Matej Bel University (commonly referred as Matej Bel or UMB), (Slovak: Univerzita Mateja Bela) is a public research university in the central Slovak town of Banská Bystrica. The university was established in 1992. It bears the name of Matthias Bel, a Hungarian-Slovak Lutheran scholar of the 18th century. UMB comprises six faculties that differ in character and history, each retaining substantial autonomy on financial and institutional affairs. The university provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Throughout its existence, UMB alumni, faculty, and staff have included one prime minister of Slovakia; four justices of the Constitutional Court of Slovakia, two of whom currently serve; numerous Fulbright Scholars; and multiple senior EU and Slovak officials. Additionally, students and alumni have won 4 Olympic medals (2 gold).

Banská Bystrica (until 1920: Besztercebánya) has a long tradition in schooling and culture. In the 13th century, there had already existed a parish school, later a town school. In the 17th century, a Jesuit school, as well as Evangelical grammar schools, were founded. Matthias Bel, after whom the university is named, studied and later worked as a rector at the latter.

In the 1850s and 1860s, the Catholic grammar school with Slovak as a tuition language became an important center of education in the Kingdom of Hungary. In the school year 1856–57 the first Teacher's Preparation Study was founded in Besztercebánya, where Slovak language was taught together with German and Latin, thanks to the bishop Štefan Moyses.

In the school year 1949–50, a branch of the Faculty of Education, Slovak University of Bratislava, was established in Banská Bystrica. The first higher school appeared in Banská Bystrica in 1954. It was called the Higher School of Pedagogy. On 1 September 1964 the Faculty of Education was founded. In 1973, the branch of the Faculty of Commerce, University of Economics in Bratislava, was established and in 1977 transformed into the Faculty of Economics of Services and Tourism. Matej Bel University was established on 1 July 1992, after the integration of the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Economics of Services and Tourism.

The Matej Bel University has traditionally been a decentralized institution, with governing authority shared among its academic faculties. The Governing Council is the unicameral legislative organ of the central administration, overseeing general academic, business and institutional affairs. The rector is appointed by the council as the chief executive.

Matej Bel University currently comprises six faculties: