While many universities charge tuition, not all extend this policy to both national and international students. Germany is renowned for its perspective on education, prioritizing accessibility over commercialization. In 2014, all 16 German states eliminated tuition fees for public universities, making it an attractive study destination. As a result, Germany ranks as the fourth most popular study-abroad choice, trailing only the US, UK, and Australia. It’s worth noting that many universities in Germany do require fluency in the German language since their programs are not conducted in English.
This is not very realistic for most international students, as learning another language to an advanced level takes several years of intensive effort. Recently, however, it has become more well-known that there are in fact free English-taught programs available in Germany.
List of German Universities with No Tuition and English-Taught Programs
Here’s a compilation of tuition-free German universities offering English-taught programs:
- Technical University of München
- University of Bonn
- University of Hamburg
- TU Darmstadt
- FAU Erlangen Nürnberg
- University of Münster
- Hamburg University of Technology
- SRH University of Heidelberg
- University of Applied Sciences Würzburg Schweinfurt
- Leibniz Universität Hannover
It’s important to note that even though tuition is free, there are still other expenses to consider, such as accommodation, living costs, and travel expenses to reach the university. These expenses vary depending on your choice of location, budgeting for living costs, and your distance from Germany. When applying to these universities, keep in mind that they might require a bank statement as proof of funds to ensure you can afford to live in Germany.
Only public universities in Germany offer free tuition. Private universities are significantly more expensive and do not usually offer scholarships. However, this does not mean that your quality of education is low. It can be difficult to get into these universities as you are competing with a wide pool of candidates. You generally need to be an above-average student to be considered for one of these universities.
Also, note that many of these universities will still require an administrative fee of 150 to 300 euros each semester in order to be part of a student union, receive public transport tickets, and cover registration fees.
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