University of Innsbruck

Key facts

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

About the University of Innsbruck

The University of Innsbruck traces back to a Jesuit grammar school set up in 1562. Emperor Leopold I founded the university on 15 October 1669 and funded it with a special tax on salt from Hall; the foundation charter followed in 1677.^[2] The university was dissolved and reopened twice; from 1826 the Faculties of Philosophy and Law were re-established for good and the others were added gradually. With the Universities Act 2002 it was organised into fifteen smaller faculties.^[2]

In winter semester 2024/25 it had 27,436 students and, in 2024, 5,689 staff, 4,018 of them academic.^[7] The faculties include, for example, Architecture, Business and Management, Chemistry and Pharmacy, and Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics.^[7]

How is the University of Innsbruck ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, the University of Innsbruck is 333rd, up 17 places from 350th. Vienna.at, quoting the QS release, notes that this is still behind many results of the past ten years.^[3]

In the Times Higher Education ranking 2027 it sits in the band 301–325, according to News.at.^[8] The university’s own rankings page still shows older editions (QS 2024: 362nd; THE 2023/24: 301–350; Shanghai 2023: 301–400).^[9] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Innsbruck?

The university lists 132 study subjects, from bachelor’s and master’s programmes to teacher training, PhD and doctoral programmes and extension studies.^[7][10] The programme finder lets you filter by level, language of instruction (German or English), subject area and faculty.^[10]

The subject areas are Humanities and Cultural Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences, Law, Social and Economic Sciences, Theology and interdisciplinary programmes.^[10] Some master’s programmes, such as English and American Studies, are taught in English.^[5]

How much does the University of Innsbruck cost?

The university states the ÖH fee for the academic year 2026/27 as €26.20; the tuition amounts are per semester and the page does not name a year.^[4]

Exemptions

• Equal status with EU/EEA citizens: possible with a permanent residence permit, for people under the Austrian Regulation on Eligible Groups of Persons, or with a residence permit other than a student permit. Holders of a student residence permit cannot get equal status on that basis.^[4]
• Developing countries: degree students from countries on the university’s list (for example Bangladesh, Nepal and Uganda) are exempt automatically and pay only the ÖH fee.^[4]
• Ukrainian students: exempt from tuition in the summer semester 2026, referring to a federal regulation; the ÖH fee remains due.^[4]

Waiver and reimbursement applications have fixed deadlines in the university’s system; see the fee page.^[4] For living costs see the Austria guide and Study in Austria.

How do you apply to the University of Innsbruck?

Applicants with school or university education from a non-EEA country must document the general university entrance qualification. For a bachelor’s or diploma programme that means the original school-leaving certificate with a list of grades, with legalisation and an official translation by a sworn translator if not issued in German or English. You also need proof of German, a passport-style photo, a valid ID and a tabular CV.^[11]

For a master’s you provide the original bachelor’s degree certificate and academic transcript (Diploma Supplement), each with legalisation and sworn translation if not in German or English, plus language proof.^[11] The page lists country-specific rules; for some countries (for example Afghanistan and Bangladesh) a bachelor’s admission directly on the local school-leaving certificate is not possible, and an application with two additional years of study is reviewed individually.^[11] Deadlines are on the university’s page for application and admission dates, so we do not repeat them here.^[11]

Which language level do you need?

For German-taught programmes, German at level B2 must be proven at the time of admission. This applies to all bachelor’s and diploma programmes and most master’s, doctoral and PhD programmes; the master’s in Translation Studies requires C1. The CEFR is the European scale from A1 to C2, and B2 is upper-intermediate.^[5]

Accepted proof includes a school-leaving certificate from a German-speaking school, three years of study with German as the language of instruction, the supplementary examination in German of the University Preparation Programme, or certificates such as ÖSD B2, Goethe-Zertifikat B2, TestDaF level 3, DSH 1 or telc German B2 (certificates not older than two years).^[5] If the university requires a supplementary German examination, applicants need German at least at level A2 to apply for it.^[5]

For programmes taught in English, you must prove English at level B2 at the time of application (C1 for the master’s in English and American Studies).^[5]

More about studying in Austria

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

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• TU Wien
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