The University of Debrecen is the oldest continuously operating higher education institutions in Hungary. It was founded in 1538. Thanks to the programmes of study in English at the present time there are more than 2000 foreign students.

Originally the school was called the Calvinist College in Debrecen and over the centuries of its existence it has earned the title of one of the key institutions of higher education in Hungary. At the beginning of the 20th century the College was transformed into a University, and has close ties to the assignee of the Calvinist College in Debrecen - Theological University in Debrecen.

The University has two main buildings: the old houses the faculties of art, science, Informatics, medicine, music, as well as the Botanical garden, and the youngest, the faculties of law and Economics.

The library of the University of Debrecen is the largest University library in Hungary and one of the two national libraries in the country (second to the national széchenyi Library in Budapest). The library's collections include more than 6000000 units of storage space.