Last year saw the last of Germany’s 16 states abolish tuition fees for undergraduate students at all public German universities. This means that now, both domestic and international undergraduate students at public universities in Germany are able to study in Germany for free, with just a small fee to cover administration and other costs per semester.
These low charges certainly help to make studying in Germany an attractive option for prospective students, with recent higher education data showing it to be the fourth most popular country for international students in the world (after the US, UK and Australia). German universities now also hold some of the lowest education costs in the world, based on countries providing internationally reputed higher education systems.
Based on official figures from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), the average cost of studying in Germany is just US$10,520 (€9,170) per year, breaking down to US$540 (€470) for school fees and US$9,980 (€8,700) for 12 months of living – covering food, transport, accommodation, entertainment, course materials and other necessities.
Bear in mind that these figures are averages, and the amount you pay will fluctuate depending on the length of your program, your level of study, the German state (Länder) you live in and whether your university is private or public. Read on for more precise figures about the costs of studying in Germany for international students.
Cost of living in Germany
While many students are able to study in Germany for free, living expenses are unavoidable. The cost of living in Germany is more expensive in some areas than others (big cities such as Munich as well as cities across western Germany tend to be more expensive), with costs ranging from €350 to €1,000 (~US$482 to US$1,377) per month. Rent will be your largest monthly expense, but is cheaper if you live in a shared flat (average rent of €298/US$340 per month) or a student hall of residence (€240/US$275 per month).
Based on data from the DAAD, other average monthly costs are as follows: €165 (~US$190) for food; €52 (US$60) for clothes; €82 (US$95) for transport; €33 (US$38) for telephone, internet and TV license; €30 (US$35) for work/study materials, and €68 (US$80) for leisure activities.
You won’t need a visa to study in Germany if you’re an EU national or a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Otherwise expect to pay around €60 (US$70) for your student visa, but there are also fee reductions or waivers for Schengen visas. In order to fulfill the visa requirements, you will need to show proof that you have, or have access to, around €8,040 per year (US$9,230) or €670 (US$770) per month to cover your living costs.
For more information on getting a German student visa, see this article.
You will also need health insurance as a pre-condition of registering at a German university. If you’re a resident of a country within the EU or EEA, there should be a social security agreement between your country and Germany. This means that if you have public health insurance, you should be covered in Germany as well (full list here). If your health insurance is not valid in Germany, expect to pay between €80 (US$90) and €160
Undergraduate costs to study in Germany
Although you can study in Germany for free at public institutions as an undergraduate, there is a charge per semester for enrolment, confirmation and administration – usually between €150 and €250 (US$170-280) depending on the university. There may be an additional charge of around €100 for a “Semesterticket”, which covers public transport expenses for six months. If you exceed the standard period of study by more than four semesters, you may also face a long-term fee charge, which could be as much as €800 (US$920) per semester.
Most universities in Germany are public. Private institutions are usually primarily dependent on tuition fees for their funding (though some also receive support from foundations), and can charge up to €20,000 (US$22,850) per year. The University of Witten-Herdecke, for example, charges around €15,000 (US$17,150) for a degree, but offers flexible finance options, giving students the choice of whether to pay tuition fees from the start or pay a percentage based on income after graduation.
The Federal Student Financial Aid Program (BAföG: Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) is available for German nationals and EU students, and even for foreigners under select conditions. Generally this aid is for those under 30 years old, or under 35 for those studying for a master’s degree. But exceptions can be made depending on circumstance. BAföG offer grants to cover basic living and training costs and also provides an Education Loan program, giving students the opportunity to take out a low-interest loan.
Master’s and postgraduate costs to study in Germany
Master’s degrees at German universities are usually free if they are classed as “consecutive” – i.e. following directly on from a related bachelor’s degree gained in Germany. Again, there is a small charge per semester for enrolment, confirmation and administration, plus a Semesterticket. However, a “non-consecutive” master’s degree, for those who have gained their bachelor’s degree elsewhere in the world, can cost more than €10,000 (US$11,450) per semester, and private German universities can charge up to €30,000 (US$34,300) per year for a master’s degree.
For example, Germany’s top-ranked institution, the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, lists fees for non-consecutive master’s degrees ranging from €2,050 (US$2,350) per semester for a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering up to €6,000 (US$6,870) per semester for a Master of Science in Health Economics.
At PhD level, tuition is once again free at all universities in Germany – for the first six semesters at least. As at all levels of study, PhD students are also required to make a semester contribution of between €150 (US$170) and €200 (US$230) for administration and other costs.
