If you are searching for private university Austria tuition fees, the short answer is that there is no single fee. Each private university sets its own tuition, and the Austrian national register does not publish a figure for them. You need to check the institution’s website directly.
That does not mean private universities are a closed book. You can still compare them, understand how they are accredited and plan your application. Here is what you actually need to know.
How private universities fit into the Austrian system
Austria has a mixed higher education landscape. Public universities are the largest group, but there are also private universities and university colleges of teacher education. The rules on fees, deadlines and admission are not the same across these types.
Our own catalogue currently 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. The data comes from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), as of October 2026. You can browse the full set on our universities page, or go straight to the private universities section.
If you want to compare the whole sector, including public institutions, see all universities in Austria.
Tuition fees: what is published and what is not
At public universities, the fee rules are fixed. EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition only within the programme’s standard duration plus two semesters. Most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Every student also pays the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) of EUR 26.20 per semester. Those figures come from the official information on tuition.
Private universities are different. The national register lists no tuition figure for the private universities in our directory. Their programmes simply show “see the institution’s website”. That is not an oversight; fees differ from one institution to the next, and the register does not capture them.
One concrete example of financial support: Central European University, a private university in Vienna, offers merit-based aid. That includes a bachelor’s partial tuition award of up to 50% (up to EUR 4,000 a year), master’s tuition awards of 50% to 80%, and master’s stipends of EUR 300 to 750 a month. These are CEU’s own figures, not a sector-wide rule. Other private universities may have their own scholarships.
Because no central fee list exists, your practical move is to open the programme page on the institution’s site and look for the tuition section. If it is not clear, email the admissions office. Ask whether the fee is charged per semester or per year, and whether it applies to students from outside the EU/EEA differently. You can find programmes by subject and language on our programmes search.
Accreditation: what AQ Austria does
Private universities in Austria need state recognition to operate and to award degrees. AQ Austria, the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria, evaluates higher education institutions and degree programmes. That evaluation is what enables state recognition.
For you as an applicant, this matters for two reasons. First, a recognised private university can issue a degree that is part of the Austrian higher education system. Second, accreditation is linked to your residence permit: the Residence Permit, Student is available for degree programme studies at accredited private universities.
Accreditation is not a ranking. It tells you the institution and programme have been reviewed against Austrian quality standards; it does not tell you which one is “best” for you. Use it as a baseline check before you apply.
Application and admission: no central portal
Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally. The OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central application portal. That is a key difference from countries where you apply once and list several choices.
Private universities also have different application deadlines from public universities. 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, though other programmes and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can have different deadlines. For private universities, you must check each institution’s own dates.
Many private universities also require an entrance examination instead of the general entrance qualification. That could be a written test, an interview or a portfolio, depending on the field. The institution decides on admission, so the entrance requirements are set by them.
Plan backwards from the deadline. If you need a visa or residence permit, you will want your admission letter well before the semester starts, so start the application early.
Residence permit and practical costs
If you are from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and plan to stay more than six months, you need a Residence Permit, Student. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. The residence authority decides on permits; the institution decides on admission.
Do not forget the student union fee: EUR 26.20 per semester, compulsory for all students. That applies at private universities too, so budget for it alongside tuition and living costs.
For the permit process, check oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at. For study-specific questions, studyinaustria.at and oead.at are the official information points. For programme and fee details, always confirm with the institution itself.
How to compare private universities without fee lists
Since the register does not give you a fee column, build your own shortlist. Start with the private universities list, then for each one note:
- the tuition fee per semester or year, as stated on the institution’s website;
- the application deadline and whether there is an entrance exam;
- whether the programme is taught in English, German or both;
- any merit-based aid, such as the CEU example above;
- the campus location, since that affects your living costs.
Then check the programme details on our programmes pages to confirm language and duration. Remember that programme and fee data on this site comes from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, and fees for private universities are not included. Always confirm with the institution.
Sources
- OeAD, tuition and costs (data/facts/sia__tuition.txt)
- OeAD, application and admission (data/facts/sia__application-and-admission.txt)
- AQ Austria, accreditation (data/facts/sch__aq-austria.txt)
- Austrian national register open data, programme and fee listings (data/facts/register__open-data.txt)
- Central European University, financial aid (data/facts/sch__ceu-financial-aid.txt)
- oesterreich.gv.at, Residence Permit, Student (data/facts/oesterreich__aufenthaltsbewilligung-student.txt)
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of international students (data/facts/oesterreich__zulassung-auslaendische-studierende.txt)
Frequently asked questions
How much are tuition fees at private universities in Austria?
There is no single figure. The Austrian national register lists no tuition amount for private universities, and each institution sets its own fees. You need to check the institution’s website or contact their admissions office directly. As a reference, Central European University in Vienna publishes specific merit-based awards, but that is one institution’s scheme, not a sector-wide fee.
Are private universities in Austria accredited?
Yes, if they have state recognition. AQ Austria, the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria, evaluates higher education institutions and degree programmes, which enables state recognition. You can check an institution’s accreditation status through AQ Austria or the institution itself. Accreditation also matters for your residence permit: the Residence Permit, Student is available for degree programme studies at accredited private universities.
Do I need an entrance exam for a private university in Austria?
Often, yes. Private universities have different application deadlines from public universities and frequently require an entrance examination instead of the general entrance qualification. The exact format depends on the institution and programme. Always confirm the requirement and deadline directly with the university, as there is no central application portal.
Can I get a residence permit for studying at a private university in Austria?
Yes, if the private university is accredited. The Residence Permit, Student is available for degree programme studies at accredited private universities. Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland staying more than six months need this permit. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days.