University of Graz
Universität Graz (Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz)
Austria's second-oldest university, founded in 1585, with over 30,000 students and German-taught bachelor's degrees.
- International
- 21%
- of students
- Tuition
- €1,453
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1585
- QS World Ranking
- #696
- 2027 edition
About Uni Graz
The University of Graz was founded on 1 January 1585 by Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria, making it the second-oldest university in Austria and the largest in Styria. Its old name, Karl-Franzens-Universität, honours Charles II and Emperor Francis I. The medical faculty became the separate Medical University of Graz in 2004, so today's university is organised into faculties of Catholic Theology, Law, Social and Economic Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences, plus interdisciplinary programmes.
More than 30,000 students were enrolled in winter semester 2025/26, 20.8 percent of them international, and almost a third of first-year students came from abroad. Research is concentrated in five fields of excellence: BioHealth (healthy ageing), Climate Change Graz, Dimensions of Europe, COLIBRI (innovation inspired by nature) and Smart Regulation of artificial intelligence. Physicists Ludwig Boltzmann and Ernst Mach and continental-drift theorist Alfred Wegener all taught here.
For international applicants the key facts are language and cost. All bachelor's and diploma programmes are taught in German, and you need C1 German to start; applicants with A2 can be admitted into the Graz pre-study programme (VGUH) first. Some master's programmes, including the NAWI Graz sciences run with TU Graz, are in English. EU/EEA students pay only the ÖH student union fee within the standard study period, while most non-EU students pay 726.72 euros a semester.
Why students choose Uni Graz
Low fees: EU/EEA students pay only the 26.20-euro ÖH fee per semester within the standard study period plus two semesters; most non-EU students pay 726.72 euros a semester.
A route in with basic German: applicants with an A2 certificate can be admitted and then reach C1 at the Vorstudienlehrgang (VGUH) before starting their degree.
Five research fields of excellence, from BioHealth to Smart Regulation of AI, plus NAWI Graz science programmes shared with TU Graz.
An international student body: 20.8 percent of all students and 31.8 percent of first-year students in 2025/26 came from abroad.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
Graz publishes no admission rate. Most bachelor's programmes are open to anyone with a recognised school-leaving qualification and the required German; Biology, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Psychology and the Law diploma have admission procedures with limited places, and teacher training and Sport Science have aptitude tests.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must qualify for general university entrance; the university may require supplementary exams, taken at the VGUH, to establish equivalence with the Austrian Matura. Documents need certified translations into German or English and, depending on the country, legalisation |
|---|---|
| German (all bachelor's and diploma programmes) | C1 to start studying, e.g. ÖSD C1, Goethe C1, DSH-2, DSD II, telc C1 or TestDaF at C1 (certificates no older than 5 years). At least A2 must be uploaded with the application or it is rejected; A2 holders are admitted to the VGUH pre-study programme to reach C1 |
| IB Diploma | Separate application guidance for IB Diploma holders on the International Students pages |
Deadlines
- Admission procedure registration (Biology, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Psychology, Law) - past, 2026 cycle Non-binding Passed2 March to 4 May 2026
Dates for the 2026/27 academic year; the 2027/28 dates were not yet published. Expect a similar spring window in 2027.
- Non-EU/EEA nationals, programmes without admission procedure - past, 2026 cycle Non-binding Passed15 June to 13 July 2026
Winter semester 2026/27 window for third-country nationals.
- EU/EEA nationals, programmes without admission procedure - past, 2026 cycle Non-binding Passed15 June to 24 August 2026
Winter semester 2026/27 window for EU/EEA nationals with foreign qualifications.
- Non-EU/EEA nationals, summer semester 2027 (bachelor's and diploma) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months16 November to 14 December 2026
Summer semester 2027 submission window for third-country nationals; check that your programme admits beginners in the summer semester.
- EU/EEA nationals, summer semester 2027 (bachelor's and diploma) Non-binding In ~3 months1 December 2026 to 18 January 2027
Summer semester 2027 submission window for EU/EEA nationals with foreign qualifications.
Winter semester 2027/28 dates were not yet published, so the winter dates shown are from 2026/27 and are past; expect similar windows in 2027 (admission-procedure registration in March to May, submission from mid-June). The summer semester 2027 windows are current. Deadlines depend on nationality, not on where documents were issued. The winter semester starts on 1 October.
How to apply
Apply online to the University of Graz within the submission period, uploading scans of original documents with court-certified German or English translations, required legalisations and a German language certificate of at least A2. For restricted programmes, first register for and pass the admission procedure, then submit your data once you receive a study place (non-EU applicants have four weeks). Applicants admitted with less than C1 German attend the VGUH, run jointly by Graz's universities.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving certificate that gives general university entrance, with any supplementary exams the university requires.
- German at C1 before you start, and at least A2 proof with the application.
- For restricted programmes, success in the programme's admission procedure.
- Complete, correctly translated and legalised documents; applications without the required legalisation cannot be processed.
