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Why Study in Germany?

Germany is a Western European country with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and North Sea beaches. It has over 2 millennia of history. Berlin, its capital, is home to art and nightlife scenes, the Brandenburg Gate and many sites relating to WWII. Munich is known for its Oktoberfest and beer halls, including the 16th-century Hofbräuhaus. Frankfurt, with its skyscrapers, houses the European Central Bank.

Reasons to Study in Germany as International Student

  • Free-tuition education in most universities (and very low fees in others).
  • World class education by highly qualified staff.
  • Hundreds of academic courses to choose from.
  • Interesting country to explore with a profound history.
  • Cultural diversity and students from all over the world.
  • Practice speaking both English and German.
  • Endless opportunities to work in Germany after you graduate.
  • You can study every subject in English, no need to speak German.
  • The cost of living in Germany is affordable, averaging around 720-850€ including rent, food, transport, health insurance, telephone/internet, study materials and leisure activities.
  • The chance to live and explore one of the world’s most developed countries and its unique culture, history and landscape

List of Universities in Germany:

1          Technical University of Berlin

2          Technical University of Munich

3          Ludwig Maximilians University Munich

4          RWTH Aachen University

5          University of Stuttgart

6          Free University of Berlin

7          Humboldt University of Berlin

8          University of Mannheim

9          University of Bayreuth

10        University of Hamburg

11        Heidelberg University – Germany

12        University of Cologne

13        Frankfurt School of Finance &Management

14        Braunschweig University of Technology

15        University of Kiel

16        GISMA Business School

17        Leipzig University

18        Hamburg University of Technology

19        Berlin School of Business & Innovation

20        SRH Hochschule Berlin

 

Tuition Fees & Study Costs in Germany

Public universities

As German universities are fully funded by the German government, meaning that neither home nor international students pay tuition fees. Students need only to pay a fee of around 60-200 EUR per semester for administrative, travel and food facilities. This has greatly increased Germany’s population as a destination for studying abroad – it is now the world’s third leading destination for international study.

Private universities

Private institutions do not receive subsidization from the government and are therefore dependent on tuition fees. These are not regulated by the government and can cost up to 20,000 EUR per year. This fluctuates depending on institution of study and chosen degree program – engineering or business degrees are usually higher in cost than social sciences, for instance.

Master’s programs

Master’s courses in Germany are either ‘consecutive’, meaning that they follow directly on from a related Bachelor’s degree, or ‘non-consecutive’, meaning that they are standalone courses in a more specialized area. Consecutive courses are usually free of charge in Germany for home, EU and international students. Non-consecutive Master’s courses can cost up to around 5000 EUR per year for public universities, and up to 30,000 EUR per year for private universities.

PhD programs

For the first six semesters of study, tuition fees do not apply for Doctorate programs at public universities. However, as with Master’s and Bachelor’s options, PhD students are required to make a contribution of no more than 300 EUR per semester.

Costs of living in Germany for international students

The cost of living in Germany is quite reasonable compared to other European countries. You will need around 853 euros a month to cover your living expenses in Germany as of 2020.

On average, to cover your living expenses in Germany you will need around 853 euros per month (around $957 US dollars) or 10,236 euros per year (around $11,484 US dollars).

The prices for food, accommodation, bills, clothes, and entertainment are basically in line with the EU average. Your monthly rent is your largest expense in Germany.

The steps of application process to study in Germany:

  1. Find a Study Program.
  2. Meet All Requirements.
  3. Learn The German Language.
  4. Find Financial Resources.
  5. Apply For Admission.
  6. Get Your German Student Visa.
  7. Find Accommodation.
  8. Enroll At Your University.
  9. Find a Study Program

We suggest you think about the study program at least 3 months before making a final decision. This period of time is enough to allow you to scan all German universities that offer courses related to your professional field.

Once you find those German universities, you can focus on a smaller list of universities that seem ideal for you. You can either decide to focus on just one university or apply to several that you like best to increase your chances of securing admission.

Finding a university and study program is very important because it determines everything.

  1. Meet All Requirements

Now that you have decided what university and what study program you want to attend you must check out all the requirements. For this purpose, you check the university website and their admission requirements section. If there are things you don’t understand never hesitate to contact the university directly.

Entry requirements are different depending on the university and the type of course you choose, so it’s recommended to read the requirements section multiple times.

Bad timing and missing documents are the most common issues that happen at this stage and both can lead to delayed admission or even rejected applications. To avoid such possibility you must prepare these documents early enough.

For example, sitting for a German language proficiency standardized test you need to take a language course for at least three months. If you start learning German from scratch it takes way longer than this.

Further legalizations of your documents may have a similar processing time until they’re issued to you. Taken any occasional delay originating from the nature of the process, you must start preparing your documents at least 4 months before applying for your place at the university.

  1. Learn the German Language

Your success at university highly depends on your skills in the German language, even if your program is in the English language. Having a solid-rock knowledge in the German language guarantees you will comprehend study materials, understand what is taught in lectures while being able to express your thoughts properly.

