University of Innsbruck: Tuition, English Programs & Admission (2027)

The University of Innsbruck charges third-country students €726.72 tuition per semester plus the ÖH fee of €26.20 for 2026/27. Degree students from least developed countries, a list that includes Afghanistan, are exempted from tuition automatically, with no application needed, and pay only the ÖH fee.

Innsbruck is a public university in western Austria with 21 English-taught master's programs. The catch for non-EU applicants is timing: the non-EEA application windows are only about six weeks long and close months before the semester. This guide gives you the fees, programs, entry rules, the exact windows with their academic year, and the rules for Afghan certificates.

Why Innsbruck is good value

• Low public fee of €726.72 per semester for non-EU students, and €0 tuition for citizens of least developed countries.
• Automatic exemption: the university's system exempts eligible students without a separate application. You only need to report any change of citizenship.
• No application fee for regular admission; only programs with an admission procedure charge a €50 cost contribution.
• Strong English master's range in business, economics, computing, natural sciences and social sciences.
• Outside Vienna: OeAD notes that Vienna and larger cities are more expensive than average, though housing still needs early planning.

Tuition and fees

Some third-country students with a status equal to EU/EEA citizens can also be exempt, so check the page if you hold another residence title. For a full Austrian budget, read cost of studying in Austria.

English-taught programs

All bachelor's programs at Innsbruck are taught in German (some are German/English mixes). At master's level, our fact pack lists 21 fully English-taught programs, all two years:

• Business and economics: Banking and Finance, International Management, Marketing and Branding, Strategic Management and Innovation, Organization Studies, Information Systems, Experimental and Empirical Economics
• Computing and maths: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics
• Natural sciences: Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Meteorology and Climate Physics (joint with Trento), Physics, Chemistry, Functional Materials Science, Biomedical Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences – Drug Development and Regulatory Affairs
• Society and humanities: Peace and Conflict Studies, Media, Society and Communication, Digital Society, Social Innovation and Global Citizenship, Philosophy of Religion

English doctoral programs include Atmospheric Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics and the PhD Program Economics and Statistics. See all universities in our English-taught programs in Austria guide.

Admission requirements

• Master's: a relevant bachelor's or equivalent; no minimum grade stated. Requirements vary by program curriculum.
• English B2 at application: TOEFL iBT 87 (4.5 on the 2026 scale), IELTS 6.5, Cambridge First, PTE Academic 62, or a degree of at least two years taught fully in English in the EU/EEA, Switzerland, UK, US, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Tests may be at most two years old. MA English and American Studies needs C1.
• Documents: bachelor's certificate and transcript or Diploma Supplement (legalised), sworn translation if not in German or English, English certificate, photo, ID and a tabular CV.
• Admission procedures: Peace and Conflict Studies (online test if more than 30 applicants), Digital Society (test), Pharmaceutical Sciences (run with the Medical University of Innsbruck); Environmental Meteorology selection runs via the University of Trento.
• Doctorate: relevant master's, the same English B2 proofs, and sometimes a dissertation concept. For Economics and Statistics, contact a supervisor first.

For how these rules compare across Austria, see Austria university admission requirements.

Deadlines

Applying from Afghanistan

Innsbruck's information for third countries is explicit. Admission to a master's on the basis of a bachelor's completed in Afghanistan is not possible; the exception is a 4-year bachelor's plus a 2-year master's from Afghanistan, which is reviewed individually. For bachelor's, an Afghan school-leaving certificate alone does not give access; after two additional years of university study your application is reviewed individually, and all bachelor's programs are German-taught.

If you are eligible, the good news is the automatic tuition exemption. For document legalisation, note that the Austrian Embassy in Islamabad cannot legalise Afghan documents since 1 January 2013, so confirm with the admission office how they accept your certificates. See our documents and legalisation guide.

Living costs and the residence permit

OeAD estimates average student living costs at about €1,300 per month. For the Residence Permit – Student in 2026 you must show €722.58 per month if under 24 or €1,308.39 per month from 24, for 12 months in advance, plus extra funds if rent exceeds €386.43 per month. Universities do not allocate rooms. The full process is in our Austria student visa guide.

Honest pros and cons

How to apply step by step

1. 1

   Pick your master's and check its curriculum

   Use the program finder and confirm whether there is an admission procedure.

2. 2

   Read the third-country rules

   See information on third countries for your country of education.

3. 3

   Prepare English proof and documents

   Your B2 certificate must be ready at application, with legalised and translated degree documents.

4. 4

   Apply in LFU:online

   Submit through the online application inside the non-EEA window.

5. 5

   Apply for your residence permit

   Take your admission letter to the Austrian embassy responsible for your country; processing can take up to 90 days.

6. 6

   Enrol in Innsbruck

   Register your address within 3 working days of arrival and enrol in person within the admission period.