Tips for applying to Uni Graz
- 1 Upload a valid German certificate of at least A2 with your application: without it you are rejected immediately and cannot reapply that semester.
- 2 Non-EU applicants have a much shorter window (mid-June to mid-July in 2026) than EU applicants, so prepare translations and legalisations early.
- 3 If you want Psychology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or Law, register for the admission procedure in March to May.
- 4 There is no on-campus housing, but dorm rooms within walking distance start at about 300 euros a month; apply early.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Students from the least developed countries listed in Austria's tuition fee regulation pay only the ÖH fee, and some non-EU students with other residence permits are exempt. Students from South-Eastern European partner countries who paid the 726.72-euro fee can apply for reimbursement if they meet the university's conditions.
- 26.20 euros per semester
- ÖH fee from winter 2026/27
- 726.72 euros per semester
- Non-EU tuition fee
- From about 300 euros a month
- Student dorm rooms
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from 1 October, summer semester)
Law (Diploma)
An admission-procedure programme taught in the Faculty of Law, which had 3,710 students in 2025/26.
Psychology (BSc)
Places are limited and allocated through a spring admission procedure.
Biology and Molecular Biology (BSc)
Part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the university's largest with 9,674 students; both programmes have admission procedures.
Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSc)
A restricted-admission programme with its own later EU/EEA submission window (13 July to 22 September in 2026).
Multilingualism, Translation and Digital Communication (BA)
One of Graz's language programmes, with entrance language tests at the start of the semester.
Research
- Five fields of excellence: BioHealth, Climate Change Graz, Dimensions of Europe, COLIBRI and Smart Regulation.
- Research networks on brain and behaviour, heterogeneity and cohesion, environment and global change, and the human factor in digital transformation.
- Ludwig Boltzmann, Ernst Mach, Joseph Schumpeter and Alfred Wegener all held posts at the university.
- External research funding of about 50 million euros in 2025.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Catholic Theology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences
Student life
The University of Graz is a city-centre university without its own campus housing: students live in dorms and flats across Graz, many within walking distance of the main building. With several universities and universities of applied sciences in the city, more than 60,000 students live in Graz during semesters, which shapes its cafés, culture and nightlife. New students start with the Welcome Weeks, and the Welcome Center helps international students with visas, residence permits, housing and German courses.
- Welcome Weeks for first-year students at the start of each academic year.
- Welcome Center support with residence permits, housing and German courses.
- More than 60,000 students across the city's universities.
- NAWI Graz master's programmes in the sciences, run with Graz University of Technology.
Housing. There is no on-campus accommodation, but many student dorms are within walking distance, with rooms or small apartments from about 300 euros a month, usually leased per semester or year.
Location
Graz is the capital of Styria, in the south-east of Austria. It is a compact student city: with its universities and universities of applied sciences, more than 60,000 students live here during term, and many student dorms are within walking distance of the University of Graz. Graz University of Technology and the Medical University of Graz, the university's partners, are in the same city.
Nearest airport: Graz Airport (GRZ)
Notable alumni
- IA Ivo AndrićNobel Prize in Literature 1961; PhD from Graz (1924)
- HH Heinrich HarrerMountaineer and author of Seven Years in Tibet; studied geography and sports
- PG Petina GappahZimbabwean novelist and international trade lawyer; doctorate in international trade law
- LV Leopold von Sacher-MasochWriter whose name gave us 'masochism'; doctorate in history (1856)
- FM Franz MiklosichPioneering Slavic linguist; doctorate in philosophy
- II Ieronymos II of AthensArchbishop of Athens and All Greece; postgraduate studies at Graz
- MZ Milan ZverSlovenian sociologist, minister and MEP; MA from Graz (1990)
Frequently asked questions
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at the University of Graz?
No. All bachelor's and diploma programmes are taught in German, and you need C1 German to start. Some master's programmes are taught in English.
How much are tuition fees at the University of Graz for non-EU students?
Most non-EU students pay 726.72 euros per semester (1,453.44 euros a year) plus the ÖH fee of 26.20 euros per semester. Students from the poorest countries listed in the regulation pay only the ÖH fee.
Do EU students pay tuition at the University of Graz?
Not within the standard study period plus two semesters; they pay only the ÖH fee of 26.20 euros per semester. After that, the fee is 363.36 euros per semester.
Can I apply to the University of Graz without C1 German?
Yes, if you have at least an A2 certificate. You are then admitted to the Vorstudienlehrgang (VGUH) to reach C1 before starting your degree. Without A2 proof the application is rejected.
When is the University of Graz application deadline?
For winter 2026/27 it was 15 June to 13 July 2026 for non-EU applicants and 15 June to 24 August 2026 for EU/EEA applicants; restricted programmes required registration from 2 March to 4 May 2026. For summer semester 2027 the windows are 16 November to 14 December 2026 (non-EU) and 1 December 2026 to 18 January 2027 (EU/EEA). Winter 2027/28 dates were not yet published.
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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