FH Upper Austria welcomes international students

Whether it’s climate change, social and personal security, or high‑quality healthcare—combined with excellent academic education, it is a broad mix of factors that, from the perspective of students from around the world, make Austria an attractive place to study. FH Upper Austria is benefiting from this more and more: In the 2024/25 academic year, 944 regular students—representing 17.3 percent of the total student population—came from abroad. The passports of students at the faculties in Hagenberg, Linz, Steyr, and Wels now represent 99 different nations.

Even though final enrollment numbers are only available a few weeks after the official start of the academic year in early October, FH Upper Austria is expecting a new record high in international student enrollment. What makes FH Upper Austria so successful in this regard?
“The strong practical orientation of our degree programs and the extremely close cooperation with industry create a continuous pathway from education directly into employment,” says FH‑Prof. Dr. Roman Froschauer, Dean of the Faculty in Wels. The faculty has been educating international students for years with the explicit goal of keeping them in the region afterward. According to Froschauer, the results clearly justify these efforts: “A large share of international students stay in the country after graduation and put their knowledge to productive use within the regional economy.”

Attracting international students—and connecting them with companies in the region—is becoming increasingly important for FH Upper Austria. Demographic trends play a role, but the primary driver is the growing demand from industry. University President Michael Rabl is therefore strengthening FH Upper Austria’s involvement in the ‘Upper Austrian University Dialogue’, a collaborative initiative between universities and universities of applied sciences in the region aimed at boosting the visibility and appeal of Upper Austria as a study destination.

Rabl also points to the results of a recent study showing that around 65 percent of the university’s international graduates currently remain in Austria, with the majority staying in Upper Austria.

The top three countries of origin within the EU are currently Germany, Romania, and Croatia; from outside the EU, the top three are India, Iran, and Bosnia‑Herzegovina.

Services and Support for International Students
Internally, FH Upper Austria is introducing a coordinated English‑language Bachelor’s program portfolio based on the “Ready4UpperAustria” model. The goal is to systematically prepare international students for a successful academic journey and for integration into Upper Austria’s labor market.

A Student Support Center is also in planning, offering services in academic organization, wellbeing & mental health, and career development.

Students receive support and key information even before arrival, including assistance with housing. Integration into student life is supported by a buddy system—pairing each international student with a local guide—as well as Welcome and Orientation Weeks. Additional seminar and course offerings focus on social and cultural skills, as well as German language learning. As students approach graduation, the FH Upper Austria Alumni Club also steps in to support their next steps.

15 Degree Programs Taught Entirely in English
FH Upper Austria currently offers 15 international Bachelor’s and Master’s programs across all four faculties, delivered entirely in English.
In addition to this, students from other countries who have strong German‑language skills can enroll in any degree program offered at FH Upper Austria, making them an equally important part of the student body.

Proactive outreach to future international students
Beyond offering attractive study programs, FH Upper Austria will continue to intensify its international communication and marketing efforts. Through targeted digital campaigns, participation in international education fairs, and collaborations with partner universities around the world, even more talented students are to be inspired to pursue a degree—and a career—in Upper Austria.

(AI assisted translation)