The Bratislava University of Economics and Business (Slovak: Ekonomická univerzita v Bratislave, EUBA) is a public university in Bratislava and the oldest university of economics in Slovakia. It was founded in 1940 as the private College of Commerce in Bratislava and has held university status since 1992. It offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes at seven faculties – six in Bratislava and one in Košice. As of 31 October 2025 the university had 6,979 students, including 1,001 international students, and 128,750 people have graduated from the institution since its founding.
The university has held AACSB accreditation since 2021 and AMBA & BGA accreditation since 2026. Its main campus is located in the Petržalka borough of Bratislava.
Contents
History
Names
The university was established in 1940 as a private university under the name Vysoká obchodná škola v Bratislave (College of Commerce in Bratislava), to serve Slovak students because of the closure of colleges and universities in the German-occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. It was the first institution of its kind in Slovakia, training specialists for commerce, industry and banking; its first rector was the mathematician Jur Hronec. It was nationalized in 1945 and renamed to Slovenská vysoká škola obchodná (Slovak College of Commerce). It was renamed in 1949 to Vysoká škola hospodárskych vied (College of Economic Sciences) and once again in 1953 to Vysoká škola ekonomická v Bratislave (College of Economics in Bratislava). The current Slovak name, Ekonomická univerzita v Bratislave, has been used since 1992, based on Act No. 292/1992 of 28 April 1992.
Faculties
The first faculties were created in 1953 (the Faculty of Domestic Trade and Finance, the Faculty of General Economics and the Faculty of Production Economics); in 1958 they were replaced by the Faculty of National Economy and the Faculty of Sectoral Economics. The Institute of National Economic Planning (1959) became the Faculty of Management in 1968, which was renamed the Faculty of Economic Informatics in 1991. The division of the Faculty of Sectoral Economics in 1969 created the Faculty of Commerce and the Faculty of Economics and Management of Production Sectors (since 1991 the Faculty of Business Management). The detached branch in Košice (from 1969) became the Faculty of Business Economics in 1992. In the same year the Faculty of Service Economics and Tourism in Banská Bystrica separated from the school and became part of the newly established Matej Bel University. The Faculty of International Relations was established in 2000 and the Faculty of Applied Languages in 2010.
Buildings and campus
The College of Commerce initially had no premises of its own and teaching took place in rented buildings across the city. With the help of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry it acquired two buildings on Palisády street, and it also used premises on Konventná street. In 1960 part of the school moved to a new building of Comenius University on Odborárov street, but the shortage of space persisted.
The solution was a new campus on Dolnozemská cesta in Petržalka, intended to bring teaching, research, accommodation and catering together in one place. Construction began in the early 1980s (in 1981 according to the university, in 1983 according to another source). The first building, Výučba 1 (V1), was completed in 1991 and housed the Faculty of National Economy and the Faculty of Commerce. The taller Výučba 2 (V2) building followed in 1996, housing the Faculty of Economic Informatics, the Faculty of Business Management and other units. The Aula EU congress centre opened in 2008.
Today the V1 building houses the Faculty of Economics and Finance, the Faculty of Commerce and the Slovak Economic Library; the V2 building houses the Faculty of Business Management, the Faculty of Economic Informatics, the Faculty of International Relations, the Faculty of Applied Languages and the rectorate. The two buildings are connected by a corridor. In the city centre the university also owns a historic building at Konventná 1, which is a national cultural monument. The Faculty of Business Economics is based in Košice and has a teaching unit in Michalovce.
Consortium with STU and modernization
Together with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), the university formed a consortium that in 2024 received the largest grant in the Ministry of Education's call for integrated infrastructure – almost €50 million from the Recovery and Resilience Plan for both universities. The project is part of the plan for an interdisciplinary campus called Science Hills, which Comenius University and the Slovak Academy of Sciences are expected to join in the future. The cooperation has also produced joint study programmes such as FinTech and Financial Innovation, Economics and Management in Energy, and Urban Studies.
In summer 2024 the university started the largest infrastructure modernization in its modern history, worth more than €30 million. Buildings V1 and V2 were renovated (window replacement, facade insulation, roof reconstruction); the Slovak Economic Library, the Ecovčielka kindergarten building and the building at Konventná 1 are being reconstructed, and an innovative Business Lab is being created in the former premises of the Ekonóm publishing house.
Visual identity
On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of its founding, on 26 February 2026 the university presented a new visual identity designed by Martin Knut. It draws on the university's history and values and on the archetype of the "wise guardian". The logo is composed of simple geometric shapes intended to express order, systems thinking and rational analysis; the circle symbolizes the student at the centre of university life. The logo colours are navy blue and turquoise, with additional colours distinguishing the individual faculties within a single brand. The new identity has been introduced gradually since 2026; the rules for its use are set out in the Brand Book EUBA 2026.
Each faculty has its own colour in the new identity:
Organization
University Board
Composition according to the university. The vice-rectors have held office since 6 February 2023.
