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STUDYING IN AUSTRIA

EXPLAINED: What are your university options in Austria?

Higher education in Austria offers a wider range of possibilities, from practical degrees with a hands-on mentality to more research-focused studies.

Published: 6 February 2024 14:30 CET
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:55 CEST
WU Vienna
Photo by Nick Night on Unsplash

Austria is well-known for its high quality when it comes to higher education, with over 390,000 students currently enrolled in the country.

The Austrian higher education system has four sectors: Public Universities, Private Universities, Universities of Applied Science (Fachhochschule), and University Colleges of Teacher Education.

Higher education institutions are spread across the country and offer a wide range of different degree programs. You can easily choose whether you would like a more practical education with a hands-on mentality or a more traditional one where theory and research are in focus. 

Public Universities

The most common higher educational institutions in Austria are the public universities. They are considered prestigious institutions known for their diverse programs and research contributions. There are currently 22 public universities in Austria, mainly in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz, and Klagenfurt.

The universities offer various academic programs across multiple disciplines, including humanities, science and arts. Choosing a public university could be great if you aim for an education focusing on academic theory and research.

Austria’s most well-ranked public universities are the University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology, University of Innsbruck, Graz University of Technology, and Johannes Kepler University Linz.

The cost of studying at a public university in Austria varies depending on whether you are an EU/EEA citizen or an international student outside the EU/EEA.

EU/EEA citizens generally do not pay tuition fees when attending a public university. However, they must pay a student union fee and possibly small administrative fees each semester, normally around €20 to €40 per semester.

International students outside the EU/EEA must pay a tuition fee of €726 per semester. In some cases, students can get their fees reimbursed through specific scholarships or other forms of financial aid, information that each university can provide to their students.

READ ALSO: The language requirements for studying in Austria

You can apply to a public university through the university’s online portal, where it is possible to fill out an application and attach necessary documents such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and language certificates.

In some cases, such as for Medicine courses, you might need to pass an entry exam as competition for each spot is high.

Private Universities

If you want to study at a private university, Austria offers its students many options. Private universities in Austria are known for providing innovative and high-quality education in an environment that prioritises individualised student attention. Private universities tend to redefine existing degree programs and establish new ones based on current and future educational needs.

They are often more likely to change their structure than public universities, which usually hold on to long-standing traditions and structures.

Some of Austria’s most well-known private universities are Sigmund Freud University, the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, and Central European University (CEU).

READ ALSO: How do I stay in Austria after graduating from an Austrian university?

There is no restriction on the tuition fees charged at private universities. Usually, the costs are the same for both EU/EEA citizens and non-EU/EEA citizens, and private universities charge around €3,000 to €23,000 annually. You can find current fee information directly through each university’s home page.

The application process for private universities is similar to that for public universities: you enrol online through the university’s website, where you upload the required documents.

Universities of Applied Science (Fachochschule)

There are currently 21 Applied Sciences (UAS) universities in Austria, a number that has been increasing lately. These universities offer their students practically oriented higher education with a “hands-on” mentality. This is reflected in their curricula, which include career-oriented practical training sessions and internships.

When you want to enter a UAS, it is essential to consider that the number of students in each program is limited and to join, students often have to go through an entrance procedure, which can involve specific tests.

Currently, UAS offers both full-time study programs and part-time options designed for students who work. UAS offers education mainly in Business, Engineering and IT, Social Sciences, Media and Design and Cultural Sciences. Some top-ranked ones are the University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication, UAS Technikum Vienna, and the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt.

READ ALSO: Four things foreigners in Austria need to know about the education system

Studying at a UAS costs students from EU/EEA countries €363.63 per semester. International students from outside the EU/EEA are required to pay a minimum of €762.72. The application process is similar to the one for public universities but often focuses more on practical experience. Students may be asked to show proof of work experience related to their chosen field.

University College of Teacher’s Education

Teacher training in Austria is divided into two parts: teaching qualifications at the primary level (primary school) and teaching qualifications at the secondary level (secondary schools or colleges for higher specialised education).

There are nine public University Colleges in Austria, located in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Styria and Carinthia. In addition, Austria also offers five private institutions sustained by the dioceses of Graz, Linz, Innsbruck, and Vienna, as well as a foundation in Burgenland.

The University Colleges of Teacher Education provide a wide range of academic programs at both bachelor’s and master’s levels. Some of the most well-known institutions for teacher training are the University College of Teacher Education Vienna, the University College of Teacher Education Lower Austria, and the Private University College of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems.

Students from EU/EEA countries must pay €363.63 per semester to study at a University College of Teacher Education. Those outside the EU/EEA region must pay at least €762.72 per semester. Students can apply to their degree program through the institution’s online portal, where they are asked to upload the required documents.

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STUDYING IN AUSTRIA

Why Austria wants to overhaul its contentious ‘educational leave’ scheme

Austria's so-called "Bildungskarenz" allows workers to take paid time off from work to invest in their education, but the government claims there's an urgent need to reform the system. Why is that?

