University of Klagenfurt
Universität Klagenfurt (Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt)
Carinthia's lakeside university, with low fees and six English-taught bachelor's degrees near the Slovenian border.
- Students
- 13,323
- International
- 22%
- of students
- Tuition
- €1,453
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1970
About AAU
The University of Klagenfurt was founded in 1970 as a College for Educational Sciences and is today the largest academic institution in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It has 13,323 students, about 20% of them international from around 100 countries, and 1,743 staff on a single campus in Klagenfurt. Its four faculties cover arts, humanities and education; management, economics and law; social sciences; and technical sciences, split into 30 departments.
The university offers 23 bachelor's, 31 master's and 14 teacher-training programmes. Most bachelor's degrees are taught in German, but six are taught in English: Digital Media, Culture, and Communication; Information and Communications Engineering; International Business and Economics; Robotics and Artificial Intelligence; Social Sciences; and Worlds of English. Research priorities include networked and autonomous systems and optimisation, in close collaboration with the Lakeside Labs research institute.
Admission to most bachelor's programmes is open to anyone with a recognised school-leaving qualification and the right language level; only a few programmes, such as International Business and Economics and Psychology, have a competitive entry procedure. Fees are low even for non-EU students. AAU suits students who want an affordable, English-taught degree in a lakeside city in a region the university describes as a meeting point of three cultures.
Per aspera ad astra
“Through hardships to the stars” — university motto
Why students choose AAU
Non-EU students pay only 726.72 euros per semester in tuition, and EU/EEA students pay no tuition during the standard study period plus two semesters.
Six bachelor's degrees are taught fully in English, including International Business and Economics and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
International Business and Economics is taught by the AACSB-accredited Faculty of Management, Economics and Law and admits 50 students a year through a ranked special admission procedure.
The campus is in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the capital of Carinthia, near the border with Slovenia, and the university is a member of the Alps-Adriatic Rectors' Conference of 36 universities.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (studies start October 2027)
Selectivity
Most bachelor's programmes have open admission for applicants with a recognised school-leaving qualification and the required language level. International Business and Economics, Psychology and teacher education use special admission procedures; International Business and Economics has 50 places a year, filled by ranking after a motivation letter and online exam.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school-leaving certificate | A qualification that gives general university entrance; applicants without an Austrian Matura or German Abitur apply for admission with official (wet-signed and stamped or officially e-signed) documents. Supplementary exams may be prescribed, taken in AAU's preparatory programme (VAAU). |
|---|---|
| German-taught programmes | German at A2 when applying and B2 at admission (C1 for German Studies and teacher education). |
| English-taught programmes | English at B2 (CEFR) at the time of application. |
| English language | English at CEFR B2 for English-taught programmes, shown with a certificate from the Rectorate's list of accepted language qualifications. International Business and Economics has its own English rules in its admission regulation. |
Deadlines
- International Business and Economics special admission registration (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed23 February 2026, 23:59 CET
Registration and fee payment ran 12 January to 23 February 2026, motivation letter by 2 March, online exam on 22 April, ranking by 25 May. The 2027 dates are not yet published.
- General admission period, winter semester (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed5 September 2026
For winter semester 2026/27 the admission period ran 6 July to 5 September 2026; dates for 2027/28 are not yet published. Summer semester 2027: 8 January to 5 February 2027.
- Non-EU/EEA application submission period, winter semester Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months30 June 2027 (window opens 1 April 2027)
AAU publishes 1 April to 30 June as the standing submission period for the winter semester; applications outside it are not processed. Processing takes at least two months.
The 1 April to 30 June submission window for non-EU/EEA applicants is a standing rule. The general admission period and the International Business and Economics dates shown are from the 2026 cycle; expect similar timing for 2027 entry.
How to apply
Applicants without an Austrian or German school-leaving certificate submit an application for admission to AAU's Admissions and Examinations Office, then complete online registration and enrol in person within the general admission period. Non-EU/EEA citizens must submit a complete application within the submission window (1 April to 30 June for the winter semester), and processing can take up to six months. EU/EEA citizens can apply at any time. International Business and Economics also requires registration for its special admission procedure in January and February.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that gives general university entrance in your country and is recognised in Austria.
- The required language level: English B2 for English-taught programmes, German B2 for German-taught ones.
- Complete, official documents with wet-ink signatures and stamps or an Austrian official signature.
- For International Business and Economics, a strong motivation letter and online exam performance in a ranked selection.
Tips for applying to AAU
- 1 Non-EU applicants: submit a complete application early in the 1 April to 30 June window, because processing can take up to six months and incomplete files are not processed.
