With its high-quality education, rich cultural heritage, and numerous research and work opportunities, Austria is an attractive location for international students in higher education. Austria hosts historic universities and colleges in major city centers, allowing international students to have an authentic experience both on and off campus during their stay.
Austria has a central location in Europe; its neighboring countries include the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Germany. Thus, studying in Austria allows international students to discover Central Europe easily. Furthermore, many Austrian universities have multicultural student populations, and the official Study in Austria portal lists around 575 programs taught in English. Many universities also continue to offer German-medium instruction. Read more to learn about nine Austrian universities with English-taught study options.
Top Universities for English-taught Programs in Austria
| University | Undergraduate English-taught options | Graduate English-taught options |
|---|
| University of Vienna | The principal English-taught option is Mathematical Foundations of Data Science. Most other bachelor’s programs are taught primarily in German. | Examples include Computer Science, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Business Analytics, and Banking and Finance. English requirements generally range from B2 to C2, depending on the program. |
| Vienna University of Technology | No English-taught bachelor’s program was identified; undergraduate programs are generally taught in German. | TU Wien offers 17 English-taught master’s programs. Master’s degrees generally require 120 ECTS credits over four semesters. Doctoral programs normally require 180 ECTS credits over six semesters, although the language arrangement should be checked individually. |
| Central European University | English-taught options include Culture, Politics and Society; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; and Data Science and Society. Students can follow a three-year Austrian degree or a four-year route leading to Austrian and American qualifications. | Examples include Human Rights; Historical Studies; Economics, Data and Policy; Politics; and Museum Studies. Doctoral options include Political Science, Comparative History, Economics, Philosophy, Network Science, and Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Graz University of Technology | No English-taught bachelor’s program was identified; undergraduate programs are generally taught in German. | TU Graz offers 22 English-taught master’s programs. Its doctoral programs are organized through 14 doctoral schools, all of which use English as the language of instruction. |
| University of Innsbruck | No fully English-taught bachelor’s program was identified. | English-taught options include Banking and Finance, Computer Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Software Engineering. English-medium doctoral opportunities are also available, but applicants should confirm the language arrangement for each program. |
| Johannes Kepler University Linz | English-taught undergraduate options are available in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Biological Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Business, and the social sciences. Applicants should verify whether each program is fully English-taught or includes only English-language courses. | English-taught master’s and doctoral options are available across Artificial Intelligence, Biological Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Education, Physics, Engineering, Business, and the social sciences. JKU offers more than 1,800 individual English-language courses annually. |
| University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) | No complete English-taught bachelor’s degree was verified. Although individual courses are available in English, BOKU states that there are not enough English courses to complete a regular bachelor’s curriculum without German. | Examples include Water Management and Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science—Soil, Water, Biodiversity; Mountain Forestry; Biotechnology; Green Chemistry; Natural Resources Management and Ecological Engineering; and Soils and Global Change. English-taught doctoral options include Biomolecular Technology of Proteins, Advanced Biorefineries: Chemistry and Materials, and Transitions to Sustainability. |
| University of Leoben | English-taught options include Geoenergy Engineering, Circular Engineering, and New Science and Technology. Bachelor’s degrees generally require at least seven semesters, including a compulsory 30-ECTS internship. | Examples include Geoenergy Engineering, Industrial Data Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Applied and Exploration Geophysics, and Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering. New Science and Technology is available as an English-taught doctorate, while Mining Sciences uses both German and English. |
| University for Continuing Education Krems | A verified option is the 180-ECTS Bachelor of Science in Chiropractic. Other English or bilingual professional bachelor’s programs may be available, but these are continuing-education degrees that can require prior qualifications or professional experience. | Examples include Research and Innovation in Higher Education, Counter-Terrorism, and Music Business and Culture. English-taught doctorates include Interdisciplinary Studies of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, Regenerative Medicine, Applied Evidence Synthesis in Health Research, and Technology, Innovation, and Cohesive Societies. |
1. University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is among Europe’s long-established research universities and Austria’s largest research and educational institution. Founded in 1365, it has around 85,000 students and 11,000 staff members. The university is connected with major research achievements, including the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Anton Zeilinger, an emeritus professor at the university.