Published: 11 April 2024 13:26 CEST
Why Austria wants to overhaul its contentious 'educational leave' scheme

People in Austria looking to develop new skills or change careers can take advantage of a state program offering financial support during any time off work for educational reasons.

The program, called Bildungskarenz (educational leave), allows employees to take time off work to pursue studies or training relevant to their professions while receiving payments from the state.

This program isn’t just for university degrees – professional development courses like business German or technical training are also covered. The courses can be taken abroad, although domestic options are also available.  

The leave itself is flexible, ranging from a minimum of two months to a maximum of twelve months, depending on what you arrange with your employer.

There’s a catch, though: the total amount of leave cannot exceed one year within a four-year period. This allows employees to structure their Weiterbildung in a way that best suits them. One person might take a full year off at once, while another might prefer to spread their leave out over several two-month blocks.

READ ALSO: What to know about Austria’s paid leave for further education

What’s the controversy?

The federal government has been discussing an overhaul of the system. The criticism is that educational leave has not been used by the target groups: low-skilled workers and people looking to change careers. Instead, an industry of Bildungskarenz courses has boomed in Austria since the COVID-19 pandemic: mostly online, self-paced courses, and many very basic language courses that comply with the minimum requirements for Bildungskarenz.

In some, the online class takes a few hours a week, with the rest of the mandatory hours assumed as “study hours.”

Famously, in Austria, Bildungskarenz has been used by new parents as a way to “extend” their parental leave—and there are entire websites aimed at targeting new moms with easy-to-follow courses so they can continue at home with their kids.

According to a study by the economic think tank Agenda Austria, it’s not the poorly qualified who are predominantly learning new skills and increasing their market value with state support, instead it’s those who already have a good education.

“Quite a few apparently see it as an opportunity to take a sabbatical at the general public’s expense,” they wrote.

According to the study, educational leave is becoming increasingly popular, and the costs are rising rapidly. Between 2013 and 2023, expenditures—not to mention social security contributions—rose from €109 million to €337 million. Costs have almost doubled since 2020 alone.

According to the study, the proportion of people receiving continuing education allowance directly after parental leave was already more than 50 percent in 2021 (no more recent figures are available). 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What you need to know about parental leave in Austria

Saving at the expense of the Bildungskarenz

There is another front on which educational leave is being used differently to what its creators originally intended, according to Agenda Austria. 

Companies can misuse educational leave as a cost-cutting measure in difficult economic times or during crises in individual sectors. This was evident, for example, during the economic and financial crisis from 2008 onwards, when many employers—particularly in the industrial sector—motivated their employees to take educational leave to save on wage costs and bridge crises without having to fire people. 

Another use for the educational leave is as a “golden handshake”, the writers explained. It “is s sometimes used as a nice transition to a subsequent termination by mutual agreement. The “golden handshake” means that employment remains in place for a few more months without an active employment relationship still existing. 

READ ALSO: Am I entitled to any severance pay from my job in Austria?

The employer does not incur any costs, and the departing employees have plenty of time to reorient themselves or take a short break at the general public’s expense.”

Reforms proposed

The think tank suggests several reforms to tighten access to the benefits. The recommendations include raising the requirements for type, duration, and tracking of education progress, but they also suggest that companies cover part of the costs of educational leave themselves. 

Austria’s Labour Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) has also proposed key points for a reform of the system. One of the main proposals is that the applicant must go through a consultation with the Labour Market Agency AMS before taking the leave so that it’s clear what are the goals of the person and which qualifications they already have – it aims to improve statistical recording of those getting the benefit.

Another significant proposal is that any “self-study” period be recognised only as supplementary in the future. In that way, a course would have to offer all 20 hours a week of classes instead of providing the minimum amount and then assuming “reading” and “studying” time for the rest of the hours. 

Of course, the debate is ongoing. Mothers, a group that could be particularly affected by reforms, have come forward in Austrian media to defend the use of educational leave following parental leave—in many cases, there simply aren’t enough childcare options in Austria.

READ ALSO: How does childcare work in Austria?

Some studies also show a slight increase in the employment rate of those who took educational leave after the parental leave twelve years later, with monthly income also a few percentage points higher for those with Bildungskarenz. However, Minister Kocher sees only a “moderate” benefit and still recommends reform.

Freelance mothers in Germany aren't entitled to as many benefits as employees.

Mothers looking to extend their parental leave have often resorted to the educational leave in Austria. Photo: Matilda Wormwood/Pexels

So, when will there be reforms?

That’s difficult to say. The junior coalition partner, the Greens, have not been too keen on controversial changes to the current rules, mainly because they affect their own student voters. 

The Greens also point out that around half of those receiving continuing education allowance earn more three years after parental leave than before. “Of course, we are available for improvements in the interests of those affected, but not for a tightening of access to educational leave,” said Markus Koza, the Greens’ labour market policy spokesman.

And this is an election year in Austria, with the ruling coalition not very popular among voters – this without the approval of laws that could make the lives of many people harder. 

Without the support of the coalition partners, it’s unlikely that anything will change soon.

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