Did you know that international students at German institutions receive free tuition? This comprehensive article on Germany’s Top 10 Tuition-Free Universities for International Students will alter your perception of how much it costs to pursue higher education there.
There are still certain countries in Europe that provide tuition-free education despite the high cost of living there. One of the countries in The EU that provides free education is Germany. Nearly 400 universities exist in Germany, with 240 of them being public institutions. There are about 400,000 international students studying in Germany. This demonstrates how enthusiastically Germany welcomes foreign students.
In 2014, Germany removed undergraduate tuition costs at all public universities in the country. Right now, tuition is free for both domestic and foreign students. The German state of Baden-Wurttemberg reinstated tuition costs for non-EU students in 2017. This implies that tuition will be charged by Baden-Wurttemberg universities to foreign students. Studying at these universities might cost between €1,500 and €3,500 per semester.
Universities in Germany with No Tuition for International Students:
1. University of Bonn
One of the top research universities in Germany and the world is the University of Bonn. One of the biggest universities in Germany is the University of Bonn.
The University of Bonn has been recognized as one of 11 German Universities of Excellence since 2019 and is the only German institution to have six Clusters of Excellence.
Studying at the University of Bonn means learning from the very best: teaching in our over 200 degree programs is performed by internationally leading academics working at the cutting edge of their subject. The wide range of subjects taught at the University gives the students the chance to take an interdisciplinary approach to their studies.
Students are not required to pay tuition at the University of Bonn. All university education in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes Bonn, is entirely subsidized by the German government.
Top 10 Tuition Free Universities in Germany for International students
2. Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU)
One of Europe’s most prominent and established universities, the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich was founded in 1472. LMU is a well-known institution of higher learning in Germany. More than 300 degree programs are available at Ludwig Maximilians University, along with numerous summer courses and exchange opportunities. These degree programs are largely taught in English.
The majority of degree programs at LMU do not require students to pay tuition. The costs for the Studentenwerk, however, must be paid by all students each semester. The Studentenwerk charges a base cost as well as an additional fee for a semester ticket.
3. Free University of Berlin
The Free University was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period as a de facto western continuation of the Frederick William University, or the University of Berlin, which was in East Berlin and faced strong communist repression; its name refers to West Berlin’s status as part of the Western Free World, in contrast to the communist-controlled university in East Berlin.
The Free University of Berlin is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is one of eleven elite German research universities in the German Universities Excellence Initiative and is consistently ranked among Germany’s top ten universities overall, with particular strengths in political science and humanities. It is recognised as a leading university in the international university tables.
More than 150 degree programs are offered at the Free University of Berlin.
Berlin’s universities don’t charge tuition, with the exception of a few graduate and postgraduate programs. However, there are annual fees and charges that students must pay.
4. Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humboldt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher as the University of Berlin (Universität zu Berlin) in 1809, and opened in 1810,making it the oldest of Berlin’s four universities
HU offers about 171 degree courses.
5. University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE)
The University of Duisburg-Essen is a public research university in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university was awarded 194th place in the world. It was originally founded in 1654 and re-established on 1 January 2003, as a merger of the Gerhard Mercator University of Duisburg and the university of Essen. It is based in both the cities of Duisburg and Essen, and a part of University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr.
With its 12 departments and around 40,000 students, the University of Duisburg-Essen is among the 10 largest German universities
There are no tuition fees at University of Duisburg-Essen, this applies to international students as well.
However, all students must pay a student body and social contribution charge. The social contribution fee funds the semesterticket, the student welfare contribution for student service, and student self-administration.
UDE has a variety of subjects from the humanities, education, social and economic sciences, to engineering and natural sciences, as well as medicine. The university offer over 267 study programs, including teacher training courses.
With 130 countries represented among the students at the University of Duisburg-Essen, English is progressively displacing German as the medium of instruction.
6. University of Munster
The University of Münster is a public research university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.
With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of study in 15 departments, it is Germany’s fifth largest university and one of the foremost centers of German intellectual life. The university offers a wide range of subjects across the sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Several courses are also taught in English, including PhD programmes as well as postgraduate courses in geoinformatics, geospational technologies or information systems
Although tuition is not charged at the University of Munster, all students must pay a semester fee for student-related services.
7. Bielefeld University
Bielefeld University is a university in Bielefeld, Germany. Founded in 1969, it is one of the country’s newer universities, and considers itself a “reform” university, following a different style of organization and teaching than the established universities. In particular, the university aims to “re-establish the unity between research and teaching”, and so all its faculty teach courses in their area of research. The university also stresses a focus on interdisciplinary research, helped by the architecture, which encloses all faculties in one great structure. It is among the first of the German universities to switch some faculties (e.g. biology) to Bachelor/Master-degrees as part of the Bologna process.
Bielefeld University has no tuition fees for both domestic and international students. However, all students must pay a social charge. In exchange, students will receive a semester ticket that permits them to utilize public transportation in North Rhine-Westphalia.
8. Goethe University Frankfurt
Goethe University is a German university located in Frankfurt am Main. It was established in 1914 as a citizens’ university, which means that it was founded and sponsored by Frankfurt’s wealthy and active liberal citizens. Universität Frankfurt am Main was the initial name. The university’s name was changed in 1932 to honor one of Frankfurt’s most famous native sons, poet, philosopher, and writer/dramatist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The institution currently has approximately 45,000 students spread over four major sites in the city. The University offers more than 200 degree programs.
Goethe university has no tuition fees. However, all students must pay semester fees.
9. Leipzig University
Leipzig University was established in 1409, making it one of Germany’s oldest universities. It is also one of Germany’s leading universities in terms of top-tier research and medical skills.
Leipzig University provides a wide range of topics, from humanities and social sciences to natural and life sciences. It provides more than 150 degree programs, with more than 30 having foreign curricula.
Currently, Leipzig does not charge tuition for a student’s first degree. However, in rare situations, students may be obliged to pay fees for a second degree or for beyond the usual duration of study. Some unique courses also have fees.
Every student is required to pay a mandatory fee each semester. This cost includes student body, studentenwerk, and MDV public transportation pass.
10. Â University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is a German university located in Cologne. It was founded in 1388 and is one among Germany’s most prestigious and research-intensive universities. It was Central Europe’s sixth university to be created. It was closed in 1798 before being reopened in 1919. With almost 48,000 students, it is now one of Germany’s largest universities. From 2012 to 2019, the University of Cologne was designated as a university of excellence as part of the German Universities Excellence Initiative.
There are more than 157 courses available in University of Cologne.
The University of Cologne does not charge tuition. All enrolled students, however, must pay a social contribution charge each semester.