Apply to a Bachelor’s Program at Central European University

Apply to a Bachelor’s Program at Central European University
Table of Contents
Table of contents
Find out below how to apply to CEU’s bachelor’s programs and what to do if you are admitted.
Eligibility Requirements for Bachelor's Programs at CEU
You must have successfully completed your secondary education (high school diploma or equivalent) or provide documentation indicating that you will earn such a diploma before enrollment in a CEU bachelor’s program.
Students enrolled in a bachelor's program at CEU must not be simultaneously enrolled in another higher education institution as long as they receive
CEU financial aid
of any sort, unless they provide official documentation about having obtained a leave of absence from the other institution for the entire duration of their studies at CEU. Admitted students are required, if applicable, to indicate enrollment at another institution in the matriculation form at the beginning of their studies at CEU.
Bachelor’s Degree at CEU - Application Deadlines
Admission to CEU’s
bachelor’s
degree programs
for the academic year 2026/2027 is
organized into four rounds
as shown below. Each admission round has its own application deadline and notification timeline. Please select a round based on your citizenship, interest in being considered for financial aid, and the timeframe within which you wish to receive a decision.
Depending on the factors mentioned above, you may have one or more rounds applicable to you: e.g. candidates from
visa-sensitive countries
(= countries with a very long visa/residence permit application process) can apply in the first round only, while self-financing EU candidates can do so in all four rounds.
Institutional (CEU) financial aid
awards will be made in the first two rounds only.
External financial aid
options and
other scholarship
opportunities may be applicable in all rounds, depending on each one’s own specific deadline.
If you still have any questions, please visit our
FAQ page
Admission Round 1
Deadline:
October 15, 2025
(23:59, Central European Time)
Admission decisions: December 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026
Application for CEU financial aid: open
Applicable to: all applicants
Admission Round 2
Deadline:
February 4, 2026
(23:59, Central European Time)
Admission decisions: April 1 - 30, 2026
Application for CEU financial aid: open
Applicable to: all applicants except those from
visa-sensitive countries
Admission Round 3
Deadline:
April 15, 2026
(23:59, Central European Time)
Admission decisions: May 15 – 30, 2026
Application for CEU financial aid: closed
Applicable to: all applicants except those from
visa-sensitive countries
Admission Round 4
Deadline:
July 15, 2026
(23:59, Central European Time)
Admission decisions: July 16 – 30, 2026
Application for CEU financial aid: closed
Applicable to all applicants with visa-free entry to Austria, incl. EU/EEA and the
following countries
Admission in Round 4 is subject to space availability.
General Admission Process for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
Your application(s) must be complete with all required documents listed below. Applications that fail to meet all general and program-specific entry requirements are immediately rejected by the Admissions Office.
After reviewing your application materials and – if you are preselected – taking an interview with you, the final admissions decision about your candidacy will be made by the program selection committee based on the your past school grades, the strength of your recommendation, English language competency, intellectual merit, work and volunteer experience (if available), expectations of the program, future plans, and general compatibility with the goals of the academic unit.
Notification Timeline for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
Please see the relevant Admission Round. In case you have been placed on the waiting list, see also the timeline below.
Notification Timeline for Waitlisted Candidates for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
January 15, 2026
- Candidates from visa-sensitive countries will receive a status update latest on this date.
May 31, 2026
- Candidates from visa-required countries will receive a status update latest on this date.
August 1, 2026
- Candidates needing no visa to Austria will receive a status update latest on this date.
Documents you need to submit with your application for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
Watch the video below about how to complete the application form.
1. Academic Records
Upload your complete
transcript
showing the subjects and grades from your last four years of high school, the results of your matriculation examination (e.g. Matura, Abitur, A-levels, etc.) and your High School
Diploma
or Certificate.
Notes:
The transcript and the diploma should be issued
in English
by your high school or translated by the issuing institution or a registered translator.
Candidates
in the process of completing their high school studies
must submit a transcript of records showing all their subjects and grades from the three previous years, any results available from the current year, and a certificate of enrollment stating their expected date of graduation, if possible. Predicted grades for their final term, if available, may also be included.
