Study in Austria: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Austria's academic year has two semesters. The winter semester begins on 1 October and is the main intake, and the summer semester begins on 1 March with a smaller range of programmes open to new students. Public universities sit under the federal ministry responsible for science and research, alongside universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) and a smaller group of private universities that set their own fees and admission rules.

Public universities charge no tuition to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who study within the standard programme duration plus two tolerance semesters; after that they pay EUR 363.36 a semester. Non-EU and non-EEA students with a student residence permit pay tuition from their first semester, generally EUR 726.72 a semester, set nationally under the Universities Act 2002. On top of tuition, every student, regardless of nationality or fee waiver, pays the students' union (ÖH) fee each semester, which rises slightly most semesters under a fixed indexation rule. Universities of applied sciences and private universities set their own fees, which can run well above the public rate.

Admission to a bachelor's or diploma programme needs a school leaving certificate that gives its holder direct entry to higher education in the country where it was issued; the university checks each qualification individually against the Austrian equivalent, and some countries face extra document verification steps. Many bachelor's programmes at public universities are taught in German and ask for a recognised German certificate, while a growing number of bachelor's programmes and most international master's programmes are taught fully in English and ask for IELTS, TOEFL or an equivalent instead. General registration for first-time bachelor's and diploma admission runs to 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester, though programmes that run an entrance exam or a selection procedure set their own, usually earlier, deadlines.

A single student typically budgets EUR 900 to 1,300 a month for rent, food, insurance and transport, with Vienna at the upper end and smaller university towns cheaper. Non-EU students holding a residence permit may work up to 20 hours a week during term without a labour market test, arranged through the public employment service. After finishing a degree, non-EU graduates can extend their student residence permit once, for 12 months, to look for a job or start a business that matches their qualification.