Technical University of Leoben
Montanuniversität Leoben
A small Styrian technical university built around the raw materials cycle, from mining and metallurgy to recycling.
- Students
- 3,000
- International
- 20%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 5:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €1,506
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1840
About TU Leoben
The Technical University of Leoben (Montanuniversität Leoben) began on 4 November 1840 as the Styrian school of mining in Vordernberg, the centre of Alpine iron mining, with Peter Tunner, whom Archduke Johann had chosen as its future professor at the age of 24, teaching there. It moved to nearby Leoben in 1849, became a Mining Academy in 1861 and a University of Mining in 1904, when it gained the right to award doctorates. Today it is one of the three members of TU Austria, alongside TU Wien and TU Graz.
With about 3,000 students from 89 countries, it is small and specialised. Its degrees follow the value chain from raw materials to materials, finished products and recycling: bachelor's programmes include Mineral Resources Engineering, Metallurgy and Metal Recycling, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Geoenergy Engineering, Recycling and Industrial Data Science. All bachelor's degrees take seven semesters, and the first year is common to all programmes, so students can switch field after two semesters without losing time.
Leoben suits students who want a hands-on engineering education in resources, energy and materials with close industry links. There is no selection process for bachelor's programmes: anyone with a recognised school-leaving certificate and the language requirement can enrol. Three bachelor's degrees are taught in English (Circular Engineering, Geoenergy Engineering and Responsible Consumption and Production); the rest are in German.
Why students choose TU Leoben
No selection procedure: applicants with a recognised school-leaving certificate and B2 in the language of instruction can enrol.
EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard study period plus two semesters, only the 26.20-euro student union fee per semester.
A common first year for all bachelor's programmes lets students change field after two semesters without losing time.
A 5:1 student-to-professor/lecturer ratio, more than 100 laboratories and close ties to industry partners such as the Materials Center Leoben and the Polymer Competence Center Leoben.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
TU Leoben has no selection procedure for bachelor's programmes: all applicants whose school-leaving certificate is recognised as a general university entrance qualification, and who meet the language requirement, are admitted. Applicants to the English-taught bachelor's programmes must complete a mandatory Qualification Test.
Typical entry requirements
| School-leaving certificate | A certificate recognised as a general university entrance qualification (Matura/Abitur, A-levels, IB, or an equivalent national diploma); eligibility of third-country certificates is checked individually after application |
|---|---|
| German-taught programmes | German at B2, e.g. ÖSD B2, Goethe-Zertifikat B2, DSD II or DSH-2; applicants with at least A2 can reach the level in the University Preparation Programme |
| English-taught programmes | English at B2 plus the certificate of the mandatory Qualification Test |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 80 For English-taught programmes: IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 (tests up to 20 January 2026; score 4 on the new TOEFL scale from 21 January 2026), Duolingo 110, PTE 59, or Cambridge B2 First/C1 Advanced with 160 points. Certificates must be no more than two years old. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester (third-country applicants) Non-binding Next deadline · In 55 days30 November 2026
Window 1 September to 30 November for a March 2027 start; EU/EEA applicants apply 1 November to 5 February.
- Winter semester: school-leaving certificate from a third country Non-binding In ~7 months30 April 2027
Application window 23 February to 30 April, as published for programmes without an admission procedure.
- Winter semester: school-leaving certificate from Austria, EU/EEA or Switzerland Non-binding In ~11 months5 September 2027
Application window 1 March to 5 September; enrolment for winter 2026/27 ran from 12 June to 5 September 2026.
TU Leoben publishes these application windows as recurring annual dates for programmes without an admission procedure. The English-taught programmes' Qualification Test must be completed as part of the application, so start well before the deadline.
How to apply
Create an account in MUonline, apply for your programme under online pre-registration and upload your passport, school-leaving certificate, proof of language proficiency and CV (third-country applicants), plus the Qualification Test certificate for English-taught programmes. Documents in other languages need certified German or English translations. Third-country applicants' documents are checked first; if successful they send originals by post and receive an admission letter with visa and housing information. All applicants complete enrolment in person at the Study Support Center and then pay the semester fees.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving certificate that counts as a general university entrance qualification.
- B2 proficiency in the language of instruction (German or English).
- For English-taught bachelor's degrees, a successful mandatory Qualification Test.
- For some engineering programmes, knowledge of descriptive geometry, or willingness to make it up with a supplementary exam.
Tips for applying to TU Leoben
- 1 If you come from outside the EU, apply between 23 February and 30 April: document checks and the visa process take time.
- 2 If your German is only at A2, apply for the University Preparation Programme, which provides the required language courses and exams.
- 3 Take the Qualification Test early if you are applying for Circular Engineering, Geoenergy Engineering or Responsible Consumption and Production.
- 4 Use the free Info Days (6 November 2026, 16 April 2027, 11 June 2027) or the online Virtual Open Day in English on 17 November 2026 to meet departments.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Most EU/EEA students pay no tuition, and citizens of least developed countries are exempt from tuition. Scholarships listed by the university include the Adolf Feizlmayr Foundation's funds for excellent students and for foreign students, industry-sponsored scholarships such as the ALPLA Alwin Lehner Scholarship, the Best of South-East scholarship (1,000 euros a month for 12 months for students from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia), and a public-transport grant of up to 300 euros for new bachelor's students. Austrian students can apply for state study grants.
