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.
At Central European University, they provide unique Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral programs that blend essential theoretical and practical knowledge from the fields of humanities, social sciences, law, sociology and data science. With a worldwide academic reputation, commitment to cutting-edge research and a strong emphasis on developing practical skills, CEU is an entryway to an exciting professional and academic career anywhere in the world.
CEU is a research-intensive university. The faculty members typically devote at least half of their time to research, including participation in European and international projects at the forefront of research and discovery. More than one-third of CEU students pursue doctoral degrees and collaborate with our faculty on impactful research, gaining invaluable experience and shaping the future of their fields.
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.
Finding suitable accommodation is an important part of preparing for your studies at Central European University (CEU). Vienna offers a wide range of housing options for students, including public and private student residences as well as private apartments and shared flats. Due to high demand, especially before the start of the academic year, students are strongly advised to begin their housing search as early as possible.
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.
Student representation at Austrian universities is regulated by the Austrian Student Union Act (SUA). Under this legislation, all students enrolled at Austrian universities.
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
Dropped 18 places compared to 2026
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 | 269 |
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 so grateful in my college you're not only going to be a leader or a diplomatic but also prepares you to be effectively about global culture like languages and shape you with a good manners.
This was a truly life changing learning experience catering to all of my educational and recreational needs for a break to either zone out or chill. I have experienced individual learning enhancements suitable for me whenever I required it
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 Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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