The Universities of Applied Sciences are considered to be modern and innovative according to an image analysis recently commissioned by the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria. 3,200 Austrians were interviewed online by the Institute for Empirical Social Research (IFES) about their opinions on educational institutions. The result shows that 69% of respondents had a (very) good impression of the Universities of Applied Sciences, followed by universities (65%; very good and good impression).
The interviewees at the Universities of Applied Sciences thought that the strict organisation of the study programmes, the support and service, the practical relevance and the close links to business and potential employers were particularly convincing.
Getting a degree quickly
76 percent of the students and graduates from Lower Austria believe that it is possible to complete a study programme at a University of Applied Sciences in a minimum amount of time, only 20 percent believe that this can also be achieved at a traditional university. The analysis also revealed that students at the University of Applied Sciences are significantly more satisfied than graduates of traditional universities, which, according to the respondents, is down to the practical relevance, technical equipment and supervision, among other things.
The results of the analysis are described in more detail in the IFES study by the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria (only available in German).