- 726.72 euros per semester
- Non-EU tuition fee
- 26.20 euros per semester
- Student union (ÖH) fee incl. insurance
- 1,000 euros a month for 12 months
- Best of South-East Scholarship
- 10,000 euros fund
- Adolf Feizlmayr Scholarship for foreign students
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester 1 October to 28 February; summer semester 1 March to 30 September)
Mineral Resources Engineering (BSc)
The discipline Leoben was founded for in 1840, taught in German by the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering.
Metallurgy and Metal Recycling (BSc)
Builds on Leoben's origins as a school for Styrian iron and the Department of Metallurgy.
Geoenergy Engineering (BSc, German or English)
One of three bachelor's degrees also offered in English, run with the Department of Geoenergy.
Circular Engineering (BSc, German or English)
An English-taught option focused on keeping materials in use, in line with the university's raw-materials-to-recycling profile.
Materials Science and Technology (BSc)
Backed by partner research centres such as the Materials Center Leoben and the Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science.
Responsible Consumption and Production (BSc, German or English)
A newer English-taught option linking engineering with sustainable production.
Research
- Research partners on and around campus include the Materials Center Leoben (MCL), the Polymer Competence Center Leoben (PCCL), the metallurgy competence centre K1-MET and the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Erich Schmid Institute.
- Further research units include the Zentrum am Berg (ZAB), the Resources Innovation Center (RIC Leoben) and the Austrian Foundry Institute (ÖGI).
- The university hosts Christian Doppler laboratories and COMET projects with industry, and a start-up centre (ZAT, Centre for Applied Technology).
Schools & faculties
- Department of Mineral Resources Engineering
- Department of Metallurgy
- Department of Materials Science
- Department of Polymer Engineering and Science
- Department of Geoenergy
- Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics
- Department of Product Engineering
- Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering
- Department of Physics, Mechanics and Electrical Engineering
- Department of Mathematics and Information Technology
- Department of General, Analytical and Physical Chemistry
- Department of Economic and Business Management
The university states that its graduates have 99% immediate employability; about 20% of its students also work at the university.
Student life
Leoben is a small town where the university is part of daily life: students walk between lecture halls, more than 100 labs, the park, the outdoor pool and the mountains. Mining traditions are still alive: first-year students take part in the Ledersprung ('leather jump'), a miners' initiation ceremony held each year just before Saint Barbara's day (4 December). The University Sports Institute offers more than 90 sports courses, there are over 20 language courses, and older students act as peer tutors in the first year. Students live in halls run by Akademikerhilfe and others or in the OeAD guesthouse Mineroom, a timber-framed passive house.
- The Ledersprung, a miners' initiation ceremony held just before Saint Barbara's day, is a fixed part of studying at Leoben.
- More than 90 sports courses through the University Sports Institute (USI).
- Welcome Weeks, MINT@Leoben preparatory week and ÖH peer tutoring for first-year students.
- OeAD guesthouse Mineroom, described as the world's first high-volume timber-framed passive house.
Housing. Students live in halls run by Akademikerhilfe, Collegium Josefinum and the OeAD (Mineroom), or rent privately via the ÖH housing platform; the university advises applying early.
Location
Leoben is a Styrian town of about 25,000 people on the Mur river in central Austria, historically shaped by the iron trade. It is a local industrial centre in a mountainous region, and the university highlights its mix of campus, city and nature.
Nearest airport: Graz Airport (GRZ)
Notable alumni
- RL Rilwanu LukmanSecretary General of OPEC and Nigerian minister; higher degree in mining engineering (1967-1968)
- DC Desidério CostaAngola's Minister of Petroleum (2002-2008); petroleum engineering graduate (1975)
- RS Rudolf StreicherAustrian Minister of Transport and Economy (1986-1992); studied at Leoben
- WK Wilfried KurzMaterials scientist and EPFL professor emeritus known for solidification theory; doctorate
- PU Peter UggowitzerMetallurgist behind nickel-free stainless steels and biodegradable magnesium implant alloys; materials science and doctorate
- JS Julia SchmaleEPFL atmospheric scientist on the MOSAiC Arctic expedition; master's in environmental engineering (2007)
- SP Sophie PrimigMetallurgist at UNSW Sydney working on high-performance alloys; master's in materials science (2008) and PhD
Frequently asked questions
Does the Technical University of Leoben charge tuition?
EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard study period plus two semesters, only 26.20 euros per semester. Non-EU students pay 726.72 euros per semester plus the same fee in 2026/27.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at Leoben?
Yes: Circular Engineering, Geoenergy Engineering and Responsible Consumption and Production are offered in English and require B2 English plus a mandatory Qualification Test. The other programmes are taught in German.
Is there an entrance exam at Montanuniversität Leoben?
No selection process applies to bachelor's programmes; anyone with a recognised school-leaving certificate and the required language level can enrol. Only the English-taught bachelor's programmes require the Qualification Test.
What IELTS score does Leoben require?
IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80, Duolingo 110 or PTE 59 for English-taught programmes.
When is the application deadline for international students?
For the winter semester, applicants with a school-leaving certificate from outside the EU apply from 23 February to 30 April; EU/EEA applicants can apply until 5 September.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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