In 1921, after the annexation of Transylvania to Romania in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the accession of Romania in the First world war was founded in 1872, the University of Kolozsvar (later Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, with teaching in Hungarian was transferred to Szeged. Until 1940 at the University training was conducted in four faculties: medical, mathematics and natural Sciences, law and the faculty of arts, languages and history. At this time one of the professors of the University was albert Szent-derdi - Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in 1937.

In 1940, according to the Vienna arbitration, Romania had to cede a part of Transylvania, Hungary, and the University was transferred back to Cluj-Napoca, which was done, but at the same time in Szeged opened the new Royal University named after miklós Horthy, who after the war received the name of the University of Szeged. In 1951 was abolished medical faculty is based on it was created by the Institute of medicine. In 1962, the University received the name of the Hungarian revolutionary poet Attila józsef, who in 1924 he enrolled in the University of Szeged, but was expelled for his political poems.

In 2000, the University of Szeged was waiting for the new reorganization, which took place the merger of the University, the medical University and several other educational institutions into a single University of Szeged.

One of the attractions of Cathedral square - musical clock located on the wall of a University building opposite the Cathedral. This unique timepiece is the work of a watchmaker, Ferenc Turi and Woodcarver Joseph Kula.