Choosing an international or Austrian school in Vienna

Vienna does not have one default international school. The first decision is which educational system the child should enter and which qualification should remain available at 18.

This guide compares seven established options. It is a shortlist, not a complete directory of every public, private or bilingual school in Vienna.

The seven routes at a glance

School	Main route	Teaching language	Residence	Location
Vienna International School	IB PYP, MYP and Diploma; VIS diploma also available.	English, with German for every pupil.	Day only.	Donaustadt, 22nd district.
American International School Vienna	American curriculum, US diploma and optional IB Diploma.	English, with German provision.	Day only.	Döbling, 19th district.
Danube International School Vienna	IB PYP, MYP and Diploma.	English.	Day only.	Leopoldstadt, 2nd district.
AMADEUS International School Vienna	IB programmes with additional music and arts options.	English.	Day and boarding.	Währing, 18th district.
Lycée Français de Vienne	French national curriculum, Baccalauréat and Baccalauréat Français International.	Mainly French, with substantial German and English.	Day only.	Preschool in the 19th; other stages in the 9th.
Theresianum	Austrian AHS and Matura.	German, with a strong language programme.	Day and boarding.	Wieden, 4th district.
Schottengymnasium	Austrian AHS and Matura.	German, with several foreign languages as subjects.	Day only.	Innere Stadt, 1st district.

The routes are not interchangeable. Moving from an English-medium IB school into a German Austrian Gymnasium can require both stronger German and a compatible subject sequence. Moving late into the French system creates a similar language and curriculum question.

English-medium choices

Vienna International School, or VIS, offers the full IB sequence from age three through the Diploma Programme. Its admissions process is ongoing when places are available, but applicants enter priority groups. The school reviews English, previous records and disclosed support needs before confirming that it can offer an appropriate programme.

VIS teaches in English and requires every pupil to study German. Applicants to Grades 9–12 must show enough academic English to access the programme. This matters more than a general claim that a child “speaks English.”

American International School Vienna, or AIS, leads to a US high-school diploma, with the IB Diploma as an additional option. It is the clearest choice among these seven for a family that wants an American transcript and graduation route.

AIS requires the pupil and at least one parent or guardian to be legally resident in Austria throughout enrolment. Its High School accepts only proficient or native English speakers and does not provide English as an Additional Language there. The published target is advanced or C1 English.

Danube International School Vienna is another continuous IB day school. Its Leopoldstadt location can produce a very different journey from the two schools north of the Danube or near the Vienna Woods. Ask about grade availability before treating proximity as a deciding advantage.

AMADEUS is the English-medium option in this group that also offers boarding. The school is an IB World School and presents music and arts as additional strengths. A boarding applicant who needs an Austrian residence permit is advised to apply at least four months before the intended start.

For all four schools, confirm the precise entry grade, English threshold, current support capacity and qualification plan. “International” does not guarantee a place, intensive English support or the same diploma.

The French-system choice

The Lycée Français de Vienne is directly managed by the Agency for French Education Abroad, or AEFE. It serves pupils from age three and follows the French national system.

The final qualifications are the French Baccalauréat or Baccalauréat Français International. The school says eligible Austrian nationals may also sit the Austrian Matura, creating a possible dual-qualification route.

French is the main teaching language. German and English are important parts of the programme, but this is not an English-medium school. A family joining without French should ask which non-francophone support exists at the child’s age and how quickly full classroom participation is expected.

The preschool is at Grinzingerstraße in the 19th district. Primary, collège and lycée are at Liechtensteinstraße in the 9th. Siblings in different stages may therefore have two journeys.

German-medium Austrian Gymnasiums

Theresianum and Schottengymnasium both lead to the Austrian Matura. They are private Austrian schools, not international schools using German as one subject.

Theresianum offers day education with compulsory extended-day provision and also has boarding. It expects very good written and spoken German for admission. Its first-year process can begin with pre-registration in the second year of primary school.

For 2026–27, Theresianum publishes €912 per month for ten months for EU pupils in the day programme, including lunch and snack. The EU boarding rate is €1,455 per month for ten months. A €180 application charge also applies. Non-EU families should request their own written quotation.

Schottengymnasium is a Catholic day school with no boarding. Its first-year lists for 2026–27 and 2027–28 are already full, and the school keeps no waiting list. The general pre-registration process starts while the child is in Year 3 of primary school.

For 2026–27, Schottengymnasium charges €275 per month for ten months before optional care and meals. Its three-day after-school total conflicts with the components on the same page, so families should confirm the invoice amount.

These two schools are realistic comparisons only when a child can study in German and the family can meet the early application process. A lower fee does not solve a language or placement mismatch.

Admissions strategy

Start by asking every school the same four questions:

1. Is there a place in the exact year needed?
2. What language level must the pupil already have?
3. Which prior subjects and records determine placement?
4. Can the school support every disclosed learning, medical and wellbeing need?

VIS accepts applications during the school year when vacancies permit. Other international schools may also consider later entry, but availability and curriculum fit become tighter in examination years.

The Austrian Gymnasiums use much earlier processes for normal first-year entry. Later-year transfers are individual and depend on place, German, grades and subject compatibility. The French-system school also needs to evaluate language and continuity.

Do not pay an application charge merely to discover a known language barrier or closed cohort. Ask for a current availability answer first, then confirm which payments are refundable.

Cost comparison

Compare the first year in writing rather than comparing tuition headlines. Include:

• Application and admission charges.
• Tuition or school fees.
• Deposits and whether they are credited or refundable.
• Meals, transport and after-school care.
• English, German or individual learning support.
• Devices, examinations, trips, activities and boarding extras.
• Notice periods and fees due after withdrawal.

The four English-medium schools publish different fee structures and different included items. The Lycée uses its own French-system tuition and service charges. Theresianum and Schottengymnasium publish lower monthly headline amounts, but care, meals and residential status still change the total.

Employer funding can also change the applicable rate at some schools. Ask for a quotation based on the family’s nationality, employer contribution, entry grade, support and residence choices.

Location is an admissions issue too

The seven schools span the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 18th, 19th and 22nd districts. A reasonable journey to one can be impractical for another, especially with young siblings or different campus addresses.

Test the route at the actual morning arrival time. Include the walk, transfers, winter conditions and any school-bus stop. For boarding, ask where the pupil stays during weekends and holidays when residence provision closes.

A practical shortlist

Choose VIS or Danube when the priority is a continuous English-medium IB route. Compare their admissions priority, current space, support and commute.

Choose AIS when an American high-school diploma is important and the pupil meets its English threshold. Choose AMADEUS when an English-medium IB route must include boarding or a pronounced music and arts option.

Choose the Lycée Français for continuity with the French national system and its French leaving qualifications. Choose Theresianum or Schottengymnasium when the intended route is a German-medium Austrian Gymnasium and Matura.

No label settles the decision. Confirm the actual place, language threshold, support plan, total first-year cash requirement and leaving qualification before accepting.

See the Vienna school hub, the Austria guide, the language guide and the day or boarding guide for the next stage of comparison.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.