International students on the rise at Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, counting now 130 nations

Salzburg is one of the most attractive locations for international students in Austria, figures show. And the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg is particularly successful in integrating these students into university life. In the last academic year, 36% of PLUS' students came from other countries.

Photo © Elona Memisha Schnappinger, PLUS

In the 2022-2023 academic year, around 64% of students came from Austria, 26% from Europe and 11% from the rest of the world. The average proportion of international students at Austrian higher education institutions is already high - at around 25-27%, but at the PLUS it is more than 36% of the student body.

Stefan Lang, Vice Rector for International Affairs and Digitalisation at PLUS, emphasises that the university is very well positioned internationally, compared to many other regional higher education institutions:

Many of the degree programmes in Salzburg are offered in English, especially at Master's level: 14 of the 40 Master's degree programmes are taught exclusively in English, and this number is set to rise, as we aspire to be a globally attractive, European university", says the Vice Rector.

International students, ambassadors for Salzburg as a place to study

For Peter Mayr, Director of the International Relations Department at the PLUS, international students enrich the academic landscape with new perspectives, cultures and experiences. They promote intercultural exchange, which is so valuable for Austria:

Our international students are an important factor in the development of Salzburg as a centre of higher education and innovation. Many of these young people stay in Salzburg and are hugely prized by the Salzburg economy as the skilled workers of the future. They are the ambassadors for Salzburg as a place to study and the best advertisement a university could wish for on the international stage", Mayr states.

Through it's work with alumni, the PLUS takes strong initiatives to stay in contact with international students who return to their country of origin after their studies.

PLUS welcomes this September the CIVIS Days, an annual event that brings together the alliance's community to celebrate our achievements, present our outcomes and discuss our future.

Find out more about the international students at PLUS from the original story, in German.

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