Austria as a Higher Education Destination

In the academic year 2023/24 a total of 387,993 people studied at Austria's higher education institutions, most of them at one of Austria's 23 public universities. Around 30 percent of all students in Austria were international students. 27 percent of them came from non-EU countries. The percentage of international students was significantly high (49 percent) at Austria's universities of the arts.

Austria's higher education institutions are especially diverse not just in terms of disciplines and subjects but also when it comes to their institutional forms and geographical locations. As of 2024 Austria is home to 77 higher education institutions, spread across the whole country. Universites – both public and private – make up the biggest part: 42 in total. Among the 23 public universities there are six universities of the arts, three universities of technology and three medical universities. Complementary to these, Austria's 21 universities of applied sciences focus on a more practice-oriented and industry-driven training. To conclude our list of Austrian higher education institutions, the 14 university colleges of teacher education offer high-quality training for Austria's future primary and secondary teachers.

As a reliable partner for Austrian higher education institutions we support their efforts to internationalise and globally orient their activities. Our main goal is to position Austria as an attractive location for higher education, research and science internationally. This includes managing scholarship and other funding programmes at national, European and international levels, representing Austria as a leading research and science location and promoting the offerings of diverse study disciplines, teaching and research options and cooperation opportunities worldwide.

Our goals:

• Enhancing the attractiveness of Austria as a higher education and science location;
• Strengthening Austria's position internationally and consolidating its image as an innovative provider of high-quality and internationally oriented study opportunities;
• Promoting scientific excellence and international networking by recruiting excellent international young researchers for research stays in Austria.

Our activities:

• Representing the Austrian higher education landscape at international higher education fairs and conferences in Europe, Africa, Asia/Australia, and North America;
• Globally presenting all Austrian higher education institutions and the diversity of their study programmes through webinars and other events;
• Supporting the higher education institutions in developing and expanding international networks and collaborations;
• Providing comprehensive information about the full spectrum of study options across all higher education sectors.

In the implementation of our goals the OeAD is supported by an advisory group, which consists of representatives of the involved stakeholders, the umbrella organisations of the higher education institutions, and the individuals responsible for internationalisation at the higher education institutions.

Established in 2021, the group serves as a discussion and exchange platform for the international orientation of the Austrian higher education landscape and provides a framework for the presentation and critical evaluation of initiatives to identify opportunities, assess risks, and evaluate potential from both a professional and strategic perspective. Given the global developments and trends in international cooperation it is necessary to continuously adjust Austria's strategic orientation in the field of academic mobility.

Members of the support group for Austria as a location for higher education

Under the "Study in Austria" initiative the OeAD participates both in person and virtually in a wide array of international higher education fairs and professional conferences in Asia, America and Europe, including prestigious events such as APAIE, NAFSA and EAIE. Our intention is to provide detailed information about study and research opportunities in Austria, to represent the diverse higher education locations and to initiate and deepen international cooperations.

Scheduled Higher Education Fairs and Conferences 2025

In 2025 we will take part in the following international fairs:

• APAIE, March 24-28, 2025 | New Delhi, India
• NAFSA, May 27-30, 2025 | San Diego, USA
• EAIE, September 9-12, 2025 | Gothenburg, Sweden

For our past fair and conference appearances see our archive page.