The University of Vienna offers English-taught bachelor’s and master’s options, although German remains the general language of instruction for most degree programs. Current English-taught offerings include the bachelor’s program in Mathematical Foundations of Data Science and master’s programs such as computer science, neuroscience, molecular biology, business analytics, banking and finance, and more. English proficiency requirements vary: most English-taught programs require B2 English, while some English studies programs require C1 and Translation may require C2 if English is a working language. Non-EU/EEA students generally pay €726.72 in tuition plus the Students’ Union fee per semester, while exemptions may apply for some students.
What Current Students / Alumni of University of Vienna Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | English in Practice | Local-Language Insight |
|---|
Rebecca
Master’s in Global Studies (EMGS) | All classes she attended in Vienna were in English, although other courses were available only in German. | She managed academically without German, but German-speaking student associations and administrative procedures made fuller participation harder. She recommends seeking help from program staff or German-speaking friends. |
2. Vienna University of Technology
Vienna University of Technology, or TU Wien, is a prestigious technical university recognized for engineering, technology, and applied research. Its predecessor opened in 1815 as the Imperial and Royal Polytechnic Institute of Vienna, making TU Wien one of Austria’s historic technical universities.
TU Wien has a substantial student body; in winter semester 2024, it reported 26,585 active students. The university offers 17 bachelor’s programs, 33 master’s programs, 17 of which are English-taught, seven joint master’s programs, and three doctoral programs. Master’s programs generally last four semesters and carry 120 ECTS, while doctoral programs usually last six semesters and comprise 180 ECTS. Students can also explore faculty-based grants and merit scholarships for eligible studies and research.
3. Central European University
Central European University (CEU) is an English-language private research university based in Vienna, Austria. It specializes in the social sciences, humanities, public policy, law, economics, business, data science, and interdisciplinary research. CEU awards Austria-accredited degrees and, for certain programs, additional American qualifications. Its degree agreements specify English as the language of instruction.
CEU offers three English-taught undergraduate programs: Culture, Politics and Society; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; and Data Science and Society. Each can be completed in three years for an Austria-accredited degree. Students may instead follow a four-year route leading to both Austrian and American undergraduate qualifications. The interdisciplinary curricula combine required foundations with electives and opportunities to specialize. For example, Data Science and Society offers concentrations connecting quantitative methods with economics, politics and policy, or social cognitive science.
English-taught graduate options include one- and two-year degrees such as the MA in Human Rights, MA in Historical Studies, MA in Economics, Data and Policy, MA in Politics, and MA in Museum Studies. CEU also participates in international joint degrees, including Erasmus Mundus Women’s and Gender Studies and Mundus MAPP. Doctoral choices include four-year PhDs in Political Science, Comparative History, Economics, Philosophy, Network Science, and Sociology and Social Anthropology. Most are research-intensive programs incorporating coursework, comprehensive examinations, and an original dissertation.
What Current Students / Alumni of Central European University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | English in Practice | Local-Language Insight |
|---|
Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin
Master’s in Public Policy — Global Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) | He studied primarily in English during his master’s studies, including his time at CEU in Vienna. | He learned German to integrate with local communities in Austria. |
Symrun Razaque
Master’s in Women’s and Gender Studies (GEMMA) | Her GEMMA instruction in Vienna was in English. She experienced no major academic language barriers. | She found administrative procedures without German tricky but manageable. |
Ujunwa Umeokeke
Master’s in Public Policy — Global Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) | She reports English-medium instruction and no related academic language challenges during her studies in Vienna. | German helped with engaging with local people, although she felt no pressure to learn it and found translation tools useful. |
4. Graz University of Technology
Dating back to the Joanneum’s teaching activities in 1811, TU Graz is another respected technical university with strong engineering and natural sciences programs. It operates seven faculties and offers 19 bachelor’s programs, 36 master’s programs, 22 of which are taught in English, and doctoral programs in 14 doctoral schools, all of which are taught in English.
