Austria's study finder listed 593 programmes under “language: English” on 29 October 2026. But that tag is looser than it sounds: only about three quarters say “English” alone, and about one fifth say “German, English”. So an English-tagged programme can still be partly taught in German. Check before you apply.
The OeAD says the majority of programmes in Austria are taught in German, with more and more offered in English, and points you to the study finder at studienwahl.at/programmes-in-english.
Start with the study finder, not the register
This matters more than it sounds. The open register data does not carry the language of instruction at all. The study finder is the only official place that states it, and each programme page lists its languages of instruction.
The register does give you structure: it tells you which institutions exist and what programmes they run. Our own catalogue, imported from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), lists 65 Austrian higher education institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction. Of those, 455 are taught in English only and the rest in German and English.
Use both. Search the register through our programme finder to see what exists, then open the official study finder page for each shortlisted programme and read the language line yourself. If you want to start from institutions instead, browse by name under universities, the same 65 are there, or you can see all universities in Austria in one list and filter down.
Check the language mix, not just the label
A single “English” tag can cover three very different programmes. The first is fully English, where every course and exam is in English. The second is bilingual: some core courses in German, some in English, maybe literature in both. The third is English on paper but with German-language seminars in practice, or with a German-language placement.
When you open a programme page, look for:
- the languages of instruction line, which may name more than one language;
- whether individual modules are listed with their own language;
- any note on the language of exams or the thesis;
- whether a German course is built into the first year.
If the page is ambiguous, email the programme's student office and ask a direct question: “Are all compulsory courses in this programme taught and examined in English?” Keep the reply.
English proof: the level is set by the programme
Proof of English at the level each programme states is part of the application, usually an IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge result. The register does not list the required level, so the programme page or the institution's admission page is where you find it. Do not assume a score that worked for a friend will work here; different programmes set different levels.
As a benchmark for one OeAD scheme rather than for admission in general, the Ernst Mach ASEA-UNINET grant asks for proof of very good English, B2 or C1 depending on the intended degree programme. That tells you roughly how OeAD frames “very good”, but your programme's own requirement is the one that decides your application.
Book your test early. Results take time to arrive, and a missing certificate delays the whole file even when everything else is ready.
Admission is handled by each institution
There is no central application portal. The OeAD does not handle study applications, and admission is organised by each institution. That means one application per programme, each with its own form, documents and deadline.
At public universities, the general application deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester. Other programmes can have different deadlines, and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can face different dates again. Treat those two dates as a starting point and confirm the actual deadline on the institution's page.
Expect to send your secondary school or previous degree certificates, a transcript, the English certificate and possibly a motivation letter or entrance test result. Because institutions decide on admission, an early email to the admission office costs nothing and settles most doubts.
Money and the residence permit
Two figures are fixed for everyone, and one depends on where you come from.
- The student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students.
- At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters. Outside that window, and for most other students, tuition is EUR 726.72 per semester.
Programmes and fees on this site come from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, so confirm the current figure with the institution before you budget.
Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland need a Residence Permit, Student for a stay of more than six months. As stated on oesterreich.gv.at, the application fee is EUR 218 and the authority decides within 90 days. The residence authority decides on permits, not us; read the current wording on oesterreich.gv.at or migration.gv.at and follow it exactly.
| What to check | Where the answer is |
|---|---|
| Languages of instruction | The programme page on studienwahl.at |
| Required English level and certificate | The programme page or the institution's admission page |
| Deadline for your programme and your nationality | The institution's admission office |
| Tuition and ÖH fee | The institution; the register lists fees as of October 2026 |
| Residence permit fee and processing time | oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at |
German still matters, even on an English programme
Daily life, administration and the residence authority work in German. That is why the OeAD points to free German learning resources, and why you should start on German before you arrive rather than after your first bureaucratic letter.
You do not need to be fluent to enrol in an English-taught programme. You do need enough German to read a form, book a slot at an office and understand a reply. A free course plus a few months of practice covers most of it. If a programme is tagged “German, English”, German is not optional at all: it is part of your coursework.
A short pre-application checklist
- Find candidate programmes on the study finder, searching for English.
- Read the languages of instruction line on every programme page you shortlist.
- Note the required English level and book the test.
- Confirm the deadline with the institution, especially if you are outside the EU/EEA.
- Check the fee situation and confirm it with the institution.
- If you need a visa, read oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at early.
- Start a free German course.
None of this is complicated, but all of it is checked programme by programme. Do that, and the English-taught label stops being a guess.
Sources
- OeAD, application and admission
- Austrian national register of programmes (BMFWF open data) and the study finder studienwahl.at
- OeAD, OeAD FAQ Ernst Mach ASEA-UNINET
- OeAD, learning German
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of foreign students
- oesterreich.gv.at, residence permit for students
- OeAD, tuition
Frequently asked questions
How many English-taught programmes are there in Austria?
The study finder listed 593 programmes under the language filter “English” on 29 October 2026. Our own catalogue counts 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction, of which 455 are taught in English only. Check each programme page, because the tag covers both fully English and bilingual programmes.
Can I study in Austria in English without knowing German?
You can enrol in a programme whose languages of instruction are English only. But daily life, administration and the residence authority work in German, and the OeAD points to free German learning resources for that reason. If the programme is tagged “German, English”, German is part of the coursework.
Where do I find the English level I need for admission?
The programme sets it, and it is stated on the programme page or the institution's admission page. The register does not list the required level. Proof of English, usually an IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge result, is part of the application, so book your test early enough for the result to arrive before the deadline.
Is there a central application portal for Austrian universities?
No. Admission is organised by each institution, the OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central portal. At public universities the general deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester, but other programmes and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can differ.