StudyInFocus
Ready-made selection

Tuition-free universities for international students

In most German federal states public universities charge no tuition fee — including for international students. You only pay the semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag), usually €100 to €400 and often including a transport ticket. This selection lists public universities in those states; Bavaria and Saxony are not included, as their universities may charge international students.

In short · according to the StudyInFocus catalogue

171 universities in 95 cities: 171 public and 0 private. By type: applied sciences — 62, university — 50, art and music — 29, technical — 10.

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Worth knowing before you choose
  • ·Choose the university for the programme, not the other way round: requirements and deadlines differ between programmes of the same university
  • ·Universities of applied sciences (Hochschule) focus on practice and are usually less competitive; universities focus on research and lead to a doctorate
  • ·Apply to 3–5 universities: the competition of grades is unpredictable
Filters