Studying in Germany explained for international students

Learn all about universities in Germany- top reasons to study here, education system, tuition fees, grading, teaching style, cost of living.

Shreya

6 minute read

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Updated on 13 Aug 2024

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Studying

It’s easy to see why so many international students are opting to study in Germany. Germany is one of the most affordable countries to study in Europe. The country also offers world-class educational and professional opportunities to several internationals every year.

As you begin to think about moving to Germany for higher education, we’ve created this helpful guide about studying in Germany to provide answers to your most common questions. You’ll learn all about the universities in Germany, including tuition fee’s, the grading system, lectures and seminars, and the student culture. So, let’s get started!

Germany is a fantastic place to study abroad. From Berlin to Stuttgart, you'll be living in some of the best cities in Germany and have access to world-class universities, vibrant student culture, historic and urban scenes, and work opportunities post graduation.

Here’re top reasons why you should study in Germany as an international student:

1. There’re numerous good German universities for international students that offer courses in English. All of them provide internationally recognised degrees and quality education. Explore some of the best German universities for international students in Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, and Stuttgart.

2. You'll have zero tuition costs in Germany at most public schools. Yes there're free universities in Germany for international students too! You'll only need to pay a small semester fee for admin.

3. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to find work in Germany after graduation or do internships in a variety of sectors.

4. As most Germans can speak English, language barrier won’t be an issue in Germany. At the same time, locals will certainly appreciate if you learn a few German phrases before moving to Germany.

5. You’ll have a legendary student life in Germany. On one hand Germany has a low cost of living for students. On the other hand, you can enjoy Germany's thriving nightlife scene or join one of the various student associations such as ESN, AEGEE, AIESEC who host introduction weeks and various events to help you settle in.

6. You can travel easily within or outside of Germany. You can opt for student train discounts to travel within Germany. Vienna makes for a good 3-4 day getaway, as does Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

The German higher education system is top notch. Students flock to Germany not only for the low tuitions costs but also for its long list of world-class universities.

If you intend to study in Germany, you’ll notice that Germany has a few different types of higher education institutions. The ones most relevant to international students are the universities, universities of applied sciences, and art & music colleges.

Universities tend to offer more courses. They have a theoretical approach and there’s a strong emphasis on self-learning and academic excellence.

Universities of applied sciences are more practical oriented; they focus more on vocational training and preparing you for the labour market. Often these courses also include a period of internships or work placements within Germany.

The art and music colleges are hyper-focused on teaching subjects such as fine arts, architecture, acting, dance, etc; you do need to know German to enrol in these courses and demonstrate your skills for acceptance.

At any of these universities, students can obtain an internationally recognised degree. A degree in Germany typically lasts:

• Bachelor’s Degree- 6 semesters
• Master’s Degree- 2-4 semesters
• PhD- 4-6 semesters

In order to benefit from free tuition, you should do a Master Degree in Germany immediately after your Bachelor degree and in the same field of study.

Study in English in Germany

There're quite a few universities in Germany with English programs. According to the German Academic Exchange Service, there are 1,824 university programs in Germany that are purely taught in English in 2024. Broken down, it means 223 Bachelor programs, 1,378 Master's programs, and 127 PhD courses. As you can see, most of the English taught courses are at the Masters level.

Keep in mind that if you'd like to do your studies (partially) in German, you'll be asked to supply a verified certificate showing you have B2 level proficiency in German.

Lectures and seminars

The German teaching system doesn't expect students to just listen and make notes. The universities in Germany take on several approaches to learning that'll prepare students to take on modern global challenges confidently.

• Lectures (Vorlesung)- Lectures form the basis of your theoretical knowledge as lecturers introduce key concepts to you for the first time. Group sizes can vary depending on your course and can range anywhere between 20 and 150 students. The professor will guide the presentation and then open up the floor to questions.

• Seminars- Seminars involve a smaller group of students, usually no more than 30. In this type of learning environment, the students typically lead the discussion and present their learnings through presentations or group work. The professor serves as a moderator.

• Training class (Übung)- In this teaching method, students will participate in a hands-on process where they learn through carrying out practical tasks or completing group projects. They’ll be divided into smaller teams, which encourages the idea of thinking independently.

The grading system in Germany

In Germany, the grading levels are based on a five-point grading system. It’s good to know that in Germany, a lower score means outstanding performance and a higher score means unsatisfactory performance.

Some universities may translate this into a 15 point scale and give you a grade with decimals to be more specific.

Exams

It’s important to note that a lot of courses will have a final exam at the end of the semester, containing everything you would have learnt from each module. As most courses don’t have that many assignments, a large percentage of your grade will be dependent on the final exams. As there are about 3 months of classes, students who choose to study in Germany need a lot of self-discipline to keep up with their studies throughout the semester.

Listen to our interview with Bulgarian student Sonya to learn how EU students can enroll in a German university:

Studying abroad in Germany is ‘free of cost’ to both local and international students enrolled at a public university. You’ll only need to pay Semester fees (Semesterbeitrag) of €250 - €300 per semester that will provide you with a student public transport card and fund improvements of the sports fields, student union, etc.

There’re some exceptions when you do need to pay tuition fee.

• Your Master’s degree is vastly different from your Bachelor’s degree
• Your Master’s degree is not directly after your Bachelor’s degree
• If you do not finish your studies in time
• If you study in certain federal states, such as Baden- Württemberg
• You study at a private Germany university
• You study at a university of applied sciences

On average, studying at a private university typically costs €20,000/year for a Bachelor’s degree and €40,000/year for a Master’s degree. The upside to studying at private universities in Germany is that they offer most courses in English compared to the free state universities.

All international students need to prove they’ve €11,208 in a bank account to cover their costs during their first year in Germany. This roughly amounts to €934 per month.

The average living expenses for students in Germany is €1,226. This covers the cost of rent, food, leisure, public transport, and mandatory health insurance.

The exact cost will depend on the city you live in as rent prices can vary a lot and are the biggest expense. For instance, you can find cheap student accommodation in Berlin for €749, but a similar accommodation in Frankfurt can cost €850 per month. In general, opting for student accommodation in Germany is a good choice as living in shared flats (WG) or student dorms is the cheapest and most social option.

How to save as a student in Germany

Overall, the cost of living for students in Germany is not high compared to other countries. But there’re still ways to reduce your costs.

All students can work part time next to their studies. International students specifically can work for a maximum of 20 hours a week and work 140 full days or 280 half days in a year. This means that as a student in Germany, you could earn up to €538 a month without any tax obligations.

There’re also several German scholarships for international students for local and international students.

Now that you know what to expect when you study abroad in Germany, find out how to arrange for your German Student Visa and have a look at the moving to Germany checklist to prepare for your next new adventure!

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