What AQ Austria actually does
AQ Austria is the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria. It evaluates higher education institutions and degree programmes. That evaluation is what enables state recognition. It also runs voluntary accreditations in Austria and abroad. If you are looking at a private university or a foreign programme offered in Austria, AQ Austria is the body in the background.
It audits quality management systems at universities, universities of applied sciences and teacher education institutions. And under § 27 HS-QSG it acts as the notification office for foreign degree programmes in Austria. That last part matters if you see a programme advertised in Austria that comes from an institution based elsewhere.
Why this matters when you choose a place to study
You want your degree to be recognised. In Austria, state recognition of an institution or programme is tied to evaluation by AQ Austria. So when a private university says it is accredited, AQ Austria is the agency that made that possible. You can check the institution's own pages for its accreditation status, or ask the admissions office directly.
There is no official star rating of Austrian institutions. This site's score is a reputation-and-breadth indicator, not a quality grade. Use it as a starting point, not a verdict. To compare institutions on the basics, browse universities. Then narrow down by subject and language on the programmes page. If you want the full list without filters, see all universities in Austria. Our catalogue holds 65 Austrian higher education institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction, imported from the Austrian national register. Of those, 455 are taught in English only and the rest in German and English.
Private universities and accreditation
Private universities in Austria need state recognition, and AQ Austria's evaluation is part of that process. The same applies to degree programmes: the agency evaluates them so they can be recognised. AQ Austria also conducts voluntary accreditations, both in Austria and abroad. That means an institution can ask for an external check even where it is not strictly required.
If you are considering a private university, ask two questions. First, is the institution state-recognised? Second, is the specific programme you want covered by that recognition? The institution should answer both. You can also check studyinaustria.at and the institution's own quality pages. AQ Austria is not an application portal. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally. The OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central application portal. So accreditation and admission are separate steps.
Foreign programmes and the notification office
Under § 27 HS-QSG, AQ Austria is the notification office for foreign degree programmes in Austria. If an institution based outside Austria wants to offer a degree programme in Austria, it notifies AQ Austria. This is a transparency mechanism. It lets the authorities see what foreign programmes are being delivered here.
For you as a student, this is a signal to check the fine print. A programme can be delivered in Austria but run by a foreign institution. Ask who awards the degree and whether the programme is notified. The institution should be able to tell you. If it cannot, treat that as a warning sign. The same applies to quality management audits: they tell you the institution has a system for checking its own teaching, not that every course is perfect for you.
What accreditation does not tell you
Accreditation is about recognition and quality systems. It is not a ranking. It does not tell you whether a programme suits your career, whether the city is right for you, or whether the teaching style fits. Those are your calls. Use accreditation as a baseline check, then look at the course content, the language of instruction and the practical details.
Money is one of those practical details. 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, while most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Private universities set their own fees, so check with the institution. For 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 and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can have different deadlines. Always confirm with the institution.
If you need a visa, students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland need a Residence Permit, Student for a stay of more than six months. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218 and the authority decides within 90 days. The permit is available for studies at a university, a university of applied sciences, an accredited private university and a university college of teacher education. The residence authority decides on permits, not AQ Austria.
Quick comparison: who does what
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| AQ Austria | Evaluates institutions and programmes for state recognition; audits quality management; notification office for foreign degree programmes under § 27 HS-QSG |
| Institution | Decides on admission; sets its own application process and, for private universities, its own fees |
| Residence authority | Decides on the Residence Permit, Student |
Programmes and fees on this site come from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and the study finder studienwahl.at) as of October 2026. Always confirm them with the institution.
How to check an institution before you apply
- Find the institution on its own website and look for its accreditation or recognition statement.
- Check whether the specific programme is covered. A recognised institution does not automatically mean every programme is recognised in the same way.
- Ask the admissions office directly about AQ Austria evaluation and about any foreign partnership behind the programme.
- Cross-check with studyinaustria.at and, for permit questions, oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at.
- Confirm deadlines and fees with the institution, not with a third-party site.
Our catalogue can help you build a shortlist. Use the programmes page to filter by language and subject, then check each institution's accreditation details. Remember that the catalogue count is our own: 65 institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction, as of October 2026.
Sources
- AQ Austria, agency description (data/facts/sch__aq-austria.txt)
- oesterreich.gv.at, Residence Permit, Student (data/facts/oesterreich__aufenthaltsbewilligung-student.txt)
- Open Data register notes (data/facts/register__open-data.txt)
- OeAD, application and admission (data/facts/sia__application-and-admission.txt)
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission for foreign students (data/facts/oesterreich__zulassung-auslaendische-studierende.txt)
- OeAD, tuition (data/facts/sia__tuition.txt)
Frequently asked questions
What is AQ Austria and what does it do?
AQ Austria is the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria. It evaluates higher education institutions and degree programmes, which enables state recognition, and it audits quality management systems at universities, universities of applied sciences and teacher education institutions. It also conducts voluntary accreditations in Austria and abroad.
Does AQ Austria decide admission to Austrian universities?
No. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally. The OeAD does not handle study applications and there is no central application portal. AQ Austria's role is quality assurance and accreditation, not admission decisions.
What is the notification office for foreign degree programmes under § 27 HS-QSG?
AQ Austria acts as the notification office for foreign degree programmes in Austria under § 27 HS-QSG. If an institution based outside Austria offers a degree programme here, it notifies AQ Austria. That is separate from admission, which the institution decides.
Is there an official ranking of Austrian universities?
There is no official star rating of Austrian institutions. This site's score is a reputation-and-breadth indicator, not a quality grade. For quality assurance, look at AQ Austria evaluation and the institution's own accreditation statements.