Free Tuition Universities in Germany

TUITION FREE UNIVERSITIES IN GERMANY

In Germany, the 16 federal states operate and finance public universities. All public universities in Germany are heavily subsidized. The German Constitutional Court ruled in 2005 that the law prohibiting tuition fees is not constitutional. The subsequent introduction of a nominal tuition fee in several states was accompanied by large opposition from students and is still hotly debated.

List of Universities in Germany for International Students that are Tuition-Free

•    Technical University of Munich

The Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) offers a wide range of studies in engineering, natural sciences, life and medical sciences and economics. TUM covers a wide spectrum of fundamental and applied research. The course program contains about 160 courses of study, 98% with bachelor and master degrees. TUM has drawn up double degree agreements with more than 20 universities and maintains partnerships with around 170 universities worldwide. Today TUM comprises thirteen faculties with about 37,000 students (about 20 percent of whom come from abroad), 475 professors and roughly 10,000 members of staff, academic and non-academic. 

No Tuition Fees: There are no tuition fees at TUM. Students need only pay semester fees in the amount of € 114.50 con­sisting of a Student Union Fee and a basic Semester­ticket for the public trans­portation net­work.

Scholarships: A variety of foundations offer grants to students at all levels of study and eligibility is not limited to students with outstanding marks.

Cost of Living: Living in Munich is relatively expensive. According to current calculations you will need some € 830 per month (inclusive of rent, but free time activities are not included) for living in the Bavarian capital Munich. However, when applying for your visa you will only need to present proof that you will have € 659 at per month at your disposal. Make sure that sufficient funds are available for the whole period of your studies, as you cannot count on scholarships and only are allowed work beside your studies under certain conditions.

•    Ludwig Maximilians University

Ludwig-Maxmilians-Universität (LMU) München is one of Europe’s leading research universities with over 500 years of tradition. It has been selected as a “university of excellence” within the Excellence Initiative, a competition launched by the German government to promote top-level university research. As a genuine “universitas” LMU Munich offers a broad spectrum of all areas of knowledge, ranging from the humanities and cultural sciences, law, economics and social studies, to medicine and the sciences. 

Tuition Fees: Students don’t have to pay tuition fees for most programs. There are tuition fees for summer programs and some English-taught Master programs, so you should check the individual course for details.

However, all students are required to pay a fee of €114,50 for student services (€52) and the basic “semester ticket” (€62,50). (You can also get a top-up card called IsarCard Semester 24/7 for €146.50 per semester that gives you unlimited travel.)

Scholarships: International students are eligible for limited scholarships and funding opportunities throughout the State of Bavaria and Germany.

Cost of Living: Here’s a basic outline of what you should budget for monthly living costs in Munich:

• Rooms in private housing including utilities: €350–€600

• Rooms in university housing: €300, or €370 including utilities

• Health insurance: €80

• Meals: €200–€250

• Mobile phone: €15–€30

• Public transportation: €33

•    Heidelberg University

Heidelberg University, founded in 1386, is Germany’s oldest university and one of the strongest research institutions in Europe. In terms of educating students and promoting promising early-career academics, Heidelberg relies on research-based teaching and an outstanding, well-structured doctoral training. Heidelberg University is a comprehensive university, offering the full spectrum of disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences and law alongside the natural and life sciences, including medicine. 

Tuition Fees: There are no general tuition fees at Heidelberg University for undergraduate study programmes, nor for consecutive master’s programmes or PhD programmes. Continuing-education master’s programmes may charge special tuition fees.

Scholarships: There are a few scholarships available through the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Aus-tauschdienst – DAAD) and other institutions for highly-qualified candidates.

Cost of Living: In order to cover their living expenses, students of Heidelberg University will require at least €670 per month.

