TU Wien

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About TU Wien

TU Wien describes itself as Austria’s largest research and educational institution in technology and the natural sciences. It has eight faculties and 62 degree programmes, and more than 4,000 scientists work in five main research areas under the motto “Technology for people”.^[1]

The institution was founded in 1815 by Emperor Francis I as the Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute. It became the Technische Hochschule in 1872 and Technische Universität Wien in 1975, according to Wikipedia. The faculties are Architecture and Planning, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mathematics and Geoinformation, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and Physics.^[8]

In winter semester 2025, 27,262 active students were enrolled (as of 2 January 2026), and the university had 6,246 employees on 31 December 2025.^[2]

How is TU Wien ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, released in June 2026, TU Wien is 191st, up six places from 197th, with an overall score of 56.7. It is second among Austrian universities behind the University of Vienna (140th).^[3]

In the Times Higher Education ranking 2027, TU Wien is in the band 301–325, according to News.at.^[9] TU Wien’s own news release also points to budget cuts announced by the Austrian government as a risk to this development; it is the university’s view, not a ranking fact.^[3] Rankings differ by publisher, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at TU Wien?

TU Wien offers bachelor’s, master’s, diploma and doctoral programmes in engineering, informatics, architecture, natural sciences and related fields, grouped into eight faculties.^[1][8]

• Bachelor’s with an entrance exam: Computer Science, Architecture and Spatial Planning have a limited number of places and an entrance exam procedure.^[6]
• Other bachelor’s programmes: depending on the programme, a study preparation and reflection phase (Programme-PRe-Phase) must be completed before enrolment.^[6]
• Master’s: taught in German or English depending on the programme; admission needs a relevant bachelor’s degree, and the Dean of Academic Affairs reviews the academic background.^[5]

How much does TU Wien cost?

These are the amounts on the TU Wien tuition page when we checked on 7 November 2026 (winter semester 2026/27). The page does not name an academic year, so confirm the current amount with the Admission Office.^[4] The tuition fee is charged from the 9th semester in a bachelor’s, the 7th in a master’s and the 9th in a doctorate for EU nationals.^[4]

ÖH fee and other points

On top of tuition, every student pays the Students’ Union (ÖH) fee, which includes insurance, every semester. Membership of the ÖH is compulsory.^[10] The TU Wien page does not state the amount; the University of Innsbruck lists €26.20 per semester for the academic year 2026/27, and the fee is a national one.^[11]

If you attend only a continuing education programme or the preparatory programme (Vorstudienlehrgang) at TU Wien, you are exempt from tuition and pay the fee of that programme plus the ÖH fee.^[4] Students can apply for a waiver of the tuition fee for a semester on stated grounds; the Admission Office explains the conditions.^[4] For living costs see the Austria guide and Study in Austria.

How do you apply to TU Wien?

Admission to a bachelor’s programme requires the general university entrance qualification, shown by an Austrian school-leaving certificate or an international certificate regarded as equivalent.^[6] You submit an application for admission to the Admission Office, and for all bachelor’s programmes you must also complete the pre-registration in TISS and the entrance exam or Programme-PRe-Phase before enrolment.^[6]

Processing takes on average 10 to 12 weeks, and the Admission Office cannot give a status before that time has passed.^[6] Application periods differ for EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA citizens and change by semester, so use the academic calendar of the university instead of a date on this page.^[6]

For a master’s you send the bachelor’s degree certificate, transcript and language proof. If the earlier degree differs in content, you may be admitted with supplementary examinations; if the gap is more than 30 ECTS credits, admission is not possible.^[5]

Supplementary examinations and the Vorstudienlehrgang

Prescribed supplementary examinations such as German must be passed before admission as a degree student and can be taken in the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU). You are then enrolled as a non-degree student and pay the course fee.^[5] If a foreign school-leaving certificate differs substantially from the Austrian Reifeprüfung, admission may still be possible with supplementary examinations.^[6]

Which language level do you need?

For master’s programmes taught in German you need German at level A2 and/or C1; for programmes taught in English you need English at level B2. Proof of the other language is not required.^[5] The bachelor’s application also asks for proof of German at level A2 and/or C1 among the documents.^[6] The CEFR is the European scale from A1 to C2; C1 is the “advanced” level.

The entrance tests for Computer Science, Architecture and Spatial Planning are conducted in German, and TU Wien recommends German at least at B2 to take part successfully in the ranking test.^[12] The TU Wien pages we read do not spell out which certificates are accepted, so ask the Admission Office before booking a test.

More about studying in Austria

• Austria: best universities
• Study in Austria: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Austria

• Medical University of Vienna
• University of Graz
• University of Innsbruck
• University of Vienna