International schools in Austria

Search for the best international schools in Austria; you can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page. Use the search filters to select only girls' or boys' schools, prep schools, senior schools or sixth forms; or you can search for schools that offer a particular curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate, the UK national curriculum, a US-style model or the International Primary Curriculum.

One of the world’s wealthiest countries by per capita GDP, Austria hosts a vibrant international school sector centred on its capital Vienna, while most other major cities have at least one school. 

There are 19 IB World Schools, which all teach in English. Of these, 18 are authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma, while all three stages of the IB curriculum are taught at Vienna International School (VIS) and the city’s AMADEUS and Danube international schools. The International School Carinthia, a state school near the border with Slovenia, also teaches all three IB programmes.

The secular VIS, which is close to the Vienna offices of the United Nations, serves 1,400 students of more than 100 nationalities, while the AMADEUS International School offers an innovative arts and music programme and optional boarding.

American International School of Vienna teaches the IB Diploma alongside an American curriculum, Advanced Placement courses and SAT preparation to 800 students from more than 60 countries.

Other options include a Christian foundation, a prestigious French lycée with more than 1,850 students and two publicly-run European schools with a focus on languages, which admit international students. Accrediting bodies active in Austria include the Council of International Schools and the Association of Christian Schools International. 

Education is compulsory and free from age six to 15. Public institutions teach in German and university is free to EU students who complete their studies on time. After four years at primary school, children attend middle school for a further four years, followed by five years at high school, culminating in the Matura matriculation exam.  

A very high proportion of young people go on to university – gross enrolment stood at 86.5 per cent in 2019 – but only 36.5 per cent of students graduated from their programmes. Gross enrolment rates were 103 per cent for pre-primary and primary levels and 100 per cent at secondary level in the same year.