Germany is very popular with international exchange students –thanks to its renowned higher education institutions, wide range of study opportunities and funding organisations, such as the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst – DAAD). Here you will find valuable tips covering many aspects of studies at a German higher education institution or university, prerequisites, financing and scholarships as well as important points of contact for a study stay in Germany.
1. Why study in Germany?
Germany offers top class higher education institutions and a broad spectrum of study programmes. Over 400 higher education institutions and more than 22,000 study programmes mean that it’s easy to find a suitable offering. Students moreover benefit from a high academic standard, internationally recognised degrees or diplomas and often low or non-existent tuition fees at state universities.
2. Prerequisites for studying in Germany
Those interested need to meet certain prerequisites to be able to study in Germany. These depend on the higher education institution or the study programme. The required prerequisites are generally as follows:
Studying in Germany: What international students should know
4. Study programmes and higher education institutions
Germany offers a wide variety of study programmes in different disciplines. Anyone who has already loosely decided on a discipline can research the study programmes that are available in this domain. A comprehensive overview in German and English is provided by the DAAD. The DAAD is the world’s largest funding organisation dealing with international exchange among students and those working in .
The DAAD website also contains information regarding internationally aligned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes; Germany now offers more than 2,200 of these. Most of the classes in these programmes take place in English. A concise database of the study programmes in Germany is also available via the bilingual website ‘Study in Germany’, which is operated by the DAAD.
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5. Academic degrees in Germany: bachelor’s, master's, PhD, diploma
Most study programmes in Germany conclude with a bachelor’s or master's degree. Special subjects like medicine or law conclude with the state examination. Students therefore receive a state degree certificate, in other words the state determines the exam regulation. Most students ended up with an advanced degree (Magister) or a diploma before bachelor’s and master’s degrees were introduced in Germany.
There are even still a few study programmes that use these certificates. Studying for a requires a recognised university degree. It must usually correspond to a master's degree or Magister, diploma or state exam.
The German and English language web portals ‘Hochschulkompass’ and ‘Study in Germany’ provide clear and concise information on degrees in Germany. The ‘Research in Germany’ website explains all you need to know concerning PhD opportunities. The DAAD’s ‘PhDGermany’ database lists doctoral positions for international students.
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6. Selecting the higher education institution: types of higher education institution and tuition fees
Many higher education institutions and universities in Germany have specialised in specific disciplines. They then refer to themselves as medical, teacher training or technical higher education institutions. There are generally three different types of higher education institution:
- Universities: academically oriented studies
- Universities of applied sciences: practically oriented studies
- Art, film and music academies: artistic education
Most higher education institutions and universities are financed by the German state. Most of them therefore don’t charge any tuition fees other than a semester contribution. Subsequent master’s and PhD programmes can however charge tuition fees. In addition there are theological higher education institutions that are financed by the Catholic and Protestant churches. It is also possible to study at one of altogether some 120 private higher education institutions. Some of them charge very high tuition fees.
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7. Costs of studying in Germany
Studying in Germany is not especially expensive in European comparison, because most state higher education institutions do not charge tuition fees. The costs of studies in Germany are comprised of:
- Tuition fees: mostly just semester contributions
- Living costs: the costs of rent, food, clothing and communication vary depending on town or city and lifestyle
- Health insurance and other insurances, such as obligatory liability insurance
There’s always lots going on outside of higher education in cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt or Munich. They are at the same time usually more expensive as a study location, above all due to higher rental prices. The two most popular – halls of residence and shared accommodation – are less expensive than regular apartment rents.
Albeit places in halls of residence are limited and it’s sometimes difficult to be allocated one. The places are mostly allocated by local student services. An advantage of medium and larger towns and cities, conversely, is that there are lots of companies where you can get a part-time job or work placement.
Municipality websites contain information regarding the environment around the higher education institution. There’s therefore no simple answer to the question ‘Where’s the best place to study in Germany?’. The choice of study location is not only influenced by your own interest in study programmes, but also by financial leeway and preferences in terms of leisure time.
A dual study course is an option for combining higher education institution, practical experience and a fixed salary. The are now a large number of dual study programmes, some of which are offered in the domain of economics and business administration: business administration studies are often combined with commercial training, for example. There are though also dual study programmes in computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or in the social services sector. Similar to dual training, students sign a contract with an employer.
International students can also finance their studies by means of a scholarship: the DAAD has a scholarship database that lists more than 180 programmes for international students; in addition to DAAD scholarships, there are also scholarships offered by other funding organisations. You will also find comprehensive information there regarding the underlying conditions for a scholarship in Germany.
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8. Studying in English within Germany
Some German higher education institutions offer study programmes in English. Albeit for most study programmes at German higher education institutions the language of instruction is German. International students must therefore substantiate their German language skills to be admitted for studies.
There are however exceptions:
- 2,270 international study programmes
- Postgraduate programmes without German as a prerequisite
- Some higher education institutions do not require substantiation of German skills if the study stay is only planned for one or two semesters
There are also various school leaving certificates given for which German tests are dropped, such as a school leaving certificate from a German-speaking school or the .
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9. Excellence strategy and higher education rankings
Germany has made a name for itself as an outstanding study location due to initiatives like the . Those who are interested can find the best higher education institutions and programmes in rankings such as the CHE University Ranking, produced by the Centre for Higher Education (CHE). It helps with finding a suitable university based on assessments by 120,000 students and 3,000 .
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10. In person advice on studying in Germany
Various points of contact are available to provide in person advice:
- DAAD: represented by global regional offices and information centres, the DAAD provides information about studying in Germany
- Goethe-Institutes: convey culture, language and information concerning Germany
- German embassies and consulates
- Akademisches Auslandsamt (International Office) of the respective higher education institution
- International higher education fairs
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