History
The first private universities in Austria were established in 2000 and 2001. The 1999 Federal Act on the Accreditation of Private Higher Education Institutions diversified the higher education sector and laid the legal foundations for universities organised under private law.
The sector has grown dynamically since the turn of the millennium. In 2020, the number of students at private universities exceeded that at teacher training colleges for the first time. The new Private Higher Education Act (PrivHG) replaced the old law and introduced the term “private higher education institution” to the sector. Every private university requires initial and re-accreditation by the independent, state-owned Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (AQ Austria), which ensures the quality of research and teaching.
Characteristics
The term ‘private university’ is misleading in that it refers not to private funding but to an organisation governed by private law. Federal funding of private universities is prohibited, study contracts are based on private law, and their staff and researchers are employed on a private-sector basis.
Within the sector universities have differing forms of legal organisation; there are both profit-oriented and non-profit-making bodies. Today, the sector complements the Austrian higher education sector with 17 universities and 2 colleges, and contributes significantly to its diversification. It offers market- and demand-oriented education in innovative fields. The continuous internal and external evaluation of teaching and research by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) ensures highest-level education that meets international standards. This opens up a wide range of opportunities for graduates on the (international) labour market.
Figures
The private university sector accounts for around 29% of medical training places in Austria and covers 27% of training in the arts, music and performing arts. Three private universities teach exclusively in English (Webster, Modul, CEU).
With around 21,000 students, this higher education sector has a market share of 5%. Universities organised under private law make a significant contribution to Austria’s education exports: at 51%, the proportion of international students is higher than at universities of applied sciences and public universities. Furthermore, the number of students enrolled at private universities has risen by 50% in recent years.
Since private universities have had access to the federal government’s competitive research funding programmes, their researchers have also achieved several notable successes. Furthermore, as early as 2014, the inclusion of students at private universities in the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH), as well as the admission of private universities to the FWF Delegates’ Assembly (2015) and the NQR Steering Group (2016), further important steps were taken towards the development of the private higher education sector in Austria.