Education
Education is an essential success factor for the social and economic future of a country. In Austria, the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research is responsible for the entire educational system, from early childhood education and primary schools to the Matura (higher education entrance examination), university colleges of teacher education and adult education. It aims to create the best possible environment for schools, universities and research institutions, and represents the interests of Austria as a location for science, research and business on the international stage.
The Republic of Austria enjoys a free and public school system, with nine of years of mandatory education. Schools offer a series of vocational-technical and University tracks that involve one to four additional years of education beyond the minimum mandatory level. The legal basis for primary and secondary education in Austria is the School Act of 1962.
In close association with academic and vocational schools, key areas of responsibility for the BMBWF include educational research; school quality development; school legislation issues; personnel matters at academic secondary schools, schools and colleges for intermediate and higher vocational education, and relating to administrative staff; employment and salary law; and school maintenance.
For key facts and figures about schools and adult education in Austria please see Education in Austria 2019.
For an overview about the education system please see The Austrian Education System.
For Further information please visit the website of the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research.
Current Trends in School Attendance
Increasing number of pupils As a consequence of the decline in births since the early 1990s, the total number of pupils has been decreasing for ten years. Due to the migration waves in 2015 and 2016 meanwhile increases are observed especially at elementary schools.
The lower level of Academic secondary schools (AHS) reached an all-time high regarding the number of pupils. Ten years ago, for every 100 AHS students there were 200 boys and girls in lower secondary schools, and nowadays it is still 170 (in lower secondary schools including new secondary schools). The upper level of Academic secondary schools cannot complain about dwindling enrollment, the number of pupils has increased by 5% to 92 549 in the ten year comparison.
In higher colleges for teacher training enrollment has increased by 30% over what it was ten years ago. On the other hand a 16% decline in the number of students has been documented for business administration colleges (HAK). The largest school in Austria is the HTL Mödling with 3,100 students, followed by the TGM Vienna-Wexstrasse with 2,800 and the H with 2 300 girls and boys.
Throughout Austria there are also 28 public “micro” schools – exclusively elementary and special schools – with less than ten students. Most of these schools are in the Tyrol.
387.800 University Level Students
387,800 students annually – about 106,000 of whom come from foreign countries – are enrolled at Austria’s universities and vocational universities. The majority studies at one of the 22 public universities, around 17% pursue studies at universities of applied sciences, 9% were enrolled at university colleges of teacher education and about 4% study at one of the 16 private universities.
The majority of the students at university colleges of teacher education are women (77%), as well at public universities (54%), universities of applied sciences (51%) and private universities (60%).
Most of the students at universities of applied sciences choose programmes in business and engineering. At the private universities, the focus is on medical science, arts and economics and social sciences. About 87% of the approximately 106,000 foreign university students are citizens of European countries. In the academic year 2019/20 69 855 graduations were reported. 58.6% of these were graduations from public universities.
There are around 387,800 university level students in Austria (2020/21)
Most of them study at the 22 public universities, the 16 private universities, the 21 universities of applied sciences and 14 university colleges of teacher education
Substantial Rise in the Level of Education
In 2020, 21.0% of the resident population of Austria aged 25 to 64 years held a degree from tertiary education, 65.5% secondary education and 13.5% had only completed the compulsory school requirements. The trend of the past decades shows a decline of the percentage of the population who only completed compulsory school as well as a continuous rise of persons with degrees from tertiary education. In 1971 the percentage of population with compulsory school requirements was 57.8% and 2.8% held a university degree. Large segments of the population have graduated from a secondary school the past years. The proportion of persons in the 25 to 64 year age group who graduated from an apprenticeship program with a final examination or earned an AHS, BMS, or BHS degree has risen to more than two thirds. In addition, the percentage of persons receiving a university or technical college or another equal degree rose strongly whereas persons graduating from compulsory education decreased by about three quarters.
Gender-specific differences in the level of education have become less, but have not disappeared entirely. In 2020, 15.4% of women had only completed compulsory school, as opposed to 11.5% of men. There was also a 7.7 point difference for secondary schools and a 17.5 point difference for vocational school for apprentices. In tertiary degree programs did women outnumber men in the 25 to 64 year age group under consideration (23.3% vs. 18.7%).
The differences in the percentages of apprenticeship or BMS degrees are strongly correlated with gender-specific employment patterns. Women are especially well represented in secondary business, commercial, and social work schools, whereas traditionally male-dominated professional qualifications are frequently obtained through apprenticeships with final examinations.