•    Karlsruher Institute of Technology

•    Humboldt University of Berlin

The university was founded in Berlin in 1810, and the foundation concept of Wilhelm von Humboldt gave it the title “Mother of all modern universities”. The concept of the academic and statesman Wilhelm von Humboldt was influenced, among others, by the reform ideas of the philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte, the first vice chancellor of the university, and by the theologian and philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher. 

Tuition Fees: There are NO tuition fees at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin! Neither for German and EU students, nor for international students from other countries. However, the total amount of € 307.09 in the summer semester (€ 257.09 for exchange students) has to be paid.

Scholarships: HU awards a number of scholarships for international students through several organisations and philanthropic individuals

•    Freie Universitaet of Berlin

At Freie Universitaet, the basis for educating outstanding young academics and scientists lies in granting utmost freedom for the pursuit of ideas, combining personal liberty with strong individual support from academic advisors, and establishing a multitude of opportunities for disciplinary and interdisciplinary networking with young academics as well as seasoned scholars. The university thus encourages graduate students to pursue their studies with a high degree of autonomy and independence. At the same time, Freie Universitaet fosters individual supervision by faculty members from the respective departments and opportunities for regular peer reviews with other graduate students.

uition Fees: Except for some graduate or postgraduate programs, the Freie Universität Berlin does not charge tuition fees; students are merely responsible for paying certain fees and charges each semester.

Scholarships: The Freie Universität Berlin awards both undergraduate and graduate scholarships to international students.

Cost of Living: Your living costs mainly depend, of course, on your personal requirements and habits. You should count on spending a minimum of 600 to 700 Euro (rental fees, grocery, leisure time etc.). In order to obtain an entry visa or a residence permit for study purposes, you must prove that this monthly amount is at your disposal, independent of any job.

•    RWTH University:

RWTH Aachen University is the largest university of technology in Germany and one of the most renowned in Europe. Every year, numerous international students and scientists come to the university to benefit from its high quality courses and excellent facilities, both of which are recognised at an international level.

RWTH Aachen University is in the process to become an integrated, interdisciplinary technical university. The engineering focus of the university is associated with the natural sciences and medicine. The arts, social sciences and economics, structurally linked to the core disciplines, also make a significant contribution to the university’s teaching and research profile.

With its 260 institutes in nine faculties, RWTH Aachen is among the leading European scientific and research institutions. 43,721 students in 144 courses of study are enrolled in the winter semester of 2015/16, including almost 8,000 international students from more than 120 countries.

 Tuition Fees: There are no tuition fees at RWTH Aachen University – this applies for international students as well! All students are, however, subject to a student body and social contribution fee of €239.75 Semester Fee.

Scholarships: Offers a variety of scholarships

Cost of Living: An estimate of the minimum costs for accommodation and living expenses for students at RWTH Aachen University is approximately € 700 per month (€ 8,400 per year)

•    Technical University of Berlin

•    University of Tubingen

•    Albert Ludwig University

•    Georg-Augusta University of Göttingen

•    University of Hamburg

•    University of Bonn

•    Goethe University

•    University of Stuttgart

•    Darmstadt University of Technology

•    TU Dresden

If you are interested in applying to these free universities in Germany, that’s great! However, you need to be very smart about which universities to apply to maximize your chances. To increase your chances of studying in Germany for free, you should apply to universities that accept a large percentage of the applicants. I mean, that is common sense, right? You should definitely check the 7 Universities in Germany with Highest Acceptance Rate.

Also, here’s another aspect that you need to think of. These German universities are indeed tuition-free, but they do not provide accommodation or living expenses. You can either support yourself with your own money or you can support yourself with scholarships. To see the list of scholarships, google the Scholarships in Germany and apply to some of them. By receiving scholarships, you can truly study in Germany for free with the combination of free tuition universities and scholarships.

Tuition Free Universities in Germany

For many years, higher institutions of education in Germany usually do not charge any tuition fees for undergraduate studies.   But after the Constitutional Court of Germany lifted the ban on tuition fees in January 2005, a number of Federal states now charge tuition fees for undergraduate students.  Postgraduate studies such as most Master’s or PhD has been charging tuition fees for some time now.

Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programmes

Since the winter semester 2006/07, German universities are now allowed to charge tuition fees for undergraduate study programmes. Currently,  only four out of 16 Federal states charge tuition fees of up to 500 Euros per semester. These states are Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg, and Lower Saxony.  All other federal states only request a certain amount of money as a semester contribution (about 50 euros) but charges no tuition fees. 

Tuition fees for Graduate Programmes

In most cases, you need to pay tuition fee for Master’s programmes. The fees vary between 650 Euros and several thousand Euros per Semester. Aside from the tuition fee, each student has to pay a certain amount as a semester contribution to the university (about 50 Euros).

Cost of Studying in Germany: On average, German students spend about 8oo Euros for accommodation, transport, food, and miscellaneous expenses.

Overview of Fees

o    Until as recently as 2006, tuition fees were waived in all public universities. As of May 2010, tuition fees for full-time students range from nothing to 500 euros per semester. Registration fees of about 100 euros are separate from tuition fees and have to be paid every semester. Private universities do charge fees for tuition.

States That Do Not Charge Tuition

o    At present, 10 federal states waive tuition for full time-students. Among these are the states that comprise eastern Germany: Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony and all of Berlin. Many of these locations offer the additional advantage of affordable housing and a varied field of study. In western Germany, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse charge no tuition fees. Saarland is expected to abolish tuition fees as early as summer of 2010.

Detailed List of Tuition Free Universities,

The following list applies to full-time students beginning a university education. The rising cost of education, along with budget problems, will likely necessitate additional states to implement tuition fees in the future.

Berlin:

Freie Universität Berlin

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Technische Universität Berlin

Brandenburg:

Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus

Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

Universität Potsdam

Bremen:

Universität Bremen

Hesse:

Technische Universität Darmstadt

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

Universität Kassel

Philipps-Universität Marburg

Mecklenburg-Pomerania:

Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald

Universität Rostock

Rhineland-Palatinate:

Technische Universität Kaiserslautern

Universität Koblenz-Landau Abt. Koblenz

Universität Koblenz-Landau Abt. Landau

Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer

Universität Trier 

Saxony:

Technische Universität Chemnitz

Technische Universität Dresden

Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg

Universität Leipzig

Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau

Saxony-Anhalt:

Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg

Otto von Guericke-Universität Magdeburg

Schleswig-Holstein:

Universität Flensburg

Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Universität zu Lübeck

Thuringia:

Universität Erfurt

Technische Universität Ilmenau

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität (FSU) Jena

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Exceptions

A number of states impose tuition fees for those studying longer than the standard period of five to seven years, depending on the field of study. These states include Bremen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony. Some states implement tuition fees for post-graduate studies. In certain regions, the student's primary place of residence has to coincide with the location of the Germany has many universities that offer courses and programs in English. Some schools have just a handful of English language specialty programs while others work solely in English. Regardless, studying in English while in Germany allows for native and non-native speakers to earn a degree without the added struggles of learning in a second (or third) language.

2.   Freie University of Berlin

o    The Free University of Berlin (Freie Universitaet Berlin) offers 15 Master's Programs taught entirely in English including Health and Society: International Gender Studies Berlin (Master of Science in Public Health), Sociology--European Societies (Master of Arts) and Chemistry (Master of Science). These programs do not require any prior knowledge of the German language, but do recommend or require that students take language courses to obtain fluency by the end of their studies. These programs typically last two years and students must complete a thesis to acquire their degree.

