Study in Austria

Who this applies to

International students at Austrian public universities. EU/EEA study tuition-free; non-EU pay a flat modest fee. German-dominant with a growing English Master's offering.

Governing authority

BMBWF (Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research). Info portal: studyinaustria.at; ÖH (students' union) fee + applications.

Degree system

Bachelor 3 yrs (180 ECTS) · Master 1–2 yrs · Doctorate/PhD 3–4 yrs. Bologna-aligned; some 'Diplomstudium' remain (e.g. medicine, law).

Admission

How

Apply directly to each university. Open admission for equivalent secondary diplomas in most fields; restricted fields (medicine, psychology, some others) use entrance exams (e.g. MedAT for medicine). Non-EU diplomas need to meet equivalence + sometimes a 'university entrance qualification' from the home country.

Language

Most Bachelor's in German (proficiency ~C1, ÖSD/Goethe). Growing number of English-taught Master's (esp. TU Wien, WU, IST-adjacent, BOKU, Graz). IELTS/TOEFL for English programs.

Tuition Per Year

Eu Eea Swiss

FREE for the standard duration (+ tolerance semesters); only the ÖH student-union fee (~€24/semester) applies. Fees apply if exceeding allowed semesters.

Non Eu Eea

~€726.72 per semester (~€1,453/yr) at public universities (some report ~€751.92).

Living costs

~€950–€1,200/month

Source

European Commission — Study in Austria; studyinaustria.at

Student visa & residence permit

Non-EU/EEA: Residence Permit – Student (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende), applied for at the Austrian embassy/consulate before arrival; proof of funds + insurance + accommodation.

Scholarships

OeAD scholarships (Ernst Mach, etc.); Austrian Government scholarships; university scholarships.

Sources & references

• tuition/visa — https://education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe/country-profiles/austria (2026-06-11)
• fees — https://studyinaustria.at/en/tuition (2026-06-11)