Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica (UMB)

Why students choose it

• A mid-sized classical university — about 6,300 students: smaller groups and easier access to lecturers than at the large universities in the capital.
• A strong Faculty of Political Science and International Relations — an unusual combination for Slovakia of political science, international relations and security studies in one place.
• Full-time study in Slovak is tuition-free for international students, and several English-taught programmes outside the faculties of Economics and Natural Sciences also carry no tuition fee — check for the current year.
• Banská Bystrica is cheaper than Bratislava: a university dormitory place costs roughly 73–120 € per month (2026, SÚZ UMB price list), and food and transport are below capital prices too.
• A wide range of language and teacher-training programmes, including a dedicated "Slovak Language and Cultural Competence for Foreign Students" — a practical entry point while you build up the language.
• The university is a member of the European University Association, takes part in Erasmus+ and cooperates with more than 80 partner institutions abroad.

Faculties and programmes

How international students apply

Application deadlines

Bachelor's — usually by 30 April: that was the deadline the faculties kept for the 2026/2027 intake. Where entrance exams are held, they take place in June. Master's — normally by the end of May or June, doctoral programmes in May–June. Each faculty publishes its exact dates every year, and they shift from year to year.

Entrance exams

• Faculty of Political Science and International Relations — a written test in Slovak: International Relations 100 questions, Political Science 80 questions, part of them on the chosen foreign languages.
• Faculty of Economics — applicants are exempt from the entrance exam with a General Study Prerequisites test VŠP (the Czech equivalent is OSP) at a percentile of 50 or above; the test is taken at the Národné porovnávacie skúšky (SCIO) in Slovakia or Czechia.
• Faculty of Natural Sciences — usually no exam, admission on the school certificate; a written test is set only if applications significantly exceed the planned intake.
• Faculties of Law and Education — entrance exams in June; format and content depend on the programme and the year.
• Faculty of Physical Education, Sport and Health — a fitness and sporting-ability test.

Documents

• online application (e-prihláška) on the faculty website and the application fee;
• nostrified school certificate — the recognition decision (or proof that the documents were filed) by the faculty deadline;
• official translation of the certificate and the transcript into Slovak;
• proof of Slovak level as required by the faculty, usually B1–B2;
• for English-taught programmes — proof of English level (certificate or interview).

International students apply on the same terms as Slovak citizens. We match the faculty to the student's certificate and goals, handle the nostrification of the school certificate and the application — see turnkey admission and the general route after the 11th grade.

Based on umb.sk and the faculty websites as of 08/2026 — check the 2027/2028 deadlines and requirements before applying.

Dormitory and costs

The university runs its own dormitories (Správa účelových zariadení UMB) with a total capacity of about 2,500 beds: ŠD1 on Tajovského 40, ŠD3 on Tajovského 51, ŠD4 on Tr. SNP 53 and other buildings. A place costs roughly 73–120 € per month depending on the building and room type (2026, according to umb.sk — check the current price list). The application is filed after admission, usually in summer; international students get places on equal terms.

Estimate a full year in Banská Bystrica — housing, food, transport — in the cost calculator.

Banská Bystrica as a student city

Banská Bystrica is the administrative centre of the region of the same name, in the very heart of Slovakia, with roughly 76,000 inhabitants. It is not a metropolis: the university buildings, the dormitories and the old town are all within walking distance, and the Low Tatras start half an hour away. Besides UMB the city hosts the Academy of Arts (Akadémia umení), so there is a student scene — but nothing like the competition for housing you get in the capital.

• Bratislava is about 200 km away — 3 to 3.5 hours by bus or train; Košice is roughly the same distance in the other direction.
• Rent, groceries and transport are cheaper than in Bratislava — with the same tuition-free study in Slovak.
• If you specifically want an economics profile with a broad network of business partners, compare UMB with the University of Economics in Bratislava: the programmes are close, the environment and the cost of living are not.

FAQ