- 2 For International Business and Economics, register for the special admission procedure in January and February; it runs only once a year.
- 3 Start looking for housing as soon as you apply: AAU says the Klagenfurt market is very tight, with a shortage of about 250 dormitory places.
- 4 If you choose a German-taught programme, you need German at A2 when applying and B2 before admission.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Tuition is already low, and students from Least Developed Countries (OECD list) and non-EU citizens with a non-student residence permit are exempt. The Welcome Center administers AAU's grant for German language courses; other scholarships and grants are listed on the university's scholarships page.
- 752.92 euros per semester
- Non-EU tuition plus student union fee
- 31 October (winter semester), 31 March (summer semester)
- Fee payment deadlines
- No tuition fee
- Students from Least Developed Countries
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from October, summer semester from March)
International Business and Economics (BSc)
Six-semester English-taught degree with 50 places a year chosen through a motivation letter and online exam; its faculty is AACSB-accredited.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (Bachelor's)
English-taught bachelor's at a university whose research priorities include networked and autonomous systems.
Information and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's and Master's)
Taught in English at both levels, with a double-degree option at master's level.
Digital Media, Culture, and Communication (Bachelor's)
An English-taught bachelor's in media, culture and communication.
Game Studies and Engineering (Master's)
An English-taught master's with its own special admission procedure.
Research
- Research priority areas include Networked and Autonomous Systems and Multiple Perspectives in Optimization, in close collaboration with the Lakeside Labs research institute.
- The Karl Popper Kolleg, founded in 2015, brings doctoral students together with leading international researchers.
- The university's Robert Musil Institute co-organises the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for German-language literature.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education
- Faculty of Management, Economics and Law
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Technical Sciences
Student life
AAU has a single suburban campus in Klagenfurt, a city on the Wörthersee lake. Around one in five students is international, and a Welcome Center helps with entry and residence, health insurance, housing and German courses, with welcome days at the start of the winter semester. The student union, ÖH Klagenfurt/Celovec, whose bilingual name reflects Carinthia's Slovenian minority, runs a housing guide and mailing list. That matters because housing is tight: the university reports a shortage of around 250 dormitory places.
- Welcome Center and information events for new international students each October.
- UNIKUM, the university's own cultural centre.
- The Karl Popper Kolleg and Lakeside Labs connect students to research.
- Students from about 100 countries on one campus.
Housing. There is no guaranteed housing: dormitories are short by about 250 places, so students rely on the ÖH housing guide and mailing list and on private rentals.
Location
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is the capital and largest city of Carinthia, with about 106,000 people, and Austria's sixth-largest city. It lies on the Wörthersee lake and the Glan river in southern Austria, near the border with Slovenia, and has its own international airport with connections to several European cities. It is a compact city where lake life shapes the summer.
Nearest airport: Klagenfurt Airport (KLU)
Notable alumni
- PK Peter KaiserGovernor of Carinthia 2013 to 2026; studied sociology and education at the university
- KG Karl-Heinz GrasserAustrian Finance Minister 2000 to 2007; studied business administration at the university
- PS Patrik SchumacherArchitect and principal of Zaha Hadid Architects; PhD from the Institute of Cultural Science, 1999
- MS Matthias StrolzFounder and first leader of the NEOS party; doctorate in organisational development
- SB Sonja BucheggerComputer scientist in networking and privacy; bachelor's degrees in business administration and computer science and a master's in computer science
- CL Cvetka LipušCarinthian Slovenian poet; studied comparative literature and Slavic studies at Vienna and Klagenfurt
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Klagenfurt cost for international students?
Non-EU/EEA students pay 726.72 euros per semester in tuition plus a 26.20 euro student union fee, about 1,506 euros a year in total. EU/EEA students pay only the student union fee during the standard study period plus two semesters.
Does the University of Klagenfurt have bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes, six: Digital Media, Culture, and Communication; Information and Communications Engineering; International Business and Economics; Robotics and Artificial Intelligence; Social Sciences; and Worlds of English.
When should non-EU students apply to Klagenfurt?
Complete applications for the winter semester must arrive between 1 April and 30 June, and processing can take up to six months. EU/EEA citizens can apply at any time before the admission period.
Is it hard to get into International Business and Economics at Klagenfurt?
It is the only English-taught bachelor's with a competitive entry: 50 places a year, allocated by ranking after a motivation letter and an online exam. Registration for the procedure runs in January and February.
What language level do I need?
English B2 for English-taught programmes. For German-taught programmes you need German A2 when applying and B2 before admission.
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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