Best Universities in Austria – There has been a gradual increase in the number of people who are migrating to Europe from other continents like Africa and Asia for educational purposes or greener pastures. This is because Europe has some developed countries where some of the world’s best universities are located and very low tuition is required.
Austria is one of the countries in Europe that has world-standard universities that require low tuition for international students. This beautiful country is located in mid-Europe and is one of the few European countries with the most beautiful culture and scenes.
Despite being a landlocked country, Austria is a very safe country with stable economy. The impressive culture and rich town views is one of the reasons why Austrian universities are highly regarded by many Europeans.
The universities in Austria are known to be some of the best in Europe with standard learning facilities, a most conducive environment and effective teaching methods. Austria has some of the best colleges for medicine and engineering in the world. The universities are also very interested in research, helping to push their international rankings up.
For international or local students who are interested in studying in the best universities in Austria, this article helps to narrow down your options based on your preferences by listing the Austrian universities considered to be the best according to international rankings.
Best Universities in Austria
Here is a list of the best universities in Austria according to international rankings. The universities mentioned below are arranged in no particular order.
- University of Vienna
- Graz University of Technology
- University of Innsbruck
- Johannes Kepler University
- Alpen Adria University
- University of Graz
- University of Salzburg
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is sometimes considered the best university in Austria. This university offers more than 170 programs in various disciplines and is more than eight centuries old. Having being founded in 1365 by Duke Rudolph IV, the institution is the oldest university in all German-speaking nations.
The University of Vienna is also the best university in Austria for international students as there are students from various countries studying in the institution. 25% of the students in the University of Vienna are foreigners and a huge one-third of the lecturers are from abroad, too.
This diversity will not only make learning in the institution a great experience for the locals but also easier for international students. There are more than 91,000 students in the University of Vienna.
The university has been ranked top among the best universities in Austria in the past few years. The excellence of the University of Vienna is evident in the fact that the institution now has more than twenty Nobel Prize winners, a value that exceeds some countries’ tally.
Graz University of Technology
The Graz University of Technology was established in 1811 by the then Archduke of Austria. There are over thirteen thousand students in the university spread in the seven faculties.
The Graz University of Technology is also called TU Graz and is the oldest science and research institute in Austria. There are more than 2000 graduates every year from this university. There are currently almost 2000 academic staff and 1000 administrative staff members in the Graz University of Technology.
Located in Graz, Styria, the institution started with few subjects; Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Technology, Mineralogy and a few others. The following year after its establishment, the university got its first professor in Mineralogy.
After undergoing great development for decades, the Graz University of technology was granted the right to award Doctor of Philosophy degrees for doctorate graduates. By 2004, the university became modern by segmenting the system into departments and faculties.
The history of this university is so overwhelming with some its former students being: Nikola Tesla, Luis Trenker, Rudolf Sanzin, Hans List, Friedrich Emich, Raimund Abraham and many others.
University of Innsbruck
The University of Innsbruck was established in 1669 and is located in Innsbruck. This university has over 220 professors among its large academic staff of over 3000. The institution also has more than 1300 administrative staff members and is the largest institution in Tirol.
The university is one of the best universities in Austria for international students considering that a huge 35% of the students are foreigners. The rector of the University of Innsbruck is Tilman Mark and is the largest university after the University of Vienna and Graz University.
The University of Innsbruck is reputed worldwide and was ranked the third best university in mountain research. The location of the university is favorable to this achievement as Austria is a mountainous country.
Before the university underwent revolution in 2004, there were six faculties. These faculties were later reorganized into sixteen faculties, all of which are still present. Some of the new faculties are: the Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Geography, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Mathematics, and many others.
The faculty of medicine was removed from Innsbruck University and became a university now called the Innsbruck Medical University.
Johannes Kepler University, Linz
The Johannes Kepler University is located in Linz and has more than 18,000 students. This institution is not a very old one having been established in 1966. The Johannes Kepler University is considered one of the best universities in Austria for international students as 10% of the students are foreigners.
This institution has consistently been ranked among the top hundred young universities in the world, ranking 42 in 2012 and ranking 87 in 2015. The Johannes Kepler University was once ranked as the best young German-speaking university in Europe.
Also called JKU, the Johannes Kepler University was the first Austrian university to begin the use of electronic identity methods for students.
Alpen Adria University (University of Klagenfurt)
The Alpen Adria University is also called the University of Klagenfurt and is a world-class institution located in Klagenfurt. The University of Klagenfurt was established in 1970 and presently has an academic staff of more than 1200.
There are standard facilities available and the most impressive teaching methods are used by professors of the institution.
There are almost 12,000 students in the institution with 500 of those being doctorate students. The University of Klagenfurt is also known for extracurricular activities like rowing. In 2010 when the university celebrated its 40th anniversary, the Klagenfurt team won a boat race against the University of Vienna.
University of Graz
The University of Graz was established in 1585 and is now 427 years old, making it the second oldest university in Austria. In terms of size, the University of Graz is also the second largest university in Austria. This university is second to only a few universities in terms of accomplishment, history, and credibility.
The University of Graz is affiliated to the Coimbra group and Utrecht Network. With over 2,600 academic staff members and about 1200 administrative staff members, the quality teaching methods are most effective and the system of the school is very stable.
The Rector of the University of Graz is Martin Polaschek and there are currently more than 31,000 students studying in the institution. This university is associated with six Nobel Laureates, showing the efficacy of the teaching system and impact.
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg was founded in 1622 and would have been many centuries old as a university. However, it was closed in 1810 before its re-establishment in 1962. Most of the best universities in the world are the old universities.
Austria has so many of these universities and one of them is the University of Salzburg. The institution has about 18000 students and almost 3000 members of staff.
After the University of Salzburg was re-established in 1962, there were two faculties; the faculty of Philosophy and the faculty of Catholic Theology.
By 1975, there was a little re-organization; the faculty of law was installed and the four major faculties became the faculty of law, faculty of catholic theology, faculty of natural sciences, and the faculty of humanities.
The University of Salzburg is also called the Paris Lodron University, named after its founder, Prince-Archbishop Paris Lodron.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Here are some of questions you may have about the best universities in Austria and their answers:
Yes. Austria has some of the world’s best universities. Some of them are:
University of Vienna
Graz University of Technology
University of Innsbruck
Johannes Kepler University
Alpen Adria University
University of Graz
University of Salzburg
The University of Vienna is considered the most prestigious university in Austria due to its age and most impressive accomplishments. The university has taught more than 20 Nobel Laureates, an impressive feat. This institution is one the few universities in Austria that can compete with other top European universities.
Conclusion
Studying in popular student destinations like the United Kingdom and the US costs a lot compared to smaller and beautiful European countries.
Some of the best universities in Austria mentioned above are ranked among the top 150 in Europe. Austria is a peaceful country and is foreigner-friendly, making it one of the best choices for students to study abroad.