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Both schools are publicly funded Austrian academic secondary schools. GIBS offers extensive English-medium teaching and an IB Diploma option alongside the Austrian curriculum. Akademisches Gymnasium’s Project English Plus adds English in selected subjects, within a predominantly German-language school.
Graz International Bilingual School, or GIBS, teaches ages roughly 10–18 at Georgigasse 85. English is its principal teaching and communication language, with German integral to the curriculum. It is the stronger comparison for a child continuing English-medium education who will also develop German.
Akademisches Gymnasium Graz, at Bürgergasse 15, offers Project English Plus, known as PEP, in the lower secondary years. English is used in some other subjects and projects, increasingly across Years 1–4. This is additional English exposure within a German-language academic school, not an English-medium international programme.
A child comfortable studying in German may find PEP a good way to strengthen English without changing education systems. A child with little German needs a specific support plan at either school. GIBS provides German-as-an-additional-language courses, but that support does not remove the need to engage with German and the Austrian curriculum.
Both schools lead towards the Austrian Matura, the school-leaving qualification used for university entry. GIBS also offers the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Grades 11–12. PEP is a teaching approach, not an IB programme or a separate diploma.
GIBS’s international IB admissions rules require residence and physical presence in Styria for both the student and a parent or legal guardian. The school considers availability and fluency in English or German. This is not an overseas boarding route.
Applicants are assessed in mathematics, English and, where applicable, German. The non-refundable assessment charge is €50. Even international pupils with a special assessment status must attend the additional Austrian subjects beyond their six IB subjects. Ask which national certificates the child can receive as well as whether the IB is available.
GIBS runs an early first-year process. Its published 2026–27 window was 1–20 December 2025, followed by interviews in January 2026. That cycle has closed. Do not wait for the usual later Austrian registration period without checking the next GIBS notice.
Akademisches Gymnasium’s 2026–27 first-year window was 23 February–6 March 2026. Consult its current admissions page for the next cycle. For either school, a later-year transfer depends on vacancies, school reports and the appropriate assessment. Ask about PEP placement specifically rather than assuming every class has that provision.
GIBS is a state school and does not charge tuition. However, its foundation page still quotes a €450 annual membership contribution per child for 2024–25, with a voluntary higher payment of €650. Those are dated figures, not a verified 2026–27 total.
The IB admissions page also requires later entrants to pay a lump sum equivalent to earlier annual contributions. IB examinations, mentoring and textbooks create further costs. Request a written first-year calculation for the proposed entry grade. Do not treat a public-school place as a promise of no upfront expenditure.
Akademisches Gymnasium is also publicly funded. Ask about materials, excursions and care rather than comparing it with a private-school tuition table.
Test the journey to Georgigasse or Bürgergasse from the proposed home. For a younger pupil, check afternoon care; for an older one, check subject continuity first. The Graz school list and Austria guide provide the wider options.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Akademisches Gymnasium Graz is a public, co-educational day school in the city centre. It follows the Austrian AHS route to the Matura. PEP English Plus adds English to selected lower-school subjects, but it is neither an IB programme nor a fully bilingual pathway.
GrazGIBS is a public Austrian Gymnasium for pupils aged about 10–18. English is central to teaching, but German and the Austrian curriculum remain important. Entry after the first year depends heavily on space, prior learning and residence in Styria.
ViennaAMADEUS combines English-medium International Baccalaureate programmes with a music and arts academy in Vienna’s 18th district. Day pupils can start at age 3; boarding is for ages 11–18. Budget for entry fees and a security deposit as well as annual tuition.
ViennaAIS Vienna is an English-medium day school from age four through Grade 12. Every graduate earns its US High School Diploma, while eligible pupils may also pursue the IB Diploma. Entry depends on academic readiness, English level, support capacity and the school's priority order.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.