AUSTRIA

Austria is a country where a quality European education costs several times less than in neighbouring Switzerland. There are no quotas for foreign students here and no entrance exams for most specialisations — it's enough to gather your documents. At the same time, Vienna consistently ranks among the world's best student cities, and the proportion of foreigners at Austrian universities is one of the highest in Europe.

What kind of education people usually come for

For schoolchildren. People come to Austria for an international secondary education at private boarding schools. Among the popular options are AMADEUS International School in Vienna (the capital's first boarding school, founded in 2014), St. Gilgen International School near Salzburg (around 250 pupils from 30 countries worldwide), Schloss Krumbach International School (housed in a 13th-century castle), and The American International School Salzburg (founded in 1976, with an American curriculum). At such schools children live on campus in residences, usually in double or triple rooms with en-suite facilities. The daily routine is full: lessons, sport, the creative arts, self-study. The programs are most often the American High School with Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and the British IGCSE and A-Level. At some schools two foreign languages are compulsory, and music or art are integrated into the core program (as at AMADEUS). Pupils range in age from 9 to 19. The proportion of foreigners at such schools reaches 50–80% — children come here from Germany, Russia, the USA, China, the countries of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

For students. Austria's public universities enjoy enormous popularity all over the world. There are 372,247 higher education students here, of whom 86,862 are foreigners. Over the past three decades the number of foreign students in Austria has more than tripled: from around 27,000 in the mid-1990s to more than 87,300 in the 2023/24 academic year. The proportion of foreign students is around 27% — one of the highest figures in Europe. The most popular fields are business and economics, engineering, computer science, music and art, and medicine. Austria is also known for its technical universities (TU Wien, TU Graz) and its universities of the arts.

Features of studying

Secondary education. Austrian boarding schools are located in picturesque settings: in Vienna, in the Alps near Salzburg, in castles not far from the capital. The classes are small — some schools have only 100 pupils at a teacher-to-pupil ratio of 1:3. This makes it possible to provide an individual approach and full immersion in the language environment (teaching is conducted in English, German or both languages). At many schools, knowledge of at least two foreign languages is compulsory.

Higher education. Austria has 22 public universities, of which 6 are universities of the arts, 3 are medical and 3 are technical, as well as 18 private universities, 21 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) and 14 universities of teacher education. A Bachelor's degree lasts 3 years (6 semesters), a Master's — 2 years. The main advantage: you can apply to many universities remotely, without being there in person. Entrance exams (where they exist) can also be taken online. Another important plus — you can apply to Austria right after the 11th grade of school (unlike Germany, where 1–2 years of university are required). However, applicants whose certificate does not meet the Austrian standards of complete secondary education will have to make up the academic difference — exams in school-curriculum subjects related to their future specialisation (for medics — biology, chemistry, physics; for those in technical fields — mathematics and physics). Teaching at public universities is conducted mainly in German. There are few Bachelor's programs in English (only around 260 across the whole country), but at the Master's level the choice is significantly wider.

Visa requirements

Citizens of countries outside the EU require an Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende — a residence permit for students. This is not a classic visa but specifically a residence permit, which is issued for a year and then extended.

Main requirements:

• Confirmation of enrolment at an Austrian university
• Proof of finances — around 12,000 euros a year (roughly 1,000 euros a month) for students under 24
• Medical insurance (ÖGK or equivalent)
• Proof of accommodation in Austria
• A passport valid for at least the entire period of study

The application processing time is 6–12 weeks. It's best to submit your documents as early as possible.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very low tuition costs at public universities — around 1,450 euros a year.
• High-quality education — Austrian universities (the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, the Vienna University of Economics) are in the world rankings.
• A high quality of life — Vienna is consistently among the best cities to live in.
• A safe and multicultural environment.
• Admission after the 11th grade — no need to study at university for two years back home.
• The option to submit documents online.
• Geographic location — Austria is in the centre of Europe, making it easy to travel.

Cons:

• The language barrier — at the Bachelor's level there are almost no programs in English, and you need German at the B2–C1 level.
• Bureaucracy — obtaining a residence permit takes time and effort.
• A high cost of living in Vienna and Salzburg.
• Strict requirements for proof of finances — you need to show 12,000 euros for a year ahead all at once.
• Competition for popular fields (medicine, business, psychology).