Language courses in Germany and Austria
Courses of language schools with the school's own price per week and the terms of each course. Plan the course from your university application deadline backwards, not the other way round.
339 German courses in 13 schools, 38 cities. A week of an intensive course from €145. 172 courses fit a language-course visa (in person, from 18 lessons a week). Prices are the schools' own; you pay the school directly.
Language is step 5. After it the deadlines become strict
- 03Audit and strategyUniversity, programme, required level
- 04Documents and translationsCertificate, APS, certifications
- 05 · you are hereLanguageA course that fits the application deadline
- 06ExamTestDaF, DSH, telc — as the university requires
- 07Application via uni-assistUsually by 15 January or 15 July
Language is a step that takes time. From scratch to B2 at 20 lessons a week takes about 6–8 months, to C1 8–12 months. How long it takes you depends on intensity and format: three sessions a week at home, a couple of hours each, mean 2–3 years to the same level; an intensive school in Germany with up to 30 lessons a week, a few months. That is why language is planned backwards from the application date.
Routes of the section
Pick the one that matches your goal — then you see only courses of that type
Intensive course at a school
Group lessons every weekday — the fastest way to raise your level.
- ·4–30 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
- ·96 courses fit a student visa
Courses at universities
Preparatory courses run by universities: an application within deadlines instead of a booking, often an entrance test.
- ·20 lessons a week
- ·A1–C1
Studienkolleg preparation
German, often with maths, for the entrance test of a Studienkolleg — for school leavers whose certificate does not give direct access to a university.
- ·20 lessons a week
- ·A2–B2
Exam preparation
For a specific format — TestDaF, DSH, telc, Goethe, ÖSD: the tasks of the exam and its timing.
- ·4–25 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
Summer camps
Summer sessions of 2–5 weeks: German, accommodation, meals, supervision and the leisure programme in one price.
- ·ages 8–18
- ·20–30 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
For children and teenagers
Programmes for children and teenagers: German in a group of the same age. Accommodation and the daily programme are in the terms of each course.
- ·ages 8–18
- ·20–30 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
Online
When you need the level, not the move: group and one-to-one lessons online. Not suitable for a student visa.
- ·4–24 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
- ·not suitable for a student visa
German for work
Courses for doctors, nursing staff and other professions: the language of the job and the preparation for its exams.
- ·3–30 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
One-to-one
Lessons one to one with a teacher — at your pace and for your goal.
- ·10–40 lessons a week
- ·A1–C2
Countries and cities
The total cost depends on the city as much as on the school: accommodation usually costs more than the course itself. Choose the city after the goal.
Germany
37 cities · 312 coursesAustria
1 city · 8 coursesAustria has its own visa requirements and its own exams — ÖSD instead of TestDaF. This is noted on the pages of Austrian courses.
Prices by city
The cities with the most courses: how many courses and schools each has and what a week of a course costs there.
| City | Courses | Language schools | Price per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 64 | 5 | €70–€3,740 |
| Munich | 39 | 6 | €200–€1,490 |
| Hamburg | 30 | 4 | €49–€1,300 |
| Heidelberg | 19 | 2 | €205–€885 |
| Nuremberg | 18 | 2 | — |
| Frankfurt am Main | 16 | 2 | €200–€1,300 |
| Cologne | 15 | 4 | €330–€1,540 |
| Düsseldorf | 15 | 3 | €1,540 |
| Konstanz | 12 | 1 | €395–€3,740 |
| Leipzig | 8 | 2 | — |
| Vienna | 8 | 3 | €1,540 |
| Augsburg | 7 | 2 | — |
| Stuttgart | 6 | 2 | — |
| Braunschweig | 5 | 1 | — |
| Lindenberg im Allgäu | 5 | 1 | €1,460–€3,070 |
Prices from the schools' current price lists, according to the StudyInFocus catalogue.
Language schools · 13
Partner schools first
Sprachschule AktivAachen, Augsburg +23
did deutsch-institutAugsburg, Berlin +5
Deutsch AkademieBerlin, Cologne +6
Humboldt-InstitutBad Schussenried, Berlin +7
BWS GermalinguaBerlin, Cologne +1
GLS Sprachschule in BerlinBerlin, Heidesee +2
PRIMUS FremdsprachenNuremberg
alpha aktivHeidelberg
Studienkolleg DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
German Courses at the University of Munich (DKFA)Munich
TANDEMHamburg
Friedrich Schiller University JenaJena
Justus Liebig University GiessenGiessen
How to choose a course
Three questions settle most of the choice. Answer them and only a few courses remain.
Why do you need the language
A study visa needs an intensive in-person course and a confirmation from the school. A university needs a certificate in a specific format. For work or moving, level B1–B2 is often enough, sometimes without an exam. These are different courses.
How much time do you have
One level takes roughly 6–8 weeks at 20 lessons a week. If less than half a year is left before the application, an intensive course in Germany is much faster than an online course at home.
Do you need a visa
A study visa requires an in-person course, proof of payment and accommodation. An online course does not qualify for a visa — the most common mistake when choosing on your own. The exact requirements are set by the consulate.
A language plan: from your level to the university application
A PDF for your application date: how many weeks you need to reach the required level, when to take TestDaF or DSH, where a course is cheaper for the same result and what a student visa requires. A consultant prepares it for you.
- Weeks needed from your current level to the required one
- Exam dates and application deadlines for your semester
- Courses that fit your budget, with the full cost
What confirms the quality of the schools
from open sourcesThere are no reviews or star ratings of our own in this section: they cannot be verified. Instead — membership in networks, quality labels and exam-centre status, which schools and networks publish openly.
Frequently asked questions about language courses
Which level do I need for university?
Is a course in Germany suitable for a student visa?
Do you add a margin to the school's price?
Can I apply to university with the school's certificate?
Why are there no reviews or ratings in the catalogue?
A course is part of the route, not a purchase
In 30 minutes we will look at your application date and tell you which level you can realistically reach, with which course and for how much. If you can manage on your own, we will tell you that too.