Info-Service of Academic Advisory Service

Bruemmerstr. 50

14195 Berlin

Germany

011-49-30-838-700-00

fu-berlin.de

3.   Schiller International University Heidelberg

o    Schiller International University Heidelberg offers only English language associate (two years), bachelor (four years) and master programs (one year). The school's international appeal draws students from over 100 countries and allows for further studying abroad at the school's four other sister campuses in Paris, London, Madrid and Largo, Florida. Degree programs offered include International Business (A.S., B.S., M.B.A.), International Economics (B.A.), Management of Information Technology (M.B.A.) and International Management (M.I.M.). The school accepts students with little-to-no working knowledge of English. German language courses are optional.

Schiller International University

Heidelberg Campus

Bergstrasse 106

69121 Heidelberg

Germany

011-49-62-214-581-0

siu-heidelberg.de

o     

European Business College Munich

o    The European Business College Munich puts students in an international environment with the choice of a variety English instructed bachelor (B.B.A., B.A., B.S.; three years), master (M.B.A.; one and a half years), doctorate programs (D.B.A.; minimum two years) as well as programs for working professionals. Sample programs include a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Public Relations and a Masters of Business Administration in Leisure & Tourism Management. Students must have prior English language experience and non-native speakers must pass an English language test prior to acceptance.

European Business College Munich

Branch of European University

Gmunder Strasse 53

81379 Munich

Germany

011-49-89-550-295-95

euruni.edu

o     

What are the fees I have to pay each term at university?

For a many years there have been no tuition fees in Germany. In the case of undergraduate studies, such as degree (or bachelor) courses, at many universities this is still true today. Students pay only a small enrolment or confirmation fee. Once they have enrolled students receive their student ID. This provides a wide range of concessions: for bank accounts, sometimes telephone companies, but also for cinema and theatre tickets.

However, due to the federal structure of the German state the education costs in the individual states differ. In some states tuition fees have already been introduced. Especially master's courses are liable for costs. Make sure you get exact details from the university where you have applied. Ask whether they plan to introduce tuition fees! Information on this can be obtained from the students' offices or from the enrolment offices.

Undergraduate studies

Up until completion of your initial degree qualifying you for a profession, you will pay a moderate fee to the Student Organisation and, in some states, an additional administration fee. Currently you must reckon with 100 Euro per term for the enrolment or confirmation fee plus the administration fee (Verwaltungsgebühr).

Semester contribution / enrolment or confirmation fee around 50 Euro per term

You will have to pay a semester contribution at enrolment (Einschreibung) and each semester at confirmation (Rückmeldung). The semester contribution is made up of a contribution to the Studentische Selbstverwaltung (AStA) (student parliament of the university) and a contribution to the Studentenwerk. This helps to support the refectories and student accommodation as well as the advisory services offered by the Studentenwerke.

The enrolment or confirmation fee usually comes to around 50 Euro. Contributions may be higher, however (about 150 Euro), if the Student Organisation fee includes a "Semesterticket". With this ticket students can use public transport (busses and trains) for six months.

Administration fees around 50 Euro per term

For enrolment and confirmation the universities in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Thuringia charge a fee to cover administration. This is around 50 Euro.

Long-term fees / student accounts

Students who study longer than the designated number of terms must reckon with increased costs. This is because most federal states charge fees for long-term studies. Whoever notably exceeds the standard period of study has to pay an additional 500 Euro per term! The fees usually become payable after 7 years or the 14th term of study.

Postgraduate studies

Unlike undergraduate studies postgraduate studies such as most Master's or PhD qualifications have been fee-based for some time now. The costs for postgraduate studies are in addition to the enrolment and confirmation fees!

Attention! Tuition fees!

The following federal states have introduced general tuition fees of up to 500 Euro per term: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg and Lower Saxony. In these states, therefore, undergraduate studies will be subject to charge.

Disclaimer:

This pieces of information provided herein are based on research across the internet. Despite strong effort to avail you with accurate information, the university and authorities concern can alter, update, and remove information at any time so I suggest you always contact relevant authorities and individual institutions concerned for latest and more specific information. Therefore I shall not be held liable for misuse, misapplication and misinterpretation of information contained herein.