Candidates who have
previously attended a university
must submit a transcript from that institution as well.
Candidates who have
taken courses at more than one institution
as part of their high school studies must submit an official transcript from each school, unless the transfer credits are listed in detail (course names, credits, grades) on their final transcript.
If you have any questions about academic records, please visit
Admissions FAQ
Applicants to the
Data Science and Society (DSS)
program
must demonstrate a clear and sustained level of achievement in mathematics. This can be fulfilled in one or more of the following ways:
High school transcripts:
transcripts should demonstrate competency in mathematics throughout high school
Standardized tests:
we encourage but do not require, applicants to submit a standardized mathematics test as proof of mathematics competency. Applicants who have completed a standardized test should upload (only) one of the following test results: SAT, ACT, AP Calculus, A-levels, International Baccalaureate Math. The following scores are considered competitive:
SAT Math or Physics Subject Test: 650
ACT: 27
AP Calculus: 4
A Levels: B
IB Math HL: 5 or IB Math SL: 6
Note that the scores listed above serve as a point of reference for applicants to the Data Science and Society program, and do not guarantee nor disallow admission into the program.
2. Proof of English Proficiency
Upload your results on standardized English language tests such as TOEFL or others listed below.
You qualify for exemption from this requirement if any of the following conditions apply:
your first language is English;
you’ve scored 5 or more in English (HL or SL) in the International Baccalaureate (IB);
you’ve scored 650 or more on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion of the SAT;
your ACT score is 27 or more for both English and Reading;
you’ve been enrolled for at least two years at a high school where teaching is exclusively in English or have obtained a diploma from such a school. If the language of instruction is not clearly stated in your high school credentials, upload an
official letter from your school confirming that you were taught exclusively in English
throughout your studies.
Please note that the Admissions Office reserves the right to request an English test result of you based on the initial review of your application even if you otherwise qualify for exemption.
If you are submitting a test score of one of the exams listed below,
upload your score report in the online application
Test type
Score
TOEFL (Internet-based;
not older than two years
at the time of application)
88
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
(Internet-based;
not older than two years
at the time of application)
88
TOEFL (taken after January 21, 2026)
4.5
IELTS (Academic;
not older than two years
at the time of application)
6.5
IELTS Online
not older than two years
at the time of application)
6.5
Pearson Test of English (Academic;
not older than five years
at the time of application)
59
Cambridge English: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (
not older than five years
at the time of application)
180
Euroexam Academic
English C1 (
not older than two years
at the time of application)
Pass
Duolingo English Test (
not older than one year
at the time of application)
120
3. Standard Test Scores and Other Supporting Documents
Provide additional documents in support of your application, such as other test scores or evidence of other work, training, or volunteer work you’ve done, at your discretion. These documents must be merged into one PDF file not exceeding 2 MB. Some examples of supporting documents include:
standardized test scores, e.g. SAT (CEU’s code for College Board is 4567), ACT, Advanced Placement (AP), etc.
academic competition scores/awards
additional recommendation letter(s) (academic or work-related) if it/they provide(s) a different perspective on you than the mandatory recommendation.
For applicants to the
Data Science and Society (DSS)
program:
this could be a recommendation letter from your teacher of a quantitative class, such as mathematics, physics, or statistics.
any information or document that does not fit anywhere else in the application, but provides context that is relevant for your university application, and you feel your application would not be complete without it
4. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
Upload a CV in reverse chronological order and bullet-point format. We’d like to see your secondary education history and any extracurricular activities, exchange programs, academic competitions, and any relevant volunteering or work experience. A sample CV is available
here
5. Letter of Motivation
Submit a letter of motivation of max. 300 words in length addressing why you chose to apply to CEU, why your program of choice matches your interests and aspirations, and how you think you would contribute to the CEU community.
6. Application Essay
Upload a short essay, of no more than 500 words, addressing the topic below. The essay should be an original piece of work written specifically for this application.
