LISA Auhof: public English-medium secondary education in Linz

Linz International School Auhof (LISA) is an English-medium branch of the public Europagymnasium Auhof at Aubrunnerweg 4, 4040 Linz. It suits families seeking an Austrian secondary-school setting from about age ten, with the possibility of the Austrian Matura and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

The school is not an early-years international school. Compare Anton Bruckner International School if you also need provision before secondary age; its private-school structure and fees differ from LISA’s public-school association contributions.

Teaching and qualifications

Founded in 1992, LISA is one of three branches of Europagymnasium Auhof, near Johannes Kepler University. It reports about 450 pupils aged 10–18 and more than 30 languages represented. English is the main teaching language, with a bilingual approach in the first two years for pupils with limited English.

The school says most pupils also take the Austrian Reifeprüfung, commonly called the Matura, the national university-entry examination. Its IB programme began in 1997, with first graduates in 2000. LISA reports small IB groups and an average pass rate above 90%; those statements are not an independent comparison with other schools. School overview.

The two-year Academy Programme is for pupils whose German prevents them from completing the Austrian Matura. It requires the full IB Diploma, not individual subject certificates. Entry after the first IB year is not possible, and German as a foreign language is compulsory. Confirm whether the ordinary Matura/IB route or Academy fits the pupil before applying.

First-year entry: two application routes

Grade 5 means the fifth year of schooling, or the first Gymnasium year, normally at age 10–11. The school states that entry for 2026/27 is closed, with all places filled.

For applicants from Austrian primary schools, the published next registration schedule is:

• Registration at the Europagymnasium office: 22–25 February 2027, 08:00–14:00, and 26 February, 08:00–12:00.
• Language check: 26 February 2027.
• Parent-child interviews: 1–2 March 2027.

Bring the third-year annual report, fourth-year semester report, application form and copies of the Meldezettel, the residence-registration document. This route does not use OpenApply.

Applicants entering Grade 5 from a primary school abroad use OpenApply. The school describes a July process for a number of international places; confirm the applicable intake year and timetable rather than reading it as a reopening of the closed 2026/27 cohort.

Later entry and the application fee

International entry into Year 1 and later-year entry from Year 2 use OpenApply, with a €120 application fee. The later-entry instructions cover this route.

Grade 5 applications from an Austrian Volksschule, meaning primary school, or ABIS’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) do not use OpenApply and are free. That application-fee exemption does not remove the annual association contribution.

Association contributions for 2026/27

LISA is a public Gymnasium, but parents join its support association. The 2026/27 fee page distinguishes these costs:

Item	Amount and scope
Ordinary membership, Grades 5–12	€700 a year
Sibling membership	€600 a year
Academy, Grades 11–12	€2,800 a year, including IB examination fees of about €600
Ordinary-route IB examination fees	About €600 once in Grade 12, additional to membership
OpenApply service fee	€120, non-refundable

The Academy fee category covers international pupils and ABIS transfers taking the IB Diploma. Confirm the applicable category rather than adding ordinary and Academy membership together.

For a midyear arrival or departure, the started semester is charged in full. Excursions, language trips and exchanges cost extra. The published examination fee is approximate, so obtain the final amount for the relevant examination year.

Our view

Choose LISA if English-medium secondary education within an Austrian public Gymnasium suits the child, with a clear plan for Matura, IB or the Academy. The bilingual opening years and the Academy address different language situations; they are not interchangeable entry routes.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.