Music, mountains, and architecture are just some of the things to look forward to when you come to Austria. Located in Central Europe, Austria has produced many renowned scientists, mathematicians, and musicians, so studying at one of its higher education institutions can be a memorable experience.
International students make up a significant share of Austria’s student population, making the country a popular destination for studying abroad. However, scholarship options can vary considerably by degree level. Bachelor’s scholarships for international students are relatively limited, while more funding opportunities are available for master’s, doctoral, and research students.
Students should also consider tuition, accommodation, and everyday expenses when planning their studies. You can learn more through our guide to the cost of studying and living in Austria. To help reduce these expenses, we’ve gathered some of the best scholarships in Austria for international students below.
Top Scholarships in Austria
1. CEU Scholarships
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: Up to 50% tuition support for bachelor’s students; master’s awards may include tuition and/or stipend support; doctoral scholarships include tuition and a stipend
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.
The Central European University, located in Vienna, Austria, is a private university that offers English-taught bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. Its community includes students and scholars from more than 100 countries. With a focus on teaching and research, the university also aims to be a safe and diverse institution for everyone pursuing quality education. To further assist students and reward strong academic performance, the university offers several scholarship and financial aid options, with award amounts varying by degree level and program.
A recipient’s path: Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin applied to Central European University as a backup to his Erasmus Mundus application and was offered CEU Financial Aid for its two-year MA in International Relations. He ultimately chose the fully funded Mundus MAPP program instead, studying at CEU in Vienna and in Barcelona, and said prior international exposure gave him a useful head start when applying. After submitting his master’s thesis, he was offered a funded PhD position in Political Science at a public university in Sweden. View More Tuition Waiver (Central European University) recipients →
Here is what CEU Financial Aid Scholars Say:
“as well as the CEU Excellence Scholarship from the Central European University, Austria, which was a 50% tuition fee waiver.”
Syed Shaharyar Ahmed
“I took the IELTS Academic test since it is mostly required while applying abroad. I prepared by myself for a week and was able to secure 8 BANDS overall.”
Syed Shaharyar Ahmed
2. DOC Fellowship (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: €52,080 per year for approvals in 2026, plus up to €500 per year for eligible conference or research travel and up to €1,900 per year for childcare
- Eligible Degree/s: Ph.D.
The DOC Fellowship is offered by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) to highly qualified doctoral candidates from all areas of basic research who are pursuing a Ph.D. or doctoral program at a university in Austria. The official requirements do not specify a nationality restriction. Applicants must generally apply before or within the first year of their doctoral studies and must have completed their master’s degree no more than two years before applying, subject to specified extensions.
For 2026 approvals, the fellowship provides €52,080 per year in personnel costs for 24, 30, or 36 months, although the requested funding period may be shortened due to budget limitations. Applicants must also meet at least two of three criteria covering scientific contributions, academic mobility, and scientific engagement. The 2026 submission period runs from August 17 to September 15, 2026, and successful applicants generally must begin the fellowship within four months of the funding decision.
3. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: Participation costs plus contributions to travel, visa, and a living allowance
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarships are offered to top-ranked students from around the world who are keen to complete a master’s degree abroad. Through this scholarship, students study at several higher education institutions, usually in different countries, and may receive either a joint degree or multiple degrees upon completion.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are delivered by consortia of higher education institutions and must include at least three institutions from three countries. The master’s programs generally last one to two academic years and carry 60, 90, or 120 ECTS credits. Erasmus Mundus scholarships cover participation costs and contribute to travel, visa, and living expenses. Applicants usually apply directly to the relevant program consortium after completing an undergraduate degree, although final-year bachelor’s students may apply if they graduate before the master’s program starts.
A recipient’s path: Maryam Gul, a Pakistani higher-education professional, treated her Erasmus Mundus application as a structured project, preparing before the application window opened and working on document verification, her motivation letter, and recommenders in parallel. She built her motivation letter around a specific problem she had encountered in higher education and connected those challenges directly to MARIHE modules, while choosing recommenders who had observed her professional growth. The approach helped her secure the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for MARIHE, whose consortium includes the University for Continuing Education Krems in Austria, where her studies emphasized institutional development and practical implementation in higher education.
Other Austria-based Erasmus Mundus recipient outcomes include: Laide Rasaki‘s emPLANT+ master’s, through which he studied plant breeding at BOKU in Vienna after preparing roughly six months before applications opened, and Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin‘s Mundus MAPP program, which included study at Central European University in Vienna. View More Erasmus Mundus Scholarship recipients →
4. Marshall Plan Scholarships Program
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: €4,000 to €10,000
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s, Ph.D.
The Marshall Plan Scholarships Program is an exchange program between Austria and the U.S. that focuses mainly on research in technical, natural, and economic fields. Since 2008, the foundation has provided more than 1,300 scholarships to Austrian and American students, with the mission of building strong research collaboration between the two countries. Applicants must be enrolled at a partner university in Austria or the United States and should first secure supervision at both their home and host institutions.
Chosen recipients of this Austria scholarship complete a research stay at their selected host university for at least three months and receive a grant ranging from €4,000 to €10,000. The exact scholarship amount depends on the length of the research stay and the student’s degree level. The payment is made in two installments: 80% after the scholarship is formally accepted and 20% after the final report is submitted.
5. Ernst Mach Grant
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: Varies by grant type
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research, depending on the grant type
The Ernst Mach Grant, named after the Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach, is a scholarship program for international students and researchers who want to pursue part of their studies or research in Austria. Current Ernst Mach funding options include the Ernst Mach Grant Ukraine, Ernst Mach Grant worldwide, Ernst Mach Grant for studying at an Austrian University of Applied Sciences, Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant, Ernst Mach Grant ASEA-UNINET, and Ernst Mach Grant ASEA-UNINET Short-term Research Grant.
These grants serve different countries, degree levels, and academic purposes. For example, the Ernst Mach Grant worldwide is primarily for young researchers, while the grant for Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students from non-European universities who want to study at an Austrian university of applied sciences. Duration and eligibility vary by grant type.
The monthly grant amount varies depending on the specific Ernst Mach Grant. The OeAD, Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalization, may also assist students in arranging accommodation and health insurance, although these costs are usually paid from the grant.
Austria offers low or no tuition at public universities for some students, but the rules depend on nationality, student status, study duration, and institution type. Austrian, EU, and EEA students generally do not pay tuition at public universities during the minimum duration of their degree program plus two tolerance semesters, while many third-country students with a student residence permit generally pay €751.92 per semester. A compulsory student union and accident insurance fee also applies. Scholarships can help ease the burden of these costs and living expenses, so do not let finances stop you from applying to your Austrian dream university.
We hope this article on the best scholarships in Austria for international students was helpful. If you are interested, explore Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for International Students!