Application essay topic for the
Culture, Politics and Society (CPS)
bachelor’s degree
Identify what you see as the most important challenge we are facing today in the world. This can be of a social, political, cultural, economic, or environmental nature — or a combination. How do you see that a degree in Culture, Politics and Society can help make sense of this challenge, and can help tackle it?
We are not looking for a full and final answer to the question, but for evidence of a genuine engagement with a problem that is of concern to you, and a desire to gain the knowledge and tools necessary to analyze it and consider solutions. If you have not studied relevant subjects at school, don’t worry — ideas from your existing studies, and from following news and media may stimulate interest in issues and questions which can then be addressed in your study of Culture, Politics and Society.
Application essay topic for the
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
bachelor’s degree
Tell us about your interest in a question that has a connection with philosophy or politics or economics. For example: What makes societies fair or just? Can artificial intelligence really think? What is the justification for democracy? Are we ever genuinely free to choose what to do?
These are just examples — feel free to pick your own question.
We are not looking for a full and final answer, but for evidence of a genuine interest in these topics, and a real engagement with a question that puzzles you. If you have not studied these subjects at school, don’t worry — ideas from the study of science or literature or history or other subjects may stimulate interest in questions which can then be addressed in your study of Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Application essay topic for the
Data Science and Society (DSS)
bachelor’s degree
Tell us about your interest in Data Science and Society. What do you think are some of the major challenges in understanding human society? Why do you think quantitative approaches (involving mathematics, computation, and data analysis) are necessary for this task? What are some of the questions that cannot be answered from this perspective alone, and require also a qualitative component?
These are just examples — feel free to pick your own question.
We are not looking for a full and final answer, but for evidence of a genuine interest in these topics, and a real engagement with a question that puzzles you. If you have not studied these subjects at school, don’t worry — ideas from your existing studies, and from following news and media may stimulate interest in issues and questions which can then be addressed through your studies in Data Science and Society.
7. Letter of Recommendation
Have
one
confidential letter of recommendation, in English, submitted by a teacher or counselor supporting your application. The letter should review your academic achievement and potential, skills, abilities, strengths, motivation, and character, as well as your disciplinary record.
The referee must send the recommendation via the online application system directly, so that you can’t view it, and it remains confidential.
To enable your referee to send in their letter, register them in the online application form.
If you’re applying for more than one degree program, you’ll need to do this for each application separately. Then be sure to go ahead and submit your application! Upon a successful receipt of your application, your referee will receive an email with a link to the recommendation form. The recommendation must be received within one week of receipt of your application. A late recommendation may or may not be considered.
You can track the status of your reference(s) on the
applicant portal
. If you have any questions about the letters of recommendation, please visit the
FAQ and references section
for more information.
NOTE: Applicants are expected to prepare all written materials independently, without the use of generative AI tools, except for basic grammar and spelling checks. Candidates invited to interview are expected to demonstrate a command of English consistent with that reflected in their written submissions.
Start Your CEU Online Application for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
Ready to apply to your chosen Bachelor’s degree at CEU?
Start your online application
Before doing so, please make sure to review the notes below.
All application materials must be submitted with the online application form(s). Materials sent by electronic or postal mail are not considered.
You may apply to up to three bachelor’s programs offered by CEU. To be considered for multiple programs, you must submit a complete application (including references) for each program.
CEU charges an
application fee of EUR 30
for each candidate irrespective of the number of programs applied to in the given admissions cycle. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived. The fee must be paid via the online application form after the first application is submitted in the given admission cycle. Once you hit "submit" on your first application, the page will redirect you to the payment portal where you can pay the application fee.
NOTE: Fee payments to CEU are processed by
Flywire
. For your (first) application to be processed, Flywire must receive your application fee payment. Because Flywire may take several days to receive and process your payment, we recommend that you pay the fee with a
bank card
OR submit your first application with your fee payment at least one week before the
deadline
to avoid any issues. (Please see our
FAQ's
.)
