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Studying in Austria

Austria is the third most popular country for low-cost, and in some cases free, education after Germany and France. Public universities with low tuition fees, high quality of education, and the possibility of receiving scholarships make this country an ideal destination for Iranian students. Also, a lower age limit for admission and the possibility of studying in German or English are other important advantages of studying in Austria.

Student living costs: From $1,200 per month
Annual tuition: From about $2,000 per year
Student work opportunities: 20 hours per week
Post-study residency opportunity: 12 months

The best country for free education!

Countries that offer free education are limited and often require a language certificate other than English. The possibility of free education in English is one of the attractive features of Austria!

The country’s capital, Vienna, is known as one of the best cities in the world in terms of quality of life, and studying is one of the easiest and fastest ways to enter Austria. Therefore, on this page, we have covered the zero to one hundred requirements for student immigration to Austria!

Why Austria? Advantages and Challenges

With its prestigious universities, quality education programs, and travel opportunities in the heart of Europe, Austria is an attractive destination for international students. However, challenges such as the need to master the German language can pose a barrier for students. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of studying in Austria .

 

Challenges

Language challenge
Cultural challenges:
Limited opening hours of many stores, cold weather,
lack of cultural diversity.

Benefits

Top universities worldwide
Affordable tuition fees
High quality of life
Work permit while studying in Austria
Residence permit after graduation

Austrian education system

Bachelor's degree

Tuition: 1,500 to 35,000 euros per year
Age limit: 17 to 22 years old
Language: German B2, IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 70
Minimum GPA: 14
Exam: No specific exam, usually university exam
Student work permit: Up to 20 hours/week with permission from AMS
Companion visa: No, but it depends on the circumstances of the case.
Post-study work permit: Up to 12 months extension of residence permit for job search

Master's degree

Tuition: $1,500 to $35,000 per year
Age limit: None
Language: German B2, IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 80
Minimum GPA: Above 12
Test: No specific test
Student work permit: 20 hours per week
Companion visa: Yes
Post-study work permit: Up to 12 months extension of residence permit for job search

Doctorate

Tuition: $1,500 to $10,000 per year
Age limit: None
Language: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90
Minimum GPA: 15
Test: GRE
Student work permit: 20 hours per week
Companion visa: Yes
Post-study work permit: Up to 12 months extension of residence permit for job search

Schools

Tuition: $5,500 to $44,000 per year
Age limit: 6 to 18 years
Language: The language of instruction is usually English.
Minimum GPA: 12
Exam: Some schools have internal exams
Student work permit: No
Companion visa: None
Work permit after graduation: No

Application period: For the winter semester from March to June (Farvardin to Khordad) and for the summer semester from November to January (Aban to Bahman)

Studying in Austrian schools
Education in Austrian public schools is free for those who are citizens of the country. The Austrian school system consists of a 4-year primary school and a 4-year secondary school. After secondary school in Austria, students choose their career or academic path.

In general, the school education system is based on age in the Austrian education system as follows.

* Kindergarten: 3 to 6 years
* Primary school: 6 to 10 years
*Junior high school: 10 to 14 years old
*Polytechnic period: 14 to 15 years
*Technical or academic course preparing for university: 15 to 18 years



Bachelor's degree in Austria
To be admitted to a bachelor's degree program in Austria , you generally need a high school diploma or equivalent as well as proof of your proficiency in German. Since most bachelor's degree programs are taught in German, you may be asked to take a German language test. In some programs, you must also first take an entrance exam for Austrian universities . Programs that require an entrance exam include medicine in Austria , dentistry in Austria , and pharmacy in Austria .

To apply for undergraduate admission to Austrian universities, you need the following documents.

*Translation of high school diploma or equivalent.
*Certificate of eligibility for student education, such as a certificate of passing the national entrance exam in the desired field in your country.
*Proof of German language proficiency, such as a high school diploma in German, a German language diploma, or a German language certificate at level B2 or C1, such as the testDaf or DSH certificate .
*Proof of English language proficiency if the course of study is in English, such as providing an IELTS , TOEFL , Cambridge or PTE certificate .


Master's degree study in Austria
Many Austrian master's degree programs are offered in English. Admission to programs offered in English requires a B2 level of English, which is equivalent to a minimum score of 87 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS .

To be admitted to a postgraduate course, you must have completed at least 6 semesters of a bachelor's degree related to the field of study with an ECTS score of at least 180. In addition, you may be required to pass an entrance exam for admission to some universities.

Austrian master's degrees are available in a wide range of fields of study and usually last two to four semesters. You will take a mix of core and elective courses during your studies and will be assessed by written assignments, practical projects, exams and the completion of a thesis. You will also likely be required to give an oral defense of your thesis. ECTS is the credit system for academic achievement at European universities.

PhD study in Austria
It is possible to study a doctorate (PHD) in Austria , in English and German. The research for the thesis usually takes three years and you can take courses in research methods or statistical analysis and use in your research.

To apply for admission to a PhD program in Austria, you must submit a completed application form to the desired university, along with official translations of your previous academic qualifications, degree certificates, letters of recommendation, and a personal motivation letter.

The admission requirement for a doctoral degree is a master's degree with at least 120 ECTS points in the same field of study or research proposal, or its equivalent. It should be noted that postdoctoral programs also exist in Austria in various scientific fields.

Cost of studying in Austria

Studying in Austria comes with different costs for international students. Austrian public and arts universities charge tuition fees of around €726.72 per semester for non-EU students, while private universities in Austria cost between €23,000 and €35,000 per year and universities of applied sciences between €727 and €7,500 per semester.