Ferdinand Daňo has led the university since 2015 and is serving his third term, from 1 February 2023 to 31 January 2027. The election of the rector candidate for the term from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2031 was held on 9 October 2026; Daňo won and is to remain rector until 2031.
Rectors
Jur Hronec (1940–1942)
Anton Jurovský (1942–1944)
Jozef Fischhof (1944–1945)
Ladislav Cicvárek (1945–1947 and 1949–1950)
Štefan Luby (1947–1948)
Július Pazman (1948–1949)
Štefan Rehák (1950–1952)
Anton Kotzig (1952–1958)
Viktor Pavlenda (1958–1961)
Pavol Rapoš (1961–1964)
Štefan Fischera (1964–1966)
Jozef Rosa (1966–1969)
Mikuláš Sedlák (1969–1970 and 1991–1994)
Andrej Piškanin (1969–1970)
Ladislav Rendoš (1971–1985)
Vladimír Gáčik (1985–1990)
Ján Petrenka (1990–1991)
Juraj Stern (1994–2000)
Vojtech Kollár (2000–2007)
Rudolf Sivák (2007–2015)
Ferdinand Daňo (since 2015, term until 2031)
Structure
Founding years according to the university's historical milestones, deans according to the Rector's Board, student numbers (all levels and forms of study) according to the 2025 annual report. Elections of deans for the 2027–2031 term take place in autumn 2026.
Academics
Study programmes
In 2025 the university had 83 accredited study programmes – 30 at the first (bachelor's), 30 at the second (engineer's/master's) and 23 at the third (doctoral) level; since 2025 it has also offered professionally oriented bachelor's programmes. Most programmes belong to the field of economics and management, while the Faculty of Applied Languages teaches philology. A number of programmes are taught in English, and a joint programme in law and economics is run together with the Faculty of Law of Comenius University.
Students can earn a double degree in English-taught programmes with partner universities including Nottingham Trent University, the Prague University of Economics and Business, the University of Latvia, the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, the Kyiv National Economic University, the University of Pavia, IDRAC Business School in Lyon, the University of Strasbourg, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, the University of Limerick, the University of Coimbra, the University of Luxembourg and SolBridge International School of Business in South Korea. In 2025 the university ran 16 international double and joint degree programmes with 15 partner universities in 12 countries.
Students can learn English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian. The university takes part in the Erasmus+ and CEEPUS programmes; in 2025 it sent 507 students on mobilities abroad and received 207 incoming students. In addition to degree programmes it offers lifelong learning, a University of the Third Age and a Children's University of Economics.
Student numbers
The chart shows the number of students in all forms of study (as of 31 October each year). The university had the most students in 2008 (13,759); the decline after 2010 is mainly due to demographic trends.
International students
As of 31 October 2025 the university had 1,001 international students, 984 of them in full-time study, representing 17.02% of all full-time students. The university does not publish a breakdown of international students by citizenship. Some faculty annual reports give figures for full-time international students, including those in Slovak-taught programmes:
In spring 2022, after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the university and the iCan language school organized an intensive Slovak language course for Ukrainians, for which about 100 people registered. Its aim was to reach the B1 level required for full-time study in Slovak; the university paid for the course and provided the premises. More than 40 participants completed the course and, according to its organizer, all of them decided to continue their studies at the university. Nationally, Ukrainians were the largest group of international students in Slovakia in 2023 (more than 10,000, or 53%), and 57% of international students studied in programmes taught only in Slovak.
Bratislava is considered a safe city: in the mid-2026 Numbeo Safety Index it scored 69.7, comparable to Vienna (70.6) and Prague (75.3).
Accreditations and evaluations
International accreditations
Data on the ACCA, AICPA – CIMA and EMOS accreditations according to the 2025 annual report. The university has also undergone an institutional evaluation by the European University Association (EUA) and in 2022 received the HR Excellence in Research award.
Research evaluation (VER 2026)
In the periodic evaluation of research and creative activities VER 2026 (Verification of Excellence in Research), whose results the Slovak Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth published on 15 June 2026, the university achieved the largest increase in the quality of creative activity among all evaluated Slovak institutions – 353% compared with the VER 2022 evaluation. The evaluation covered 2020–2024 and took the form of international peer review; the field of economics and business was assessed by a nine-member international panel. VER results determine roughly half of research funding at public universities.
Graduates and employment
Number of graduates
Between 1940 and 2026, 128,750 people graduated from the institution, the most in 2009 (5,450). Of these, 91,514 (71.1%) graduated after 1992 under the university's current name. In the 2024/2025 academic year, 2,256 students graduated (1,031 at the first level, 1,198 at the second and 27 at the third).
Source: EUBA graduate register.
Graduate salaries
According to an analysis by the job portal Worki.sk from March 2025, the university's graduates earned considerably more than average in 2024:
Source: Worki.sk, 2024 data.