Scholarships to study in Germany
The German Academic Exchange Service, otherwise known as the DAAD (DeutscherAkademischerAustauschDienst), provides support for German and international students to gain funding to live and study in Germany for free or at a more affordable cost. DAAD scholarships to study in Germany are offered to German and international students of all levels, as well as academics and researchers. To find relevant scholarships to study in Germany, you can search based on keywords, study level, country of origin and subject.
Another useful resource comes from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research or BMBF (BundesministeriumfürBildung und Forschung), which hosts a site dedicated to providing information on scholarships to study in Germany.
You can also check out our own listing of Scholarships to Study in Germany.
Got another question about studying in Germany? We’ve probably already answered it here! If not, please let us know by adding a comment below.
http://www.topuniversities.com/
Ramin Sarajari’s comments
I strongly recommend considering Germany for your education and perhaps your living if you are not so attached to your own country. Reason is that most people have a strong connection to their culture and most try to find that culture within EU but that is not the right attitude if you decide to move to Germany for example. People all over the word have their own custom and we all must accept that and do not try to enforce our culture to the host country.
Germany, the largest economy in the European Union and third in the world, is home to some of the most renowned researchers of the history, like Albert Einstein, Max Planck or Alexander von Humboldt, just to mention a few of them. Germany is also a highly popular educational destination among students from other states of the European Union as well as from outside Europe. In 2009, over 250000 international students chose to study in Germany. That’s above 10% of all the student population atGerman higher education institutions!
Germany offers attractive residence permits which will enable you to accept a job which befits you. You can obtain residents permit in general in two steps:
Step 1 – Residence permit while looking for a job:
- You can apply for an 18-month residence permit from your local foreign nationals’ registration office to look for a job that corresponds to your qualifications.
- During these 18 months, you may take up any kind of employment to support yourself and fund your job search.
- If you already found a job that corresponds to your qualifications before graduating, you can jump this step. You can apply for your residence permit as soon as you have passed your final exam. To do so, you usually need:
- Your passport
- Your university degree: As issuing university diplomas can take some time, an official document from your university stating that you have successfully completed your studies will also suffice. The examination office of your department or faculty will issue this “Nachweis”. The document must bear an official stamp.
- A document proving that you have health insurance: Contact your health insurance fund and ask them to issue a health insurance certificate for you.
- Proof that you have a means of supporting yourself (for example a bank statement or a document stating that you have been awarded a grant). If you are not able to proof your ability to secure your livelihood, a letter of Guarantee might be an alternative solution. The guarantee covers all living costs that incur during your stay in Germany. The contracting person must be solvent and creditworthy.It is recommended that you ask your local foreign residents’ registration office which documents you need to bring with you before submitting your application. Some local offices provide information about this on the Internet too.
If you have already returned to your country of origin after completing your studies:
- In that case, you are entitled to a six-month visa to be able to look for a job that corresponds to your qualifications in Germany. The condition is that you have a university degree and are able to support yourself while you stay in Germany. Keep in mind that the visa entitling you to hunt for jobs does not entitle you to work. Once you find a suitable post, you can immediately apply for the appropriate residence permit while, of course, remaining in Germany. You can apply for the visa to the German mission abroad in your country. They will tell you exactly which conditions you have to fulfill to be able to apply.
- Step 2 – Residence permit for taking up employment:
As soon as you have a job offer which corresponds to your qualifications, you can choose whether you want to apply for a German residence permit or an EU Blue Card for the next part of your stay. Various conditions are attached to both these residence permits. Depending on what you are planning to do in the future, either the German residence permit or the EU Blue Card can be advantageous for you.
- If you intend subsequently to live and work in another EU state, the EU Blue Cardmay be more advantageous for you than the German residence permit
- Even if you just get a job offer for a part-time employment , a residence permit can be granted to you. It is important that the expected salary secures all means of subsistence. The decision depends entirely on the local immigration authority.
- The German residence permit or EU Blue Card allowing you to take up employment is issued for a limited period first of all. If you continue to be employed and wish to have your permit extended, you will be able to do this without any problem. As early as two years after receiving your German or EU Blue Card residence permit, you can apply for a permanent residence permit – that is, a residence permit without a time limit. Again, the condition is that you still have employment in Germany.
- If you have an EU Blue Card, you can usually stay abroad for up to twelve months without your Blue Card’s becoming invalid. If you have a German residence permit, you can usually stay abroad for up to six months without your permit’s becoming invalid.
I hope this information can help you and good luck with your career endeavors.