Applications cannot be edited after submission with the exception of certain data (contact information) that can be updated via the
Applicant Portal
. Please submit your application only when it is 100% final and complete. (Please see the related
FAQ's
.)
CEU does not return application documents or provide copies thereof.
If you applied to CEU in a previous admission cycle, please use your existing login and password to start a new application. If you do not remember your password from last year, click on
’Forgot Your Password?’.
With technical problems, bugs or errors related to the online application forms please contact the
CEU IT Help Desk
DO NOT CREATE MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS TO APPLY TO CEU!
Access the Applicant Portal and Track Your Status for Bachelor’s Programs at CEU
Once your
first
application and application fee are received, you will gain access to the
Applicant Portal
(not to be confused with the application form!) and receive an email confirming this. If you don't receive one, please check your spam folder - if you do not find it,
immediately.
The Applicant Portal can be accessed with the same login and password used for the application(s).
The CEU Applicant Portal
shows a summary of each submitted application including 'Referees', 'Documents', and 'Actions'.
See a detailed guide below
will notify you if you need to upload additional documents
is a tool where you can update your personal information if needed
will display the outcome of your application once a final decision has been made
Access Applicant Portal
The CEU Applicant Portal Guide
Personal Details
In this section, you can update your correspondence address details. Please note that name, date of birth and permanent address changes are not stored automatically by the system but have to be validated by the CEU Admissions Office. For this purpose, please
and attach a supporting document where applicable (e.g. name change: marriage certificate).
Application(s)
This section lists the key summary of a given application such as the program(s) you have applied for, the entry year, the academic unit offering the program, the date of submission, the mode of study, etc. It is also in this section that you will find the decision about your application displayed according to the relevant
notification schedule.
If the decision displayed is that you are being
Offered a Place of Study
, the Portal will display your Study Agreement. Please read the document carefully. You may then choose to accept the Study Agreement or decline it (click on "State your Decision").
If you
accept
the Study Agreement, your response will be displayed as “Firmly Accepted” on the portal.
If you choose to
decline
the Study Agreement, please make sure to provide your reason for declining. If you do not wish to respond at this time, please ‘Cancel’ to return to the ‘my Application’ page.
See also:
If the application is
rejected
, your status in the Applicant Portal is updated accordingly. You will also receive a formal letter of notification by email. Please note that
CEU does not make known the reason(s) why an application is rejected
If the decision reads
waiting list
, it means that you may be admitted if another accepted applicant chooses not to attend CEU. Please note that we are unfortunately unable to provide information about your chances of acceptance or position on the waiting list.
Referees
This section allows you to track the status of your references/recommendation letters. It also allows you to remove a referee in case the person has not submitted the reference yet, and to register a new referee (or register the same referee once more, in case the person lost the reference email or did not submit within the time frame provided). Once you register a referee, they will have one week to submit a reference from the time you submit your application (i.e. after you have paid the application fee and received an automated message that your application was successfully submitted).
The status messages for references are the following:
Reference not started: the automated email with the link to the reference form has been sent to the referee but they have not clicked on it;
Reference in progress: the referee clicked the link but has not completed the reference yet;
Reference submitted: the referee successfully uploaded the reference or completed the web reference form.
Documents
This section will display any document you are requested to upload in addition or in lieu of or in addition to those you have submitted with your application. Please check this section regularly for updates. If you see no documents listed here, that means do not have to submit any.
Note:
First Diploma = Bachelor's diploma/degree certificate
First Transcript = Bachelor's transcript
Second Diploma = Master's diploma/degree certificate
Second Transcript = Master's transcript)
Actions
If you click
Withdraw Application
the relevant application will be marked as withdrawn and you will no longer be considered for that program. This does not affect other applications you might have submitted. If you want to withdraw several applications, you need to withdraw them one by one.
After You Have Been Accepted to a Bachelor’s Program at CEU
Step 1: Acceptance Offer
An acceptance offer comes in the form of a
Study Agreement
and is published on the
Applicant Portal
. The Study Agreement stipulates the terms and conditions of the study offer, including the program’s name and length, payable fees and expectable costs, any financial aid awarded, the
documents
to be submitted prior to enrollment, etc. When an offer is posted on your applicant portal, you have
fourteen calendar days*
to either accept or decline it ("State your Decision").
