The Austrian capital is a center of education and the largest student hub in the German speaking region. It is home to numerous public and private universities and colleges that provide quality education to both Viennese people and foreign students numbering an estimated 150,000.
Here are five of the top universities in Vienna, some of which cater to specific courses.
University of Vienna – Founded in the year 1365 by Duke Rudolph IV, this public university is the oldest in the German speaking region. As of 2010, it accommodated more than 87,600 students. It has a total of 15 faculties and three centers offering various degree programs.
What makes this institution different from the others is that it does not have one joint campus. The university’s facilities are spread out in 60 sites around the city with the main historical building situated on RingstraBe.
Vienna University of Technology – Also known as TU Vienna, this educational institution situated on Karlsplatz 13 was established in 1815 originally as the Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute. It has an estimated 26,200 students in its eight faculties taking up various undergraduate and post graduate courses.
Medical University of Vienna – Originally established as University of Vienna’s Medical Faculty, the Medical University is considered one of the world’s largest and well known medical universities. MedUni Vienna, as it is also known, became an independent institution in 2004. It offers top quality research and education programs and has a museum that houses the medical-surgical academy. Situated in the Josephinum building, the museum features 1,192 anatomical and obstetrical models made from wax.
University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna – Established in 1817 by the Society for the Friends of Music, this is the largest educational institution of its kind with a student population of more than 3,000. In 1909, it assumed the name Imperial Academy of Music and the Performing Arts. It was in 1998 when it finally became a university.
The university consists of 24 institutes and organizes an estimated 10 competitions as well as a film festival every two years.
Vienna University of Economics and Business – This is the largest university in Europe that exclusively offers business and economics degree programs and considered one of the best business schools in the continent. Established in 1898, the institution’s main objective was to provide professional training to aspiring businessmen. Currently, it has more than 20,000 students.
