The Pope Benedict XVI Philosophical-Theological University, colloquially referred to as Hochschule Heiligenkreuz, is a private, Roman Catholic pontifical university located in Heiligenkreuz, Austria. Founded in 1802 by the Cistercian monks of Heiligenkreuz Abbey as a seminary, for much of the 19th century, the college remained very small, with less than 20 seminarians and several Cistercian instructors. During the late 19th century and 20th-century, the college’s profile grew, and more students arrived, made up of Cistercians, as well as diocesan and religious seminarians. In 1978, it earned university status, and Pope Benedict XVI named it a pontifical university upon his visit in 2007.

The university’s campus is located in a group of buildings located at Heiligenkruez Abbey, sharing space with the monastery and a seminary. As of 2016, the university enrolled 295 students, including 43 Cistercians, 40 from other religious institutes, and 75 diocesan seminarians, the rest being lay men and women. It is the only university administered by the Cistercian Order, and the only theological college in Austria, and the largest educational institution for priests and religious in the German-speaking world.