In Germany, most undergraduate courses are taught in the native language, whereas many study programs at higher academic levels are taught entirely or partially in the German language. Other than at university, you will often have to speak German with locals.

Learning German from scratch can be difficult, but if you start early, by the time you come to Germany you’ll be speaking German perfectly. We recommend starting at least 6 months ahead of the commencing of your course (or before the application if German language proficiency is a requirement) to gain a basic comprehension of the German language.

  1. Find Financial Resources

The next step is making sure you have the required financial means to live and study in Germany. Under the current law, every foreign non-EU or non-EEA student must have proper financial means to finance their stay in Germany during their studies.

An international student in Germany must possess a minimum of €10,236 which is estimated to be enough for a student to cover the cost of living for the first year of his studies. This amount of money needs to be deposited into a German blocked bank account.

To Highly Increase Your Chances of Getting Your Student Visa You Should Use a Blocked Account as Proof of Financial Resources.

A blocked account is a special type of bank account for international students in Germany, to prove you have enough funds to live in Germany for one year during your studies.

As of 2020, it is estimated that a foreign student in Germany will spend an average of €853 euros per month at a minimum. So, you need to have €10,236 in your bank account before applying for a German student visa.

  1. Apply For Admission

After double-checking your application documents, it’s time for you to submit the application. The application can be carried online, but there may be universities that receive only applications in person or by post.

Contact your university to see you which way you can submit your application. Most German universities are part of the national university online application platform known as UniAssist. In addition to this, there are universities that run their own online admission platform on their website.

Keep in mind that universities in German are a hub for international students and admission committees are heavily loaded with foreign applications. Going through all the applications takes time and you need to submit your application as soon as possible to take advantage.

You must submit your application once the call for application is opened and then wait for the admission letter.

Depending on what level of studies you’re pursuing in Germany, the application procedures vary slightly.

Here are our detailed guides on how to apply for university in Germany:

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree

PhD Degree

  1. Get Your German Student Visa

Here are the steps to apply for a German Student Visa:

  1. Locate The Closest German Embassy or Consulate. You can use Google to search for an embassy or a consulate near you, in your country (or another country close to you) to get more information about the requirements and setting up a visa appointment. All official German missions in other countries have an official website online, along with their physical address and contact information.
  2. Review The Requirements and Procedures. Once you find the German embassy website, you go to the student visa sections to review all the specific requirements for your country and the procedures to set up a visa appointment. Make sure you carefully review all the information provided (especially the documents you need to have) before you set up a visa appointment.
  3. Set Up A Visa Appointment. When you’re ready, you should set up a visa appointment by following the steps described on the official website of the German embassy in your country. In some countries, you should apply for your visa appointment a few weeks ahead of time as that particular embassy could have many visa applications and they could take a longer time to get to you. Timing is very important, sometimes all student visa interview slots can be taken, so make sure you act fast.
  4. Have The Entire Visa Application Documents Ready. Once you have you your visa appointment date confirmed, you should double-check all of your documents to make sure you have everything together. You can do this yourself and you don’t need to pay any outside consultants or agencies to apply for you.
  5. Prepare For Your Visa Interview. You should pay the visa application fee (€60.00 – €75.00) and have the payment confirmation with you at the time of your visa interview. This fee is non-refundable if your visa is rejected. You need to verify the exchange rate of your country’s currency and pay the exact amount. You should prepare yourself in advance for your interview.After the interview is done, you will get the official answer whether your visa has been approved or rejected.

 

  1. Find Accommodation

Now that you’re officially an admitted student in Germany and you have your student visa you must think of a place to stay in. Accommodation in Germany for international students is not that expensive, but is normal that as a foreign student, you should strive to find the most financially suitable place for you.

We recommend you give the deserved priority to this issue because it may cost you a lot of time which otherwise you would use to study. With that in mind, you can try to find an accommodation online before landing in Germany.

  1. Enroll At Your University

The final step to officially be given a place at the university of your choice is to enroll in the course at which you have been admitted. In this sense, the enrollment process takes you from a successful applicant to a registered student in Germany.

The public higher education in Germany is offered for free, but you will still have to pay a registration fee which ranges somewhat between €150 and €250. Additionally, you will have to pay for your Semester ticket to use public transportation free of charge for 6 months.

To enroll at your university course in Germany you need to personally appear at the administration office of your university and submit the following documents:

  • Your valid passport
  • A passport photo
  • Your Visa or Residence Permit
  • Completed and signed Application Form
  • Degree qualifications (original documents or certified copies)
  • The Letter of Admission
  • Proof of health insurance in Germany (You can get your health insurance here.)
  • The payment fee receipt

Following your enrollment in the university administration will issue you a registration document (ID card) which can later be used for residence permit application and attendance of your classes.

NB: You need to re-register each semester following the completion of the previous one and again you will have to cover the same registration costs.