Among faculties, graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Finance (€2,896) and the Faculty of Economic Informatics (€2,837) had the highest average earnings; among recent graduates FHI (€2,123) led ahead of NHF (€2,052) and FPM (€1,987).
Source: Worki.sk, 2024 data; the number of graduates is given only for occupations for which the source published it.
Most graduates work in management, corporate finance, accounting, controlling and statistics (3,963), in banking, insurance, financial services and real estate (1,850) and in trade, marketing and advertising (1,406); the fewest work in science and research (154). Among recent graduates, the share of IT and finance positions is growing, with ICT analysts having the highest average wage (€2,641).
Employer interest
In the ranking of the attractiveness of Slovak university graduates compiled by the job portal Profesia.sk (Alma Career Slovakia) based on employer activity, the university ranked 2nd in 2025. In the ranking published in June 2026, based on employer activity in 2025 and a sample of almost 18,000 graduate CVs, it returned to 1st place among universities.
Methodological limitations
These figures should be interpreted with caution. The Worki.sk data are mean (not median) gross wages, which can be skewed by a small number of very high incomes. They do not control for gender, age, experience, region or industry – the higher average earnings of graduates partly reflect the fact that many of them work in Bratislava and in well-paid sectors such as finance, banking and IT. The publication does not explain how graduates were matched with earnings data or what share of all graduates the data cover. The Profesia.sk ranking measures employer interest in CVs on a single job portal, not actual employment or earnings of graduates, and covers only candidates who use the portal.
Campus and services
Student dormitories
The university has eight student dormitories – seven in Bratislava and one in Košice. The dormitories have been gradually renovated since 2004, mainly with Ministry of Education subsidies; by 2023 about half of the accommodation capacity had been renovated, with an investment backlog of about €21 million. Since 2024 a large-scale renovation has been under way, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the university's own resources:
Amounts according to the 2025 financial report. In 2025 the dormitories had revenues of €3.58 million (of which €1.63 million from accommodation fees and €1.88 million from subsidies) and expenses of €3.33 million.
Slovak Economic Library
The Slovak Economic Library (Slovak: Slovenská ekonomická knižnica, SEK) is the university's academic library and also serves as a specialized scientific library of national importance; it is the only library in Slovakia specializing in economics and related interdisciplinary fields. It was founded on 19 April 1948 as the Central Library of the Slovak College of Commerce, was called the Central Economic Library from 1 April 1959, has been part of the university since 1983 and has borne its current name since 1993. Its holdings exceed 365,000 items; it includes a European Documentation Centre and a branch in Košice. The library provides access to international databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, ProQuest and Emerald Insight. Its director is Jitka Kmeťová. As part of the university's modernization, the library is being reconstructed to provide new spaces for individual and group work.
Catering and sport
Catering is provided by student canteens and buffets on campus; the canteen at Dolnozemská was reconstructed together with the dormitory. Students can also use the facilities of Comenius University in Mlynská dolina. The university has a multi-purpose sports hall, and its women's volleyball team, Slávia EU Bratislava, finished 2nd in the Slovak Extraliga in 2025.
Awards conferred by the university
Honorary doctorates
Vladimír Králiček, 1993
Gerald Hinteregger, 1994
Cornelis Johannes Rijnvos, 1995
Franz Vranitzky, 1996
Klaus Schwab, 1996
Hans Vontobel, 1996
Michael Novak, 1997
Leszek Balcerowicz, 1999
Václav Hoffmann, 1999
Radim Vlček, 1999
Raymond Barre, 2000
Donald James Johnston, 2001
Hermann Schnabel, 2001
Jerzy Altkorn, 2001
Aleksander Zeliaś, 2002
Wolfgang Roth, 2003
Václav Klaus, 2004
Georgios S. Zavvos, 2004
Heiko Steffens, 2006
Ralf Michael Ebeling, 2006
Alexandre Lamfalussy, 2007
Rainer Franz, 2007
Stanisław Lis, 2007
Richard Hindls, 2008
Claude Martin, 2010
Herbert Stepic, 2011
Imrich Karvaš Medal
Since 2000 the university has awarded a medal named after the economist Imrich Karvaš to individuals and institutions with particular merit in the development of the university or of economic education and science.
Family of Imrich Karvaš, 16 November 2000
Othmar Huber, 24 October 2001
Jaroslava Durčáková, 22 June 2002
Štefan Rosina, 2 September 2002
Jozef Kollár, 26 February 2003
Jaap W. de Zwaan, 21 April 2004
Donald James Johnston, 9 June 2006
Stanisław Lis, 9 November 2012
Ivan Laluha, 11 March 2013
Ján Marček, 30 January 2014
Štefan Harna, 30 January 2014
Rudolf Sivák, 11 November 2015
Jozef Makúch, 18 October 2023
Juraj Stern, 14 October 2025
Vojtech Kollár, 14 October 2025
National Bank of Slovakia, 14 October 2025