Law, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Computer Science, Psychology
The University of Vienna was founded on 12 March 1365 by Duke Rudolf IV, which explains its Latin name, Alma Mater Rudolphina. It is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and the third oldest in Central Europe, after Charles University in Prague and the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The pope gave assent to its theology faculty in 1384, and the first university building opened in 1385. In the middle of the fifteenth century it had more than 6,000 students.
Emperor Ferdinand I brought in the Jesuits in 1551, and Maria Theresa placed the university under state control in the middle of the eighteenth century. Women were admitted as full students in 1897, and Elise Richter became the first woman to habilitate, in 1907. The medical faculty became the independent Medical University of Vienna in 2004.
The university has no single campus. Its facilities are spread over more than 60 locations in Vienna and in other federal states. The Main Building on the Ringstrasse, built between 1877 and 1884 by Heinrich von Ferstel, is its administrative and symbolic centre. The Campus of the University of Vienna opened in 1998 in the former general hospital, and further sites include the Max Perutz Labs, the University Centre Althanstrasse and the Biology Building.
In 2024 and 2025 it enrolled 85,243 students, and it employed 10,887 people, of whom 7,640 were academic and 3,043 administrative. The budget was 848.1 million euros. It offers 185 degree programmes in 15 faculties and five centres, including Catholic Theology, Law, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Psychology, and Philosophy and Education. In that year it awarded 4,106 first degrees, 1,841 master’s degrees and 242 doctorates.
The library dates from 1365 and is the oldest university library in the German-speaking world. It comprises the Main Library and 33 departmental libraries, and it holds about 7.8 million volumes. Nobel laureates linked to the university include Erwin Schrödinger, Karl Landsteiner, Max Perutz, Konrad Lorenz, Friedrich Hayek, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Anton Zeilinger. Sigmund Freud, Karl Popper, Kurt Gödel and Lise Meitner are among the scholars associated with it. Tuition for most students from the European Union is low. Check the current tariff. Teaching is mainly in German.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Finance, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology and Genetics, Physics, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Max Perutz Labs, the Campus of the University of Vienna in the former general hospital, and collaborations with institutions across Europe and worldwide.
Research:
Physics and quantum science, chemistry, life sciences, mathematics, computer science, psychology, philosophy and education, humanities, social sciences and law.
Famous Alumnis:
Sigmund Freud, Erwin Schrödinger, Karl Popper, Friedrich Hayek, Kurt Gödel, Lise Meitner, Theodor Herzl
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10887
Current students***:
85243
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Oldest university in the German-speaking world, central location in Vienna, 185 degree programmes, very large library system, many Nobel laureates.
Cons
Very large and anonymous, facilities spread over more than 60 locations, courses largely taught in German.
Best For
Students seeking a very large and historic comprehensive university in the centre of Vienna, with a wide choice of degrees.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
University of Innsbruck sits close to this university on chemistry, statistics and physics; it is far smaller, with about 28,106 students against roughly 85,243 here, and is also a public institution.
Both schools build their programmes around chemistry, physics and mathematics, and TU Wien is the one to compare first within the country, since it is far smaller, with about 26,654 students against roughly 85,243 here, and is also a public institution.
Think of Medical University of Graz when microbiology and genetics and life sciences is the priority: it is far smaller, with about 5,110 students against roughly 85,243 here, and is also a public institution.
Medical University of Innsbruck shares the core fields of this institution, namely microbiology and genetics and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In Spain, University of Valencia teaches much the same core subjects, finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers engineering as well.
For a study option in Italy with a comparable spread of finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, University of Turin is the reference point: it covers agriculture as well, and has almost the same size, at about 81,200 students.
Complutense University of Madrid, in Spain, takes a similar route through finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Germany) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry; it is smaller, enrolling about 36,569 students against roughly 85,243 here, and is also a public institution.
If this institution is on your list for microbiology and genetics, chemistry and statistics, Université Paris Cité in France deserves a comparison, because it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Vienna?
In central Vienna, with its Main Building on the Ringstrasse, and further sites across the city and Austria.
When was it founded?
On 12 March 1365, by Duke Rudolf IV.
Why is it called Alma Mater Rudolphina?
After its founder, Duke Rudolf IV.
When were women admitted?
As full students in 1897.
How many students does it have?
85,243 in 2024 and 2025.
How many staff does it have?
10,887, including 7,640 academic staff.
How many degree programmes are there?
185.
How large is its library?
About 7.8 million volumes, in the Main Library and 33 departmental libraries.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Among others Erwin Schrödinger, Karl Landsteiner, Max Perutz, Konrad Lorenz, Friedrich Hayek, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Anton Zeilinger.
What does it cost?
Tuition for most students from the European Union is low. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Chemistry, Innovation, Physics, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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