students who need a visa was June 4. Dates for the next intake are not published; based on that pattern, visa applicants should aim for early June at the latest.
Business Administration and Economics students take a Math Proficiency Test before their major courses; Psychology students must pass it by the end of year 1.
What to know before you apply
These are the limits other agencies rarely mention. Each one is manageable if you plan for it.
Honest limitations
- It is an American degree, not a Hungarian one. Check how your home country treats a US bachelor's for the job or master's you plan. We go through this at the consultation.
- There is no dormitory. Apartments near the college start at €500 a month plus utilities, so budget rent from day one.
- There is no medicine degree. Pre-Med is a preparation course, and admission to Semmelweis, Szeged or Pécs depends on their own exam.
Rankings and accreditation
Our fact base has no verified ranking for the Budapest campus, so we do not quote one. What we can confirm is accreditation and legal status.
McDaniel College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a US regional accreditor; the accreditation was reaffirmed on November 6, 2023. Budapest is a branch campus of this college. In Hungary, it is registered with the Office of Education as a foreign institution of higher education, code FI 82534.
Housing and student life
The college has no dormitory housing. Apartments near the college start at about €500 a month plus utilities; the college's fees page estimates housing at €3,500–4,500 per semester. The Housing Service helps students find a place after arrival. You will need a housing registration form for your residence permit, so arrange the apartment early.
With a study residence permit you can work up to 30 hours a week during the semester, and full time for up to 90 days a year outside it. Plan your budget without counting on this income.
Student visa
Students from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt and other visa countries apply for a study residence permit at the Hungarian embassy or consulate in their country. The consular fee is €110. The immigration authority (OIF) prepares the case within 15 days and decides within 60 days.
McDaniel lists the documents: its student status letter, a bank statement (yours, or a parent's with a permission letter), the housing registration form and health insurance. OIF sets no fixed minimum balance; show funds for a full year of tuition and living costs. After graduation you can apply for a permit to look for work for up to 9 months. Full steps: Hungary student visa.
Other options
For a Hungarian degree in business or design, compare Budapest Metropolitan University and IBS Budapest. For a large university with a wide choice of programs, look at the University of Debrecen. For medicine, see Semmelweis University or start with our overview of studying 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
Not sure McDaniel is the right fit? Book a free consultation. We check your school certificate, English level and documents against McDaniel College Budapest's requirements, then compare it with 2–3 alternatives, including full cost and visa timeline. Reach us through the form on the site, WhatsApp or Telegram.
