MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA: FINDING A STRONG COMMUNITY

Students from Iran, Türkiye, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan and other countries in the region.

Students from the Middle East and North Africa made up the largest regional group in our survey. One thing that comes through particularly clearly in their responses is the importance of the university community. Three quarters describe university staff as friendly and helpful, while the same proportion say this about their professors. Around 72% also rate the student community positively.

Overall, 81% are happy they chose Hungary, and the same percentage describe Hungary as a peaceful country. Interestingly, Hungary also seems to have beaten expectations for some students. Before arriving, 57% expected Hungarians to be friendly. After experiencing life here, that figure rose to 64%. In other words, the reality seems to have been somewhat warmer than the expectations some students arrived with.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: POSITIVE ABOUT BOTH LIFE AND THE FUTURE

Students from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ethiopia and other countries in the region.

If there is one group that stands out for its optimism about life in Hungary, it is students from Sub-Saharan Africa. 90% are happy they chose Hungary, and 90% feel they gained a lot from moving here. Both figures are the highest among the regional groups in our survey.

They were also more positive than the overall sample when it came to Hungary’s standard of living and job opportunities. Around 62% rated the standard of living positively, while 39% gave a positive rating to job opportunities. And this optimism seems to influence what happens after graduation: More than half, 53%, say they plan to stay in Hungary after finishing their studies. That’s considerably higher than the overall figure of 35%.

Students from this region also reported strong connections with other international students. 73% regularly spend time with other international students, while 65% spend time with students from their home country. Having an existing community around you can make a huge difference when you’re starting life somewhere new. You don’t have to figure everything out alone.

CENTRAL ASIA, THE CAUCASUS & EASTERN EUROPE: A SMOOTH LANDING, EASY ADJUSTMENT

Students from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries in the region.

This group reported some of the smoothest adjustment to life in Hungary. 98% are happy they chose Hungary, and among students who had already been here for at least a year, every respondent in this group reported being happy with their choice. Only 5% reported feeling homesick, while 75% said that most people in Hungary are open to international students. That’s the highest figure among the regional groups.

There are probably several reasons why students from this part of the world may find the transition relatively comfortable. Hungary is geographically closer to many of these countries, and there can be similarities in food, climate, cultural habits and everyday life. Of course, “familiar” doesn’t mean “the same.” Hungary still comes with its own language, culture and quirks. But for some students, the distance from home may feel a little easier to bridge.

SOUTH ASIA: HUNGARY FEELS PEACEFUL, BUT LANGUAGE CAN GET IN THE WAY

Students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries in the region.

Students from South Asia were particularly positive about one aspect of life in Hungary: 88% describe the country as peaceful, the highest share among the regional groups. Overall, 81% are happy with their decision to study here.

The bigger challenge is language: Around half of South Asian respondents said they sometimes skip activities because of the language barrier. That’s important because language affects much more than official paperwork. It can determine whether you join an event, start chatting to someone, understand what’s happening around you or simply feel comfortable navigating everyday life.

The good news is that you don’t need to become fluent overnight.- Learning a few basic Hungarian phrases can make everyday interactions easier and can be a surprisingly effective way to break the ice with locals. And yes, Hungarian is famously difficult. But you get bonus points for trying.

EAST & SOUTHEAST ASIA: VERY HAPPY, SOMETIMES HOMESICK

Students from China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Laos, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and other countries in the region.

Students from East and Southeast Asia are also among the happiest groups in our survey. 94% say they are happy they chose Hungary.

At the same time, the distance from home shows up in another part of their answers. Around one third experience homesickness, and students in this group reported somewhat smaller international social circles. That’s not particularly surprising. Moving to the other side of the world for university is a big deal.

Homesickness doesn’t necessarily mean you’re having a bad experience. Sometimes it simply means you’re far away from people, food, routines and places that have been part of your life for years. Building a routine helps. So does finding people you genuinely enjoy spending time with. Student organisations, buddy programmes, cultural events and international student communities can be especially useful during those first few months.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE THINGS EVERYONE HAS IN COMMON

Looking at the regions is interesting, but perhaps the most useful findings are the ones that barely change depending on where students come from.

HUNGARY TENDS TO LOOK BETTER AFTER YOU ARRIVE

Before coming to Hungary, 74% of students rated the country’s beauty, sights and cultural life highly. After arriving, that increased to 85%.

That’s a nice little reality check for anyone researching Hungary from abroad. Photos and TikToks can only tell you so much. Living somewhere is different from visiting it, and in this case, students’ experiences seem to have made Hungary look better rather than worse.

MAKING HUNGARIAN FRIENDS DOESN’T HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY

This one is absolutely consistent. Only around 3 in 10 international students regularly spend time with Hungarian people, and the figure is similar across the different regions. That doesn’t necessarily mean Hungarians aren’t welcoming. In fact, 62% of students say most people in Hungary are open to international students.

It may simply mean that international students and Hungarian students often live in somewhat separate social bubbles. If your classes, accommodation and social events are mostly international, you can spend an entire semester surrounded by people from other countries without ever having to speak much Hungarian.

So if you want Hungarian friends, it usually helps to be proactive. Sports clubs, volunteering, university organisations, language exchanges and shared hobbies are often much better starting points than simply hoping someone will strike up a conversation in the corridor.

You can also check out our tips for making friends at university.

MOST INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FEEL WELCOME

Around 80% of respondents don’t feel they are treated differently because they are international. And overall, 88% say they are happy they chose Hungary. Those two numbers probably tell us more about the overall experience than any single regional difference does.

WHAT CAN YOU ACTUALLY LEARN FROM THE DATA?

If you’re preparing to move to Hungary, the survey suggests a few practical things.

1. Learn some Hungarian.- You don’t need to become a Hungarian speaker before your plane lands. But learning the basics early can make everyday life easier and give you more opportunities to interact with locals.

2. Don’t stay exclusively within your own community.- Having friends from home is valuable. They understand the things nobody else does, and having that familiar support can make a huge difference. But try to build connections outside that circle too. International and Hungarian friends can give you completely different perspectives on life here.

3. Expect homesickness, especially if you’re coming from far away.- Missing home isn’t a sign that you made the wrong decision. Plan for it instead. Regular calls with family, familiar food, routines and a social life can all help.

4. Explore beyond Budapest.- Budapest gets most of the attention, for obvious reasons, but Hungary is much more than its capital. Smaller cities, Lake Balaton, historic towns, nature and weekend trips can give you a completely different perspective on the country.

5. Give yourself time to adjust.- This may be the most important one. Moving countries, starting university and building a new social life all at once is a lot. You don’t have to feel completely settled after two weeks.

6. For students who want a little more time to get comfortable before starting university, a Foundation programme can also help. You get an international class, academic preparation and a year to become familiar with Hungary before moving into your university programme.

At BIC, 85% of Foundation students progressed to their university programs in the last 5 years. You can learn more about our Foundation programs here.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

BIC surveyed 308 international students studying in Hungary in the 2025-2026 academic year. For this regional analysis, we used 306 responses after excluding two Hungarian citizens, and grouped respondents from 56 countries into geographical regions.

Unless otherwise stated, percentages represent students who selected 4 or 5 on a five-point agreement scale.

The differences highlighted in this article are statistically significant unless we specifically describe them as similar. There were 18 respondents from Europe and the Americas combined, which was not enough to treat this as a separate regional group. Their responses were nevertheless broadly positive, with 89% saying they were happy with their choice of Hungary.

As with any voluntary survey, these results describe the students who participated in our research. They should not be interpreted as representing every international student in Hungary.