TU Graz is located in Graz, Styria, and offers English-medium options for master’s and doctoral studies. As of December 31, 2024, TU Graz had 13,529 students in total, 27.3% of whom were international students. With three main campus locations, TU Graz provides laboratories and research facilities that support study and research in engineering, technology, and the natural sciences.
5. University of Innsbruck
Located in Innsbruck in western Austria, the University of Innsbruck is a public research university distinguished by its strengths across the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, engineering, and other disciplines. Founded in 1669, it is the largest and most important research and educational institution in western Austria, with about 28,000 students and 5,800 employees.
International students can find English-taught master’s and doctoral options at the University of Innsbruck, including programs such as banking and finance, computer science, pharmaceutical sciences, software engineering, and more. Tuition depends on citizenship and exemption status: when tuition is due, the standard amount is €363.36 per semester for Austrian, EU/EEA, and Swiss students and €726.72 per semester for third-country students, plus the Austrian Students’ Union fee.
6. Johannes Kepler University Linz
Johannes Kepler University Linz is a younger Austrian public university, founded in 1966. JKU has four faculties and six schools and currently enrolls approximately 27,000 students. More than 21% of the student body is international, representing over 120 countries.
International students at JKU can choose from a broad portfolio of around 100 academic degree programs and more than 1,800 English-language courses offered during the academic year. Degree options span undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, with subjects such as artificial intelligence, biological chemistry, computer science, economics, education, physics, engineering, business, and the social sciences appearing across JKU’s academic portfolio.
7. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU)
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, commonly known as BOKU University, is a public university in Vienna focusing on sustainability, agriculture, forestry, biotechnology, food science, natural resources, environmental engineering, and landscape and water management. Its degree portfolio includes German programs, complete English programs, and international joint degrees requiring mobility between partner universities.
BOKU’s regular bachelor’s programs comprise 180 ECTS credits and normally take six semesters, but no complete English-taught undergraduate degree was verified. The university explicitly notes that it does not offer enough English-taught courses at bachelor’s level for incoming students to rely exclusively on English. Although hundreds of individual courses are available in English, undergraduate applicants should expect German to be necessary for completing a regular BOKU bachelor’s curriculum.
The English-medium graduate portfolio is extensive. Examples include the two-year, 120-ECTS programs in Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science—Soil, Water, Biodiversity, Mountain Forestry, Biotechnology, and Green Chemistry. International options include Natural Resources Management and Ecological Engineering and the Erasmus Mundus International Master in Soils and Global Change. BOKU doctoral studies normally require three years and 180 ECTS. Its structured doctoral schools and PhD programs use English as their instructional language; examples include Biomolecular Technology of Proteins, Advanced Biorefineries: Chemistry and Materials, and Transitions to Sustainability.
What Current Students / Alumni of University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | English in Practice | Local-Language Insight |
|---|
Laide Rasaki
Joint Master’s in Plant Breeding (emPLANT+) | All his classes were taught in English across his studies at BOKU and its Hungarian partner university. | — |
Afiya
MSc in Soils and Global Change — Soil-Plant System Processes (IMSOGLO) | All courses during her first two semesters, covering Ghent and BOKU, were taught entirely in English. She encountered no classroom language barriers. | Basic German phrases helped with everyday life in Vienna; she also used translation tools when needed. |
8. University of Leoben
The University of Leoben, officially Montanuniversität Leoben and also presented in English as the Technical University of Leoben, is a specialized public university in Leoben, Styria. Its teaching and research concentrate on raw materials, mining, metallurgy, materials, recycling, energy, industrial processes, and circular engineering. The catalog clearly marks programs whose language of instruction is English.
