Welcome to Austria!
Located on the northeastern portion of the Alps, Austria is a predominantly mountainous country. If you are a nature lover, well, Austria is the go-to place for you! Its landscapes are similar to the ones found in Switzerland, with a two-third of the entire country filled with meadows and woods. Air is fresh and the alpine environment could certainly reinvigorate your mind and your body. If you’re lucky you can encounter a wild animal such as eagles, owls or bears. The Austrian lifestyle is very respectful of nature: renewable sources account for more than one-third of Austria’s energy production, making it one of the highest levels in the world.
Nature is not the only thing to enjoy in Austria. Cities have also un unfathomable beauty, and their inhabitants enjoy a peaceful and rich life. Vienna for example is a city full of historical sites with its long-standing history as the seat of the Holy Roman Empire and then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
With some of the best Alpine mountains, Austria is perfect for skiing. Innsbruck, considered to be the “Capital city of the Alps”, hosted two Olympic winter games, and many well-equipped ski areas are found throughout an important portion of the country. The Alps do not offer only skiing activities: you can still enjoy trekking, climbing, mountain biking or relax yourself in a spa while enjoying at the awesome Alpine peaks surrounding.
What are the best universities in Austria for semester students?
Are you still undecided whether or not Austria might be an appealing destination for you? On wearefreemovers you can find a selection of 6 academic institutions offering you the possibility of spending a semester or a full academic year in Austria. Let’s check some statistics about them.
Here you can see the positions of the Austrian institutions among the world’s best universities rankings.
| NAME | QS | THE | ARWU | CWUR | CWTS | Eduniversal palmes | U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings | Webometrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vienna | 150 | 164 | 151-200 | 209 | 303 | 4 | 195 | 115 |
| University of Vienna (PhD level) | 150 | 164 | 151-200 | 209 | 303 | 4 | 195 | 115 |
| FHWien of WKW | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Management Center Innsbruck | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - |
| Medical University of Vienna | - | 201–250 | 201-300 | 288 | 318 | - | 224 | 373 |
| University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - Hagenberg campus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - Linz campus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - Steyr campus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - Wels campus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (PhD level) | - | - | 801-900 | 1070 | 1079 | - | - | - |
University of Vienna is an excellent university, and certainly drives up the country’s academic importance. Medical University of Vienna has also a good positioning, with some great subject performance (check it up in the Subject Guides). The other ones are not mentioned except for University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in the general rankings and Management Center Innsbruck in the more business oriented Eduniversal ranking. It could be that the remaining universities are either too small or too narrowly focused to be accounted into the university rankings.
Still, if you want to be sure not to miss a hidden gem, go check out the Subject Guides on wearefreemovers to see if general rankings could be wrong about a niche academic institution. Nevertheless, Austria is an important country, so saying that you have studied in Austria could have its prestige too. Plus, the country is really beautiful and well-organized.
Costs and fees
Austria is an expensive country. Monthly costs of living for a single person are close to 900€. Keep in mind that, as a student, you could have access to various discounts which can include food, travel, and accommodation expenses.
However, when it comes to university’s fees, Austria is very cheap, with a median 260€/semester for EU free mover students and 625€/semester for non-EU free mover students.
Which Austrian cities are available to free movers?
Currently there are many cities that accept free movers in Austria. Have you ever dreamt of studying in Vienna or any other city in Austria? Here you can find institutions divided by city:
