After the Ausgleich the name of the Selmecbánya university was changed to Royal Hungarian Academy of Mining and Forestry.

When Hungary lost its northern territories to Czechoslovakia after the Treaty of Trianon, the academy was moved from Selmecbánya (now Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia) to Sopron.

During the socialist era of Hungary the northern parts of the country were developed into an important industrial zone.

According to this the government decided to have a university founded in Miskolc, the largest city of the area.

During the 1980s the university, where formerly only subjects concerning heavy industry were taught, began to change its profile.