Nearest deadline20.04.2027
Tuitionfrom €7,995 / year
Open
Step 4 of the method · if your certificate is not enough
Studienkollegs in Germany
A Studienkolleg is a preparatory college for applicants whose school-leaving certificate does not give direct access to a German university. The year ends with the FSP (Feststellungsprüfung), which makes your certificate equivalent to the German one. State colleges are free but admit by entrance exam; private colleges charge tuition and usually admit without competition. Our catalogue lists 47 colleges.
In short
- ·Who: a certificate without direct access — this depends on the country, not on the university
- ·How long: usually two semesters
- ·Language: the entrance exam checks your German
- ·Result: the FSP replaces your certificate in university admission
Do you need a Studienkolleg
This is the first thing to find out: a college adds a year to your plan, and many applicants could do without one. It is decided not by the university or the programme but by the country and the type of your certificate.
Direct access
Your certificate is recognised as equivalent — you apply to the university straight away.
Access after studying at home
For many countries one or two years at a university at home give the right to apply directly, without a college.
You need a college
The certificate is not recognised and you have not studied at a university — then the way is the FSP.
College courses
the course is chosen for your future field of study
The course defines the FSP subjects and the programmes you can apply to afterwards. It cannot be changed after enrolment.
T-Kurs
Engineering, IT, natural sciences
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or computer science
28 courses
M-Kurs
Medicine, pharmacy, biology
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
20 courses
W-Kurs
Economics, management, social sciences
Mathematics, Economics, English
24 courses
G-Kurs
Humanities, law, education
History, Literature, Social sciences
18 courses
S-Kurs
Languages, philology, linguistics
German, Literature, Second foreign language
9 courses
Filters
47 colleges
Partners first
StudyInFocus partnerPrivate
International Foundation College at Paderborn University
Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia
Nearest deadline15.03.2027
Tuitionfrom €8,000 for the whole course
Open
Nearest deadline01.03.2027
Tuitionfrom €2,700 for the whole course
Open
Not sure you need a college?
We will check your certificate for your country and year of graduation. If you have direct access, we will tell you plainly that you don't need a college — and save you a year.
Nearest deadline06.02.2027
Tuitionfrom €5,900 for the whole course
Open
Nearest deadline02.02.2027
Tuitionfrom €5,900 for the whole course
Open
Nearest deadline15.11.2026
Tuitionfree
Open
Nearest deadline31.12.2026
Tuitionfree
Open
State or private
The difference is not in the value of the result — the FSP counts the same when it is held before a state board. The difference is in money, competition and dates.
State26 colleges
- ✓No tuition — only the semester contribution
- ✓Student status and a semester ticket
- —Entrance exam and competition for places
- —A failed exam can only be retaken at the next intake
Private19 colleges
- ✓Admission without competition, intakes more often
- ✓Smaller groups, more support with the language
- —Tuition fees plus accommodation
- —Check who holds the FSP: without state recognition it will not count
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a Studienkolleg?
Applicants whose school-leaving certificate does not give direct access to a German university. Whether yours does is decided by the recognition database (anabin) for your country and certificate.
How is a state Studienkolleg different from a private one?
A state college is free (only the semester contribution is paid) but admits by entrance exam and competition. A private college charges tuition, usually has places and starts more often; what matters is who holds the FSP — with a state board it counts at every university.
What is the FSP?
The Feststellungsprüfung — the final exam of the Studienkolleg. Its grade becomes your school-leaving grade for university applications, within the profile of your course (T, M, W, G or S).
Can I change the course later?
Not within the same year: the course is chosen for the future field of study, and the FSP opens only the programmes of that profile.
Language first, then the college
The entrance exam checks your German, and reaching the required level takes months. Plan the application to a college backwards from that.
Rules common to all colleges
Ask us →Exams and recognition work the same way at every college.
Whether you need a college
Decided by your country and certificate in the recognition database, not by the university.
Entrance exam
German and the main subject of the course; places go to the best results.
FSP
Its grade replaces your school grade in university admission, within the profile of your course.
Foundation and recognition
A Foundation Year is usually accepted only by the programme's partner universities.
A college is not the only path
A Foundation Year in English or German is an alternative if you have no German yet or need a specific university. We compared all four paths by what matters most — where they give access.