Salzburg gives you four institutions in our catalogue, and they are very different places: a large public university, a music conservatoire, a medical private university and a teacher-training college. Applications go to each institution directly. There is no central portal, so the deadline you must meet depends on the place you pick.
What is actually in Salzburg
Our catalogue lists four institutions in the city. Here they are with their type, as recorded in the Austrian national register.
| Institution | Type |
|---|---|
| University of Salzburg | Public university |
| Mozarteum University Salzburg | Public university |
| Paracelsus Medical University | Private university |
| University of Education Salzburg Stefan Zweig | University college of teacher education |
The OeAD also lists Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. Our own catalogue count of four does not include it, so treat the city as having at least four institutions in the register and one more in the OeAD directory. If you want the full list rather than the Salzburg slice, browse all universities in Austria.
The type matters more than you might think. A public university, a private university and a teacher-training college each set their own admission rules and their own deadlines. The University of Education Salzburg Stefan Zweig trains teachers, so its programmes point at the classroom rather than at research careers.
Who teaches in English
This site lists 589 programmes across Austria with English among their languages of instruction. Of those, 455 are taught in English only and the rest in German and English together. Those are our own counts, imported from the Austrian national register. We have not broken them down by city, so check the Salzburg entries one by one in the Salzburg city pages to see which language each programme uses.
A German-and-English programme usually means some courses in each language, not a free choice. Ask the institution which language the examinations are in before you apply.
Deadlines and how to apply
Admission is organised by each institution. The OeAD does not handle study applications, and Austria has no central application portal. You apply to the university, conservatoire or college itself.
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. That is the general rule, not a promise. Other programmes can set different dates, and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can face different deadlines again. Confirm your programme's date with the institution before you plan anything else.
Build the application around documents you can actually produce: a school-leaving certificate, a transcript, proof of language ability where the programme asks for it. Because each institution runs its own process, the same paperwork may need to be submitted in a different form in two places. Do not assume one portal will forward anything.
What it costs
Two fees appear in almost every Salzburg budget. The first is the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) of EUR 26.20 per semester, which is compulsory for all students. The second is tuition, and here your nationality and your progress through the programme decide the number.
- At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration of the programme plus two semesters. Go beyond that window and the position changes.
- Most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester.
Private universities and university colleges of teacher education set their own charges, and those are not covered by the public-university rule above. Any figure you see on this site comes from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, and you must confirm it with the institution before you rely on it.
Living costs and finding a room
The OeAD's average monthly living-cost estimate for a student in Austria is about EUR 1,300, and it varies by study location. Treat that as a starting point for your own arithmetic, not a Salzburg figure. Our cost of living guide walks through the categories you need to fill in yourself: rent, food, transport, insurance, materials.
On rent, the OeAD notes that Salzburg, together with Vienna and Graz, may have slightly higher rental rates than smaller towns. That single sentence is the whole of what we can tell you from the facts. It is a direction, not a price. Look at actual listings for the district you want before you set a budget, and read the accommodation guide for the practical steps.
Visas, permits and who decides
If you come from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and you are staying more than six months, you need a Residence Permit, Student. The application fee shown on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. Check the current wording on oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at before you pay anything, because fees and rules change.
Two boundaries are worth stating plainly. The residence authority decides on your permit, and the institution decides on your admission. Nobody at this site can do either for you, and a confirmed place is not the same thing as a granted permit. Keep the two timelines running in parallel rather than one after the other.
Making the choice
Salzburg suits you if you want a small set of institutions where the differences are sharp. A music programme at the Mozarteum, a medicine programme at a private university, a teaching degree and a broad university course are four different applications with four different sets of rules. Read each institution's admission page before you read anything else, then use studyinaustria.at, oead.at and the institution's own site to confirm the numbers.
Sources
- OeAD, institutions directory
- OeAD, accommodation
- OeAD, living costs
- OeAD, application and admission
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of foreign students
- oesterreich.gv.at, Residence Permit, Student
- Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), open data notes
Frequently asked questions
How many universities are there in Salzburg?
Our catalogue lists four institutions in Salzburg: the University of Salzburg and the Mozarteum University Salzburg as public universities, the Paracelsus Medical University as a private university, and the University of Education Salzburg Stefan Zweig as a university college of teacher education. The OeAD also lists Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. Check each institution's own site for what it currently offers.
What is the application deadline for studying in Salzburg?
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. Other programmes and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can have different deadlines. Admission is organised by each institution, so confirm your date with them.
How much does it cost to study in Salzburg?
Every student pays the student union fee of EUR 26.20 per semester. At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration of the programme plus two semesters; most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Fees listed on this site come from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, so confirm them with the institution.
Is Salzburg expensive for students?
The OeAD's average living-cost estimate for a student in Austria is about EUR 1,300 a month and varies by study location. The OeAD also notes that Salzburg, with Vienna and Graz, may have slightly higher rental rates than smaller towns. Check current listings yourself before setting a budget.