Central European University is an undergraduate- and graduate-level “crossroads” university where faculty and students from more than 100 countries come to engage in interdisciplinary education, pursue advanced scholarship, and address some of society’s most vexing problems.Join us for CEU's Virtual Open Day on Thursday, September 17, here: https://www.ceu.edu/admissions/connect/open-day
History
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.
Education
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.
Research
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.
Career
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.
Central European University (CEU)Key Statistics & Highlights
#239Ranking
200Academic Staff
1,479Students
Housing services
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.
Library services
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.
Campus life
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 clubs
CEU students participate actively in matters of governance and management. To ensure adequate student representation the student body elects a Student Union Assembly (SUA)
Accreditation
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.
Central European University (CEU)Overview
Central European University (CEU)Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 14.1%Austria
Top 21.8%Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
World University Rankings
No 2027 Ranking
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.
3 year trend World University Rankings
2025
2026
2027
-
251
-
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
239
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.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
2025
2026
2027
-
-
239
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Central European University (CEU)Student Reviews & Awards
4.4
Based on 31 reviews
5 Star
19 Reviews
4 Star
9 Reviews
3 Star
1 Review
2 Star
1 Review
1 Star
1 Review
How Students Rated This University
Student Teacher Interaction4.0
Student Diversity4.1
5/5
Grateful for My College Experience
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.
Posted bySadi mohamed
Studied fromUnknown
Posted onSep 2026
5/5
The great intellectual experience
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
Posted byAnonymous
Studied fromUnknown
Posted onAug 2026
4/5
Strong science base for transfer
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!
Student Teacher Interaction
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Student Diversity
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