Verified English-taught undergraduate options include Geoenergy Engineering, Circular Engineering, and New Science and Technology within the EURECA-PRO framework. Leoben bachelor’s degrees have a minimum duration of seven semesters, with one semester reserved for a compulsory 30-ECTS internship. Geoenergy Engineering examines the sustainable use of the geological subsurface, while Circular Engineering integrates technology, natural science, ecology, economics, and the optimization of material and production flows.
English-taught master’s degrees normally comprise 120 ECTS credits over four semesters. Examples include Geoenergy Engineering, Industrial Data Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Applied and Exploration Geophysics, and the Erasmus Mundus Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering program. Some are joint degrees involving study at partner institutions. At doctoral level, the English-taught New Science and Technology program is separately listed in the university’s degree finder. Leoben also offers doctoral study in Mining Sciences with German and English as instructional languages, so its precise language plan depends on the research field, approved courses, and supervisory arrangement.
What Current Students / Alumni of University of Leoben Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | English in Practice | Local-Language Insight |
|---|
Muhammad Aiesh Ghayoor
Master’s in European Mining Course — Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, and Metallurgy | All courses in his three-university program, including Leoben, were entirely in English. Professors and administrative staff also communicated and provided feedback in English. | German was not required for his program; learning it was optional and encouraged for cultural engagement. |
Muhammad Hafas Shafiq
Master’s in European Mining Course (EMC) | All his EMC classes were entirely in English, including during his semester at Leoben. Professors, supervisors, and administrative staff supported students in English. | German was not academically required. He notes that basic German phrases could improve daily life and cultural interaction. |
9. University for Continuing Education Krems
The University for Continuing Education Krems is a public university in Krems an der Donau specializing in academic continuing education for working professionals. Its fields include health, medicine, education, law, management, digitalization, migration, culture, and public administration. Most bachelor’s and master’s offerings are continuing-education degrees or university courses rather than conventional full-time programs intended primarily for recent school graduates.
English-medium undergraduate study is available, but applicants should note the continuing-education structure and program-specific professional requirements. One verified example is the six-semester, 180-ECTS Bachelor of Science (Continuing Education) in Chiropractic. The catalog also includes professional bachelor’s programs that may be delivered in English or bilingually. Degrees carry designations such as BSc (CE), BA (CE), BEng (CE), or Bachelor Professional, and admission may depend on relevant professional qualifications or experience.
At graduate level, the English-taught Erasmus Mundus Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education is a two-year, 120-ECTS joint program involving study in Europe and Asia. Other examples include the 120-ECTS MA (CE) in Counter-Terrorism, the 120-ECTS MA (CE) in Music Business and Culture, and English-language law and health programs. Regular English-taught doctorates include the six-semester, 180-ECTS PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, Regenerative Medicine, Applied Evidence Synthesis in Health Research, and Technology, Innovation, and Cohesive Societies.
What Current Students / Alumni of University for Continuing Education Krems Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | English in Practice | Local-Language Insight |
|---|
Maryam Gul
Master’s in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE) | Her program, including her studies in Austria, was entirely in English. All core lectures, assignments, readings, and assessments used English. | German was not academically necessary for her program. Across her European study locations, she found that basic local-language knowledge helped with administration, public services, and cultural connections. |
Alexander Ryusandi Pratama
MSc in Transition, Innovation and Sustainability Environments (TISE) | English remained the language of instruction throughout his four-country program, including his semester in Krems. His academic work in Austria stayed in English. | He attended local German classes in Austria, which made everyday life easier. |
José Andrés Hernández Rech
Joint Master’s in Transition, Innovation and Sustainability Environments (TISE) | He reports that instruction remained in English throughout his program across Portugal, Ireland, Poland, and Austria. | — |
Austrian universities are distinguished by their rich history, research activity, and strong programs in science and technology. With hundreds of English-taught programs available across Austria, international students can find study options that fit their academic and career goals. Explore the official program pages and admissions requirements before applying to the English-taught universities in Austria listed above.
We hope this article on English-taught universities in Austria was informative and helpful. If you are interested, explore Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for International Students!
