Central European University ("CEU" or the "University") was founded in 1991 to support the democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In 2020, CEU launched a new undergraduate offer. The University is deeply international: it is home to students from more than 100 countries and faculty from over 50.
The mission of the University, conducted through its 13 academic departments and its world-leading research centers, is to promote open societies and democracy, through advanced research, and research-based teaching, primarily in the social sciences and humanities. The language of instruction is English.
CEU is a research-intensive university. Its faculty members typically devote at least half of their time to research including participation in European and international projects. More than one-third of CEU students are pursuing doctoral degrees and thus are also actively involved in research, normally on par with faculty members.
CEU's Career Services Office (CSO) plays a leading role in institutional efforts to ensure that our graduates are prepared to transform their CEU experience into meaningful professional engagement. CSO partners with students and alumni, offering guidance, support, and information to help them develop and pursue personal visions for impact and success all over the world.
Before you start looking for accommodation, please consider the type of accommodation you would like to apply for (double room/ single room in a shared apartment, single studio apartment etc.), your budget and certain application deadlines. If you are coming from a non-EU country, you may want to keep the requirements and deadlines of your residence permit application in mind. You can find out more here.
The Central European University (CEU) Library’s mission is to provide exemplary library and academic information services in support of teaching, learning, and research.
Building on our traditional values of promoting openness, we serve the CEU community in Vienna, and the academic and research public in Budapest along with with Central and Eastern Europe.
CEU's Vienna campus is located in Favoriten, the Austrian capital's multicultural 10th district and one of the city's most diverse locales. It is easily accessible from across the city and beyond, with tram stops and railway and underground stations nearby.
CEU students participate actively in matters of governance and management. To ensure adequate student representation the student body elects a Student Union Assembly (SUA)
CEU holds an absolute charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, for and on behalf of the New York State Education Department. In the United States, CEU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE, address: 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States, phone: (1 215) 662 5606). The CEU Status of Accreditation is available from the MSCHE website. You can find the latest CEU Self-Study Refort submitted to the MSCHE here.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| - | 251 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | 239 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 29 reviews
I'm still in awe of the incredible journey I've had at Central European University (CEU). As a student, I've had the privilege of being part of a vibrant community that's passionate about learning, growth, and making a difference. The classes have been intellectually stimulating, with professors who are not only experts in their fields but also dedicated mentors. What stood out to me was the emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. I've had the opportunity to work on projects that have real-world impact, and the support from my peers and professors has been unparalleled. The campus life is also amazing, with a diverse range of student organizations and events that cater to all interests. I've achieved so much more than I thought possible, from presenting research at international conferences to landing internships at top organizations. CEU has given me the confidence, skills, and network to pursue my dreams, and I'm forever grateful. If you're looking for a university that will challenge, inspire, and transform you, look no further than CEU.
What I really appreciate about the university is how much it encourages both personal and academic growth. The campus brings together people from so many different backgrounds and cultures, and that diversity really shaped how I see the world. Being part of such an inclusive environment helped me become more open-minded and better prepared for life after graduation.
The Central European University is a private institution promising to uphold various values of free and open democracies throughout their degree programs. Despite the content provided being largely reflective of this expectation, the attitude of the university and the structure of the undergraduate programs in particular, are not. As opposed to the graduate programs, there is a striking lack of financial aid available, and the yearly tuition has been set to increase for each new cohort. Such a significant financial commitment is unjustifiable when there is a shortage of undergrad professors, minimal organisation of required courses (at the detriment of the students), and a lack of effort to integrate undergraduates into the community. The temporary campus in Vienna is less than ideal and coupled with ridiculous expectations of first years to reside in CEU contracted accomodation (at double market value, with virtually no protection of rights) makes for an expensive and underwhelming experience. Additionally, CEU actively discourages student employment, not only failing to provide opportunities, but preventing employment outside of class times.
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