How Much Does It Cost to Study in Austria? Tuition Fees and Housing

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Austria's public universities are among the cheapest in Europe, and for EU citizens they are free for the normal length of a degree. Students from outside the EU pay a fee fixed by law, which is still modest. Fachhochschulen and private universities set their own prices, and that is where the differences become large.

Public universities

The fee is set in the Universities Act and is the same at every public university and university college of teacher education.

So a non-EU student pays €1,453.44 a year in tuition. Some groups are treated like EU citizens, and nationals of the least-developed countries listed in the fee regulation are exempt. The university checks your status at enrolment.

Fachhochschulen

Fachhochschulen may charge EU students up to €363.36 per semester, and most do; a few charge nothing. For non-EU students many charge the same as public universities, but some charge considerably more. In our catalogue the fee for non-EU students in the public sector is typically €1,453 a year, and the highest, at one Fachhochschule, is €19,000 a year. Check the fee table of each Fachhochschule before you apply.

Private universities

Private universities have no legal cap. Fees range from a few hundred euros a semester at some private music and arts universities to €28,358 a year for medicine in Vienna. The typical fee for non-EU students in our catalogue is €2,760 a year.

Other compulsory costs

• ÖH fee. Every student pays the student union fee every semester, including those who pay no tuition. In 2026/27 it is €26.20 per semester, and it includes basic accident and liability insurance.
• Health insurance. Non-EU students need cover that is valid in Austria for the residence permit. See health insurance for students in Europe.
• Application and test fees. Some programmes charge for the entrance test, for example €110 for the MedAT in 2027.

Housing

Study in Austria, the official portal run by the OeAD, estimates rent for a place in a student residence at about €450 to €700 a month, and total living costs at about €1,300 a month, based on the 2025 national student survey. The portal notes that costs vary by city and by what the rent includes. Student residences are run by many different operators, and rooms for the winter semester go early, so apply as soon as you have an offer. See how to find student housing in Europe.

Money for the residence permit

Non-EU students must show regular means of subsistence for the student residence permit. Since 1 January 2026 the monthly amount is €722.58 for applicants under 24 and €1,308.39 for applicants aged 24 or over. Rent is taken into account in the calculation, so a high rent can increase the amount you need to prove. Check the current figure and the documents your Austrian embassy or consulate accepts before you apply.

How to keep costs down

• If you are an EU citizen, finish within the standard length plus two semesters: after that you start paying.
• If you are a non-EU citizen, compare public universities with Fachhochschulen: the same subject can cost €726.72 a semester at one and several thousand at another.
• Check whether your nationality is on the exemption list.
• Apply for a place in a student residence as soon as you have an offer.
• Non-EU students can work up to 20 hours a week with a work permit that the employer applies for. See working while studying in Europe.

Where to look next

• How to get into a university in Austria
• All programmes and cities in Austria
• Scholarships and financial aid in Europe

Official sources

• Studienwahl.at: tuition fees (Ministry of Science)
• Universities Act § 91: legal tuition fee
• Study in Austria: living costs
• Migration.gv.at: temporary residence: means of subsistence for students

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.