⇑Universities

Austria has four types of higher education institutions. According to OeAD, the agency that runs the official Study in Austria portal, there are currently:

• 23 public universities – from the large universities in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz and Klagenfurt to specialised medical, technical and arts universities,
• 21 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen, FH) – practice-oriented degrees with compulsory work placements; around 640 programmes, about 80 of them taught entirely in English,
• 19 private universities – smaller, often specialised or international,
• 14 university colleges of teacher education (Pädagogische Hochschulen) – where future teachers are trained.

You won't be the only foreigner: international students make up around 30% of all students in Austria.

Universities in Austria – profiles
Public universities in Austria
Private universities in Austria
Universities of applied sciences (FH) in Austria
University colleges of teacher education in Austria

⇑Study system

Austria follows the three-cycle Bologna system:

• Bachelor – at least 180 ECTS, usually 3 years,
• Master – at least 120 ECTS, usually 2 years, after a bachelor's degree,
• Doctorate (Doktor/in or PhD) – at least 3 years, after a master's degree.

There are also diploma programmes (Diplomstudium) – long, single-cycle degrees of 4–6 years ending with the title Magister/Magistra or Diplom-Ingenieur/in. Law, for example, is studied this way. Medicine is also a diploma programme, but it ends with the title Dr. med. univ.

The academic year starts on 1 October. The winter semester runs until the end of January, the summer semester starts on 1 March.

Austria – bachelor's programmes
Austria – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Austria – master's programmes
Austria – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

There is no central admission system – you apply directly to the university of your choice, usually through its online form.

Deadlines at public universities: 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester. OeAD advises not to wait until the last minute, because checking foreign documents takes time. Programmes with entrance exams, arts universities, FHs and private universities set their own, usually much earlier deadlines – registration for entrance exams can close as much as six months before the semester starts. If you come from outside the EU, apply early anyway: you will need the admission letter to apply for your residence permit (see: Residence and formalities).

For a bachelor's programme you will usually need:

• a copy of your passport or ID card,
• a secondary school leaving certificate that gives access to higher education in the country where it was issued,
• proof of German language skills (see: Language).

Documents issued outside Austria must be submitted as originals and legalised; if they are not in German or English, you must add a certified translation. Some certificates are only recognised together with additional exams. The university's admissions office will tell you exactly what it accepts.

For a master's programme you need a bachelor's degree in a related field of at least 180 ECTS.

⇑Entrance exams

For most university programmes it is enough to meet the formal requirements. But for high-demand programmes – including medicine, dentistry, psychology, architecture, biology, computer science and economics – universities may limit the number of places. In that case you will face an entrance exam before admission or a selection phase during the first two semesters.

At FHs every applicant goes through an admission procedure: usually a document check, a written or oral test and an interview. At arts universities an aptitude exam counts instead of your school leaving certificate.

⇑Language

Most programmes are taught in German. Universities usually require level B2, some C1. You can prove your German with a school certificate showing at least four years of German or with a language certificate – for example the Austrian ÖSD, which you can take at more than 200 exam centres worldwide.

If a university admits you on condition that you improve your German, you can attend a preparatory course in Austria (Vorstudienlehrgang) – you need at least level A2 to start.

The number of programmes taught in English is growing, especially at master's level. For these you will usually need IELTS or TOEFL. The full list is in the studienwahl.at search engine – more than 2,500 programmes at more than 77 institutions.

Austrian universities with programmes taught in English

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens enter with an ID card or passport – no visa or residence permit is needed. There are two obligations:

• registering your address within 3 working days of arrival – you submit the Meldezettel form at the municipal registration office (Meldeamt); your landlord signs it too. In a hotel or youth hostel, reception takes care of it. You report every move within the same deadline and deregister before leaving Austria,
• registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) – if you stay in Austria for longer than 3 months.

Students from outside the EU/EEA staying longer than six months need a Residence Permit – Student (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student). Most applicants apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate in their home country before entering; visa-exempt nationals may apply in Austria. OeAD recommends applying 3–6 months before you plan to arrive. The permit is issued for 12 months and must be renewed each year. You will need, among other things, your admission letter, a police clearance certificate, proof of accommodation, health insurance and proof of funds for 12 months – in 2026 €722.58 a month if you are under 24 and €1,308.39 a month from age 24. The address registration described above applies to you as well.

Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Students living in Austria – including non-EU students, for whom insurance is a condition of the residence permit – can take out student self-insurance with the public health fund ÖGK (€78.84 a month in 2026) or a private policy.

⇑Tuition fees

At public universities, EU/EEA students do not pay tuition – as long as they stay within the standard duration of their programme plus two semesters. After that, the fee is €363.36 per semester. Exemption or reimbursement is possible in special cases, e.g. for exchange students and some scholarship holders.

Students from outside the EU usually pay €751.92 per semester. Students from some countries, e.g. the least developed countries, may be exempt – check with your university.

Every student also pays €25.20 per semester – the fee for the Austrian Students' Union ÖH, which includes accident insurance.

Universities of applied sciences (FH) may charge tuition fees, and private universities and university colleges of teacher education set their own fees. Check the amount on the website of your chosen institution.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Austria is not a cheap country. According to OeAD (based on the Austrian student social survey, Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2025), a student spends on average around €1,300 a month:

• a room in a student residence – around €450–700,
• food – around €300,
• studies, transport, culture and everything else – around €500.

Vienna, Graz and Salzburg are more expensive than smaller towns. Student canteens (Mensa), discount supermarkets and student discounts – on public transport and in museums, cinemas and theatres – all help.

You have to find accommodation yourself – universities do not assign rooms automatically. You can choose between student residences, OeAD housing (oeadstudenthousing.at), a room in a shared flat (WG) or renting on your own. Also have a look at home4students.at and the website of the students' union ÖH.

⇑Scholarships

Scholarships for a full degree in Austria are rare – OeAD says so itself. Support for an exchange or a research stay is much easier to get.

• grants.at – the largest Austrian database of scholarships and grants; you can filter by country of origin, field and level of study,
• Erasmus+ – a semester or year in Austria as part of an exchange with your home university,
• OeAD scholarships – including the Ernst Mach Grant for international doctoral students who want to do research in Austria,
• Erasmus Mundus – joint master's programmes run by several universities, with a chance of a scholarship for the whole programme.

Some universities also have their own, limited scholarships – ask the international office directly.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA citizens can work in Austria without any permit, also while studying.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with a Residence Permit – Student may work up to 20 hours a week. The employer must apply for a work permit, which is granted without a labour market test.

For casual jobs, German matters. Start with your university's careers office. If you want to stay in Austria after graduation, the Austrian Business Agency offers free advice. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS Austria.

Austria – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Austria – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Austria – OeAD's portal for international students: institutions, admission, fees, living costs,
• OeAD – entry and residence – visas and residence permits for students from outside the EU,
• studienwahl.at – search engine for all programmes in Austria,
• grants.at – scholarship database,
• ÖH – the Austrian Students' Union: student representation and support,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.