University of Vienna
Universität Wien
Austria's largest university, founded in 1365, where most programmes admit every qualified applicant and 22 hold entrance exams.
- Students
- 85,243
- International
- 37%
- of students
- Tuition
- €1,453
- 2026-27 (winter semester 2026/27 rates)
- Founded
- 1365
About Uni Wien
The University of Vienna was founded in 1365 as the Alma Mater Rudolphina and is Austria's largest university and largest research institution. It had 85,243 students in winter semester 2024/25, 37% of them international (its website now cites about 87,000). They study in 15 faculties and 5 centres, and the university offers 188 degree programmes, the widest range in Austria. The main building is on Vienna's Ringstraße, but faculties are spread across the city.
Admission works differently from most English-speaking countries. Most bachelor's programmes admit every applicant who holds a recognised school-leaving qualification and applies in time. In popular subjects such as Psychology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Law and Biology, the university holds a written entrance exam in Vienna each July, but only when applications exceed the number of places. Nearly all bachelor's teaching is in German, and German at C1 is required before enrolment. The exceptions are the English-taught Mathematical Foundations of Data Science and the bilingual International Legal Studies.
Eleven Nobel laureates have researched or taught at the university, most recently Anton Zeilinger (Physics 2022) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (Chemistry 2020). Fees are low: EU/EEA and Swiss students pay only the €26.20 Students' Union fee within the standard programme duration. It suits independent students who are ready to study in German at a very large university.
Why students choose Uni Wien
EU/EEA and Swiss students pay only the €26.20 Students' Union fee per semester during the standard programme duration plus two tolerance semesters. Most non-EU students pay €752.92 per semester in total.
With 188 degree programmes across 15 faculties and 5 centres, it offers the widest range of subjects in Austria.
Two bachelor's programmes are open without German: Mathematical Foundations of Data Science (taught in English) and the bilingual International Legal Studies (LLB).
Its researchers have won 155 ERC grants since 2007, and its eleven Nobel laureates include Anton Zeilinger (Physics 2022).
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (bachelor's and diploma programmes)
Selectivity
The university publishes no overall acceptance rate. Most bachelor's programmes admit every applicant who has a recognised secondary-school leaving certificate and the required German. 22 bachelor's and diploma programmes, including Psychology, Business Administration, Economics, Computer Science, Biology, Pharmacy, Law and Communication Science, use an entrance exam or aptitude test. The written test is held only when applications exceed the places available.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary-school leaving certificate from a non-EU/EEA country | All pages of the original certificate and subject list, legalised as the issuing country requires, with a sworn translation if not in German or English. Each application is assessed individually, and some countries' certificates alone are not accepted. |
|---|---|
| Gaokao (China) | Proof of the Gaokao university entrance exam with Apostille and APS certification from the German embassy in Beijing |
| UTBK-SNBT (Indonesia) | Result of at least 500 (grade point average) with Apostille |
| German language | At least A2 when applying and C1 for admission to German-taught bachelor's programmes. C1 can be reached through the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU). |
| English (International Legal Studies, Mathematical Foundations of Data Science) | B2, e.g. TOEFL iBT 94, IELTS Academic 6.5, or an IB Diploma with English |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 94 B2 English is required only for the bachelor's programmes in International Legal Studies and Mathematical Foundations of Data Science, and for English-taught master's programmes. Other bachelor's programmes are taught in German and need German at C1. |
Deadlines
- Programmes with entrance exam or aptitude test (all nationalities) Non-binding Passed2 March - 4 May 2026 (academic year 2026/27)
One application period per academic year, with no extension. Written tests are held in Vienna from 6 July 2026, and results arrive about two weeks after the test.
- General application period, non-EU/EEA citizens (winter semester) Non-binding Passed22 June - 3 August 2026 (winter semester 2026/27)
For programmes without an entrance exam. There is no grace period.
- General application period, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (winter semester) Non-binding Passed22 June - 5 September 2026 (winter semester 2026/27)
Also applies to non-EU nationals with equivalent status under the Personengruppenverordnung (PersGV).
As of 29 September 2026 the university had not yet published dates for the 2027/28 academic year. The dates above are the published 2026/27 periods. For winter semester 2026/27, the admission period ran from 13 July to 31 October 2026, and the semester always starts on 1 October. Entrance-exam programmes take applications only once a year, usually in spring, so applicants for autumn 2027 should expect a March-May 2027 window.
How to apply
Apply online to the University of Vienna within the application period for your citizenship and programme. Upload your passport, the legalised school-leaving certificate and subject list with sworn translations, and proof of German (or English, for the two English-track bachelor's programmes). Then complete admission in person or online during the admission period. Programmes with an entrance exam have a single, earlier application window once a year.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary-school leaving certificate that qualifies you for university, submitted with the legalisation and translations your country requires.
- Proof of German at C1 for German-taught programmes (A2 is enough to apply), or English at B2 for the two English-track bachelor's programmes.
- In programmes with an entrance exam, your score on a written test based on published test literature and sample exercises.
- Applying within the correct period for your citizenship and programme: there is no grace period.
Tips for applying to Uni Wien
- 1 Check whether your programme has an entrance exam. If it does, the application window closes in early May, months before the general deadline.
- 2 Keep the July test day free: the tests are held only once a year, on site in Vienna, with no alternative dates.