To accept the offer, click on “State your Decision”, select the appropriate response option, sign the Study Agreement via a DocuSign link** and finally, pay the
registration fee
of €500. Once your payment has been confirmed by
Flywire
, your response will automatically update to 'Firmly accepted'.
*This 14-day period cannot be extended for any reason.
**The link is sent by email (please remember to check your spam folder!).
Step 2: Visa Application (for non-EU/EEA citizens)
Non-EU/EEA citizens:
Accepted candidates who are citizens of countries that are not part of the
European Union (EU)
or
European Economic Area (EEA)
AND who do not hold a permanent residency permit in the EU/EEA area need to apply for a residency permit and/or a study visa. Please visit
for information on applying for a residency permit and/or a study visa.
Citizens of the EU/EEA:
Accepted candidates who are EU/EEA citizens may travel to Austria without a study visa. However, they need to obtain a registration certificate (in German: “Anmeldebescheinigung”) for the duration of their studies in Austria. For more information, please read our
Information for Arriving Students
To help you acquire the necessary permit and/or visa, a Confirmation of Acceptance is made available on the
Applicant Portal
. For further information, read our detailed
guidelines
and
watch our informational videos
Step 3: Academic Records
As a
precondition of enrollment
, you will need to submit the following academic documents to CEU’s Admissions Office no later than
August 1, 2026:
an
official English copy or translation of your high school diploma or certificate
(accompanied by an official copy of the document in the original language if other than English)
an
official English copy or translation of your final transcript or their matriculation examination
e.g. Matura, Abitur, WAEC, CBSE, A-levels, etc. (accompanied by an official copy of the document in the original language if other than English)
Notes:
Academic records
should be sent by
electronic mail
to
admissions@ceu.edu
or shared on a document sharing portal by the
institution
that has issued them. Copies emailed by the students are not accepted. (
IB students
can request their transcripts to be sent to us through the IBO portal. The CEU IB code is: 039515.)
If you cannot have your academic records submitted electronically but have official
hard copies
of them, you can submit those hard copies. If you wish to retain the original copies, photocopies of the original copies will also be accepted
if certified by a notary public or the institution
itself. These documents (along with their official English translations if applicable) must be
mailed or submitted in person
to the Admissions Office at Room B604, Quellenstrasse 51, 1100 Vienna, Austria.
In case the name stated on the academic records (diploma, transcript) is different from your current official name, the name change must be documented officially (along with an official English translation where applicable).
CEU does not return academic records
of previous studies, nor does it provide copies thereof.
Step 4: Payment of Fees and Onboarding
Please refer to our
fee payment schedule
and
fee refund policy
. Payments shall be made via the Onboarding Platform, the SITSe:Vision portal.
Before you start to complete the tasks from your online
Onboarding checklist
, please see our
Onboarding Manual
Onboarding Checklist for Degree Students:
Visa, Residence Permit and Registration
Photo upload
Entry survey
The Essential Financial Guide
Enrollment Fee
Tuition Fee
ÖH Fee
Academic Records Submission
Matriculation form
On successfully completing the onboarding process, your status will be changed to 'Provisionally Enrolled (Onboarding completed)', and to 'Enrolled' after you have arrived on campus and reported to your program coordinator during the Orientation.
Step 5: Arrival at CEU
Please see
here
for helpful information about arrival and enrollment.
Please note that every degree program of CEU is on-site and requires your presence on campus during the whole program. You must arrive on campus by the beginning of the academic year as stated in your Study Agreement. The latest possible arrival is the end of the Orientation week (find dates in the
Academic Calendar
). If you are not able to arrive on time, you must notify the Admissions Office and your department in advance to be considered for a deferral. Deferrals are granted on a case-by-case basis.
Attachments
Document
Sample Study Agreement - Bachelor's
(318.08 KB)
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