International schools in Austria also charge significant fees due to their high-quality services and acceptance of international students. For example, annual tuition fees for Danube International School (Vienna) range from €14,560 to €26,950, International School Vienna from €7,512 to €22,740, and International School St. Gilgen (boarding) from €54,500 to €63,500, while COLE School in Innsbruck charges €5,700 per year.

To these costs you must also add the cost of living in Austria .

Top universities in Austria

In the world university rankings, 8 Austrian universities are ranked among the top universities. The table below shows the position of the top universities in Austria according to the QS ranking.

University name
QS Ranking 2025
University of Vienna
152
Vienna University of Technology
197
University of Innsbruck
350
Graz University of Technology
427
Johannes Kepler University Linz
473
University of Klagenfurt
697
University of Paris-Louderne Salzburg Austria
650
Karl Franz University Graz
668

If you have chosen Austria to study in Europe , it is better to get acquainted with the best fields of study in this country before registering. By graduating from the best fields of study in Austria, you will have no problem working in Austria and you can easily find your favorite job. The best and most popular fields to study in Austria are: Law , Psychology , Economics , Medicine , Pharmacy and Tourism Management.

Steps for studying in Austria

1
Free initial consultation
Via call, online chat on the site or social networks
2
Method selection
Dedicated consultation and detailed review of methods by an immigration expert.
3
Contract conclusion
Increase your immigration chances by considering multiple countries in one file.
4
Start the process
Assigning a case follow-up force alongside the research and development team to accompany you.
5
Reviewing options and choosing
Providing you with all possible opportunities and guidance for making the final decision.
6
Collecting and completing documents
Guidance for collecting documents, translating, participating in interviews, and more.
7
Full flight and deployment
Visa pickup services, ticket purchase, assistance with complete accommodation, and legal matters in the destination country.

Requirements and documents required to study in Austria

To gain admission to Austrian universities, you must prepare the required documents completely and correctly, depending on the field and level of study. The documents that you will need to submit when applying for admission to Austrian universities generally include the following documents:

High school diploma and certificate of completion
Bachelor's or Master's degree if applying for a master's or doctoral degree
Valid passport
Passport size photo
Certificate of participation in the university's required entrance exam
English or German language certificate
Motivation letter
Recommendation letter for master's and doctoral studies
Transcripts of previous academic degrees

The admission requirements and criteria for different Austrian universities vary depending on the type of university. You can find more information about the different admission courses and procedures (such as entrance exams), university entry requirements, application forms and required documents on the website of your chosen university.

The deadline for applying to universities in Austria for the winter semester is September 5th and for the summer semester is February 5th . You must submit the required documents to your university before this date. Many universities have an online application system. The university will send you the result of your application by email.

Please note that in some fields of study in Austria, for example architecture, biology, economics, informatics, medicine, dentistry, psychology and pharmacy in Austria, the university can make admission conditional on passing an entrance exam or an assessment after two semesters.

Age requirement
There is usually no minimum age for entry to a bachelor's degree in Austria. However, some institutions or specific programs may have specific age requirements. For example, the minimum age for an exchange course at the University of Vienna is 18 years. In general, the best age to apply is:
up to 24 years (bachelor's degree)
up to 30 years (master's degree)
up to 35 years (doctoral degree)
Entrance exam
Some programs have entrance exams, especially those in high demand (such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine) or art universities.

Also, in the fields of applied universities ("Universities of Applied Sciences"), an interview, written or oral exam, or portfolio may be required.

For example, for medical fields, the MedAT test is required , and for PhD and post-doc, an interview is required.
Language certificate

If the program is offered in German (which most courses are), you must have acceptable German language skills, e.g. level B2 or C1 according to the Common European Framework.

If the program is offered in English, they usually require an English language certificate (such as IELTS or TOEFL) with a certain score. For example, at FH Salzburg, level B2 or equivalent is required for English-language programs.
Student visa
People interested in studying in Austria need to apply for an Austrian visa at an Austrian consulate or embassy 6 months before entering the country . The Austrian visa requirements are as follows:

Austria Type C Visa : Allows you to stay in Austria and other Schengen countries for up to 90 days . This visa is not necessary for EU citizens.
Austria Type D Visa : Issued for stays of at least 91 days and up to 6 months .
If you plan to stay in Austria for more than 6 months , you must apply for a residence permit for students in Austria from the Austrian embassy or consulate in your home country. A residence permit for study purposes allows you to stay in the country for more than 6 months.

It is possible to obtain a companion visa for the spouse or child under 18 of a student in Austria. To obtain this visa, a separate application must be submitted for each person. Proof of adequate health insurance, residence in Austria and a separate document showing the financial means for the person to stay in Austria must be provided for the entire family. This amounts to 15,000 to 20,000 euros for the primary applicant, with an additional 5,000 euros for each family member. It is important to note that family members are not granted a work permit in Austria .

If the program is offered in English, they usually require an English language certificate (such as IELTS or TOEFL) with a certain score. For example, at FH Salzburg, level B2 or equivalent is required for English-language programs.
Insurance
Students admitted to a higher education institution can take out comprehensive health insurance with a local insurance company. This insurance is only available to Austrian citizens and foreigners with a residence permit in Austria. Forms for this insurance coverage are available at the offices of the regional health insurance fund and the Austrian Student Union.

The current (2024) premium for this coverage is €69.13 per month for students. Students can use the medical services of all doctors who have a contract with the regional health insurance fund. Students who are citizens of other EU countries and have valid health insurance in their home country need a European Health Insurance Card

"Students who do not qualify for comprehensive Austrian health insurance must turn to private insurance companies or local insurance companies."

Cities suitable for studying in Austria

According to reputable sources such as the QS Best Student Cities rankings and Times Higher Education, the best student cities in Austria include Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Linz.

These cities are ideal for international students due to their top universities, affordable costs, high quality of life, and cultural and recreational opportunities.