20 best schools, colleges and universities in Vienna where international students can get prestigious education

Before talking about educational institutions, it is necessary to understand what the Austrian educational system is. It is worth noting that it is very similar to the German one: the stages of obtaining education in this country also have three main stages - primary school, secondary and higher education. For local residents, secondary education is free. At this stage, young schoolchildren can already decide on further plans for education - choose a school type Hauptschule and get a professional education or school Gymnasium, which can be trained for admission to universities.

But foreign students in Austria, as a rule, are accepted on a paid basis in boarding schools, where they study intensively foreign languages, and also live and spend their free time. The main advantage of private Austrian schools is that here students can finish not only the classical Austrian educational program, but also the British, American or international IB (International Baccalaureat). This is very convenient, since in this case, foreign students will not be tied to the educational system of Austria, but will be able to choose any one based on their further educational plans.

Here are a few more advantages of Austrian private secondary schools:

• Austrian certificate of secondary education is recognized in all universities in Europe and the world
• in Austrian schools students study several languages - German and English are required, French and other foreign languages are optional
• In the Austrian schools, a large number of sports and creative sections are provided for pupils
• Minor students live in a boarding house and are under constant supervision
• children and adolescents find themselves in a multicultural environment, which gives them the opportunity to develop further
• After the completion of the Austrian school, a foreign student can easily enter a university abroad. An important nuance - a graduate of the Austrian secondary school can do this without prior preparation, while just an entrant from another country will definitely need it.

So, when there is no doubt that Austrian schools in Vienna are an excellent choice for a foreign student, it's time to check how well a future foreign-language student knows German or English. Since for study abroad it is better to have at least a basic level. If the available knowledge of a foreign language is for some reason insufficient, then parents can send their child to German (or English) preparatory courses, which are organized for students by each school in Vienna and any other city in Austria. In addition, it is a good idea to get acquainted with the potential school - to come to it on a summer educational program.

In general, for admission to a secondary school, a foreign candidate will need to prepare a standard package of documents: a passport, a student's report card for the last 2-3 years, letters of recommendation from teachers, results of language testing, a medical record. Also, depending on the institution, additional conditions may appear. It is better to start preparing for entering an Austrian school in advance - not less than 8-9 months, and preferably one year before the beginning of the school year.

In Austria there are also quite a few educational centers that offer short-term language courses (from 2 weeks to a month) for different categories of students: for example, language schools Alpha Sprachinstitut Austria and Wien Sprachschule.

By the way, Vienna's higher schools are less popular with foreign students than secondary education institutions. In the capital of the country there are several leading and prestigious universities of international level: the famous Vienna University, the Vienna Medical University, the Vienna Technical University, the Academy of Arts, the University of Economics of Vienna and not only about 15 of them.

The main condition for admission to universities in Vienna for foreign students is a strong knowledge of the German language, the level of which is determined in the entrance international test. We also draw your attention to the fact that one of the main advantages of higher education in Austria is its low cost for foreign students - from 380 euros per academic year. In many public universities, education can not be obtained at all, and this privilege is available to both local residents and foreigners. For this, the latter need to have an average rating in the certificate and a good knowledge of German.

As for the price of getting an education in Vienna, everything depends on the chosen institution. If it is a question of private boarding schools, then for one year of study in one of them a foreign student will need from 15000-25000 euros (including food and accommodation). At the same time, obtaining a secondary education in Austria will be more budgetary than in countries where you can get education on similar programs - England or Switzerland. For studying on language courses on a two-week course of studying German, the student will need from 400 to 500 euros.

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Educational organizations in Vienna