- 3 Read the country-specific notes before applying. China requires Gaokao proof with APS certification, Indonesia requires UTBK-SNBT of at least 500, and some certificates, such as Afghanistan's, are not accepted on their own.
- 4 If your German is not yet at C1, you can apply with A2 and take the Vienna Universities' Preparation Programme (VWU). This is not available for the English-taught programmes.
- 5 Use the free test literature and sample exercises published for each entrance-exam programme.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 (winter semester 2026/27 rates) · figures in EUR
The university awards merit-based and need-based scholarships several times a year. Non-EU students from designated developing countries have their tuition remitted for the whole programme, and some non-EU residents can apply for equal status with EU citizens. Tuition for students with Ukrainian citizenship is remitted automatically for winter semester 2026/27.
- €26.20 per semester
- Students' Union fee (all students)
- €752.92
- Non-EU/EEA total per semester
- €389.56 per semester
- EU/EEA/Swiss after the tolerance period
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from 1 October, summer semester from 1 March)
Mathematical Foundations of Data Science (BSc)
An English-taught, 180-ECTS bachelor's programme that needs no German, admitted through an aptitude test (15 July 2026).
International Legal Studies (LLB)
A bilingual German-English law degree focused on international and cross-border law, with an entrance exam (6 July 2026) and a Latin supplementary exam during studies.
Physics (BSc)
Taught at the faculty where Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger was a long-serving professor; applicants complete a compulsory Online Self-Assessment.
Psychology (BSc)
One of the programmes that uses an entrance exam when applications exceed the places available.
Teacher Education
With 29 teaching subjects, the university and its partner colleges of teacher education form Austria's largest teacher education institution.
International Business Administration (BSc)
A business degree in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, admitted through the entrance exam procedure.
Research
- University researchers have won 155 European Research Council grants since 2007, including 10 in 2025.
- Anton Zeilinger won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Markus Aspelmeyer of the Faculty of Physics won Austria's Wittgenstein Award in 2026.
- The Max Perutz Labs centre and the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, run jointly with the Medical University of Vienna, anchor its life sciences research.
- Its six strategic research priorities include quantum systems and materials of the future, and climate, environment and sustainability.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics
- Faculty of Computer Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Faculty of Psychology
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies
- Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies
- Faculty of Philosophy and Education
The university awarded 9,395 degrees in 2023/24 (5,689 first degrees and 3,706 further degrees). It does not publish a graduate employment rate on the pages reviewed.
Student life
With about 85,000 students, the University of Vienna is a big-city university without a closed campus. The historic main building stands on the Ringstraße, and the faculties are spread across Vienna. The university does not house its students. It points them to student dormitories run by private operators, such as OeAD student housing and STUWO, or to flat shares, because Vienna rents are high. Students pay the Students' Union fee to the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH), which runs social advice services and a housing notice board. Around 37% of students are international.
- 85,243 students in winter semester 2024/25, 37% of them international.
- The Aula of the main building has an art installation honouring the university's eleven Nobel laureates.
- The Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) runs social advice, social funds and a housing notice board.
- The university celebrated its 650th anniversary in 2015.
Housing. The university has no residences of its own. Students usually rent rooms in dormitories run by private providers (for example OeAD student housing, home4students or STUWO) or share flats.
Location
Vienna, Austria's capital, has about two million inhabitants, and around 10% of them are students. The university's main building is on the Universitätsring in the city centre, and its faculties and centres are across the city. The university notes that housing is fairly expensive, so many students choose dormitories or flat shares.
Nearest airport: Vienna International Airport (VIE)
Notable alumni
- SF Sigmund FreudFounder of psychoanalysis; studied at the University of Vienna
- GM Gregor MendelFounder of modern genetics; studied at the University of Vienna
- KG Kurt GödelLogician known for the incompleteness theorems; studied at the University of Vienna
- LM Lise MeitnerPhysicist and co-discoverer of nuclear fission; studied at the University of Vienna
- EJ Elfriede JelinekNovelist and playwright, Nobel Prize in Literature 2004; studied at the University of Vienna
- FH Friedrich HayekEconomist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 1974; studied at the University of Vienna
- MH Michael HanekeFilm director; studied at the University of Vienna
- SZ Stefan ZweigWriter and biographer; studied at the University of Vienna
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Vienna cost for international students?
Non-EU/EEA students pay €726.72 tuition plus the €26.20 Students' Union fee, €752.92 per semester in total. EU/EEA and Swiss students pay only the €26.20 Students' Union fee within the standard programme duration plus two tolerance semesters.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at the University of Vienna?
Yes, but only Mathematical Foundations of Data Science is fully in English, and International Legal Studies is bilingual German-English. Both need English at B2 (e.g. TOEFL iBT 94 or IELTS 6.5). All other bachelor's programmes need German at C1.
Does the University of Vienna have entrance exams?
Yes, for 22 bachelor's and diploma programmes, including Psychology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Biology and Law. The written test is held once a year in Vienna in July, and only if applications exceed the places available.
When is the application deadline for the University of Vienna?
It depends on your programme and citizenship. For 2026/27, entrance-exam programmes took applications from 2 March to 4 May 2026. For other programmes, the winter semester window was 22 June to 3 August 2026 for non-EU citizens and to 5 September 2026 for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. There is no grace period.
What is the University of Vienna's acceptance rate?
The university does not publish one. Most programmes admit every applicant who meets the formal requirements. Programmes with entrance exams select by test result only when demand exceeds places.
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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