Nearly 10,000 more students have started their application process to gain places at universities or colleges than this time last year, the minister of culture and innovation told commercial broadcaster TV2.
Balázs Hankó hailed a turning point in higher education, adding that courses in engineering, science, IT and agriculture continued to be the most popular, while the number of students applying for teacher training had also increased.
According to the minister, some 20% of the applicants are older than 30, and there is a continued tendency that half of the students are admitted to universities outside Budapest.
Last year, a total 107,000 students were admitted to higher education, including 20,000 students from vocational schools, he said.
The official deadline for submitting an application for the next academic year is February 15, the minister said, adding that around 92,000 of all places will be state-financed in 2026-2027.