TU Wien
Technische Universität Wien
Austria's largest technical university, teaching engineering and science beside Vienna's Karlsplatz since 1815.
- Students
- 27,262
- International
- 39%
- of students
- Tuition
- €1,453
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1815
About TU Wien
TU Wien was founded in 1815 as the Imperial and Royal Polytechnic Institute of Vienna, awarded its first doctorates in 1909, admitted women from 1919, and became a University of Technology in 1975. It is Austria's largest technical university, with over 27,200 students (27,262 active students in winter semester 2025), about 4,800 researchers and lecturers, and eight faculties covering architecture and planning, civil and environmental engineering, electrical engineering, informatics, mechanical and industrial engineering, mathematics and geoinformation, physics and technical chemistry.
Bachelor's programmes last six semesters, lead to a BSc and are taught in German, so applicants need C1-level German to enrol as regular students. Most programmes have unlimited places but require a study preparation and reflection phase before enrolment; Computer Science and Business Informatics, Architecture and Spatial Planning have a fixed number of places and a selection procedure. About four in ten students come from outside Austria, mostly from other EU countries.
TU Wien is research-heavy: it reports 69 ERC grants, five Clusters of Excellence and 135.9 million euros in third-party funding in 2025, and it runs Austria's national supercomputer and a TRIGA research reactor. It suits students with strong maths and German who want an engineering or science degree in the centre of Vienna at very low cost.
Technik für Menschen
“Technology for people” — university motto
Why students choose TU Wien
Low fees: EU/EEA students pay only the ÖH student union fee during the standard study period, and most non-EU students pay €726.72 per semester.
A central location on Karlsplatz, with four city campus sites in the middle of Vienna.
Strong research credentials, including 69 ERC grants, five Clusters of Excellence and the Nobel Prize won in 2023 by alumnus Ferenc Krausz.
An active student community with teams such as TU Wien Racing and the TU Space Team, plus sports teams, an orchestra and a choir.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (dates shown follow the published 2026/27 cycle)
Selectivity
No overall acceptance rate. Most bachelor's programmes have unlimited places. Computer Science and Business Informatics offers 670 places (1,030 valid registrations in 2026) and Architecture 625 places (881 valid registrations in 2026), and Spatial Planning also has a selection procedure; places are allocated by a ranking test.
Typical entry requirements
| Austrian Matura (Reifeprüfung) | General university entrance qualification; no grade threshold for unlimited programmes |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must give access to all university sectors in the issuing country, reflect at least 12 years of schooling and cover six general-education subjects (two languages, mathematics, a science, a humanities subject and one more); gaps can lead to supplementary exams |
| Descriptive Geometry | Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical and Process Engineering, and Geodesy and Geoinformation need at least 4 hours per week of Descriptive Geometry after year 8, or an additional exam during the degree |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are taught in German. You need at least A2 German (ÖSD, Goethe, telc, DSD I or ÖIF) to apply, and C1 (ÖSD C1, Goethe C1, telc C1 Hochschule, DSH-2, DSD II, or TestDaF with 4 in all parts) to enrol as a regular student. Applicants with A2 are admitted on condition of passing the supplementary German exam at the VWU. No English test is required for bachelor's admission. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2027 application deadline (non-EU/EEA) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027
Non-EU/EEA window for summer 2027 runs 16 July 2026 to 15 January 2027; PRe-Phase for summer 2027 runs 1 November 2026 to 5 February 2027. The Informatics and Architecture selection procedures run only once a year.
- Selection procedure registration (Computer Science and Business Informatics, Architecture, Spatial Planning) Non-binding4 May
For 2026, registration ran from 1 April to 4 May 2026, including the online self-assessment, €50 fee and (Architecture) motivation letter; ranking tests on 13 July 2026 (Computer Science) and 10 July 2026 (Architecture, Spatial Planning). The procedure runs once a year.
- Application deadline for complete applications, non-EU/EEA applicants (winter semester) Non-binding15 July
For winter 2026/27 the academic calendar set 16 January to 15 July 2026 as the window in which non-EU/EEA citizens must submit complete applications; otherwise admission for that semester is not possible. Processing takes 10 to 12 weeks. EU/EEA applicants: beginning of February to end of July.
- Pre-registration and Programme-PRe-Phase Non-binding5 September
Must be completed by 5 September for the winter semester (in 2026 the PRe-Phase ran from 1 April to 5 September).
As of 29 September 2026 TU Wien had not published winter 2027/28 dates; the winter dates above follow the 2026/27 cycle. Personal enrolment with a letter of admission is possible until 31 October (winter) or 31 March (summer).
How to apply
Applicants with international certificates send a signed application form by post to the Admission Office, with legalised copies of their school-leaving certificate (and national entrance exam where relevant), officially translated where needed, plus German certificates and passport. Separately, complete the TISS pre-registration and either the selection procedure (Informatics, Architecture, Spatial Planning) or the Programme-PRe-Phase. Enrolment follows, in person or online, with payment of the ÖH fee and any tuition fee.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving certificate equivalent to the Austrian Matura, with enough general-education subjects and years of schooling.
- German at C1 level to enrol, and at least A2 to apply.
- For Computer Science and Business Informatics, problem-solving, logical reasoning and text comprehension (not programming experience), tested in the ranking test.
- For Architecture, a German motivation letter with hand-drawn sketches and a strong ranking-test result.
Tips for applying to TU Wien
- 1 Post your application early: processing takes 10 to 12 weeks, and applications sent by email are not considered.
- 2 If you want Informatics or Architecture, register for the selection procedure in April; it runs only once a year.
- 3 Plan for German: A2 is enough to apply, but you must pass the C1 supplementary exam at the VWU before becoming a regular student.
- 4 Check whether your programme requires Descriptive Geometry, and take the extra exam if your school didn't cover it.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Austrian public university fees are low: EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition during the standard study period plus two tolerance semesters, and non-EU students pay €726.72 per semester. Nationals of the least-developed countries listed in Annex 1 of the Decree on Tuition Fees are generally exempt, and students can apply for a waiver of the tuition fee (not the ÖH fee) on specified grounds.
- €726.72 per semester
- Tuition, non-EU/EEA students
- €26.20 per semester, paid by all students
- ÖH student union fee
- €50
- Selection procedure fee (Informatics, Architecture)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Computer Science and Business Informatics (BSc)
670 places a year allocated by a ranking test of reasoning and comprehension, plus an Honours track for top students from the fourth semester.
Architecture (BSc)
625 places allocated through a multi-stage selection with a German motivation letter, hand-drawn sketches and a ranking test.
Technical Physics (BSc)
Taught by the faculty where alumnus Ferenc Krausz did the laser experiments behind his 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Technical Mathematics (BSc)
Unlimited places in a department tied to TU Wien's scientific computing strengths, including the Austrian Scientific Computing supercomputer.
Electrical Engineering (BSc)
Alumni include Franz Viehböck, Austria's only astronaut, and Verbund board member Susanna Zapreva.
Civil Engineering (BSc)
Alumna Judith Engel led the construction of Vienna Central Station.
Research
- 69 ERC grants (7 in 2025), 6 Wittgenstein awards and 5 Clusters of Excellence, including Bilateral AI.
- Hosts Austrian Scientific Computing (ASC), the country's high-performance computer (formerly Vienna Scientific Cluster), and the TRIGA Centre Atomic Institute.
- 135.9 million euros in third-party funding in 2025 and first in Austria for patent applications.
- Research focuses on information, green, health, quantum and engineering technologies.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Architecture and Planning
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
- Faculty of Informatics
- Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Faculty of Mathematics and Geoinformation
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry
Student life
TU Wien is a city university, spread over four campus sites in central Vienna, with its historic main building on Karlsplatz next to the Karlskirche. There is no campus housing; students find flats or rooms in student residences across the city. The student community is active, with teams such as TU Wien Racing, the TU Space Team and TU Robots, plus sports teams, an orchestra, a choir and a dance group. The student union (HTU, part of the Austrian ÖH) represents students and runs services.
- Student engineering teams including TU Wien Racing, the TU Space Team and TU Robots.
- Main building on Karlsplatz, facing the Karlskirche and Resselpark.
- Member of the EULiST European university alliance, with exchange options across Europe.
- Spinoff Factory and the Innovation Incubation Centre (i²c) support student founders.
Housing. TU Wien does not guarantee accommodation; its International Welcome and Engagement Center advises students on finding rooms, and residents must register their address (Meldezettel) within three days of arrival.
Location
Vienna is Austria's capital, with dense public transport, a long engineering and musical tradition, and a large student population spread across several universities. TU Wien sits in the 4th district around Karlsplatz, a short walk from the historic centre and the Naschmarkt, so students study in the middle of the city rather than on an out-of-town campus.
Nearest airport: Vienna International Airport (VIE)
Notable alumni
- JS Johann Strauss IIComposer; studied, like his brother Josef, at the Imperial and Royal Polytechnic Institute, TU Wien's predecessor
- RZ Richard ZsigmondyNobel Prize in Chemistry (1925 prize); student at the institute from 1883
- VK Viktor KaplanInventor of the Kaplan turbine; studied mechanical engineering from 1895
- HZ Heinz ZemanekComputer pioneer who built the Mailüfterl, one of the first fully transistorised computers
- FK Ferenc KrauszNobel Prize in Physics 2023, based on laser experiments at TU Wien; director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
- FV Franz ViehböckAustria's first and only astronaut; studied electrical engineering
- AK Anna KiesenhoferMathematician and Olympic road race champion (Tokyo 2020); studied mathematics and physics
Frequently asked questions
How much does TU Wien cost for international students?
Non-EU/EEA students usually pay €726.72 per semester plus the ÖH student union fee (currently €26.20). EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard study period plus two semesters, only the ÖH fee.
Can I study a bachelor's at TU Wien in English?
No. Bachelor's programmes are generally taught in German, and you need C1 German to enrol as a regular student. English-taught options are at master's level (18 of 32 master's programmes).
Is there an entrance exam at TU Wien?
Only for programmes with limited places: Computer Science and Business Informatics (670 places) and Architecture (625 places) use a ranking test, and Spatial Planning is also limited. Other programmes require an online study preparation and reflection phase instead.
When should international students apply to TU Wien?
For the winter semester, non-EU/EEA applicants must submit complete postal applications between 16 January and 15 July (the 2026 window), and processing takes 10 to 12 weeks. Selection-procedure registration for Computer Science, Architecture and Spatial Planning closes in early May.
What German level do I need to apply to TU Wien?
At least A2 to apply and C1 to be admitted as a regular student. If you only have A2, you are admitted on condition of passing the supplementary German exam at the Vienna universities' preparation programme (VWU).
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to TU Wien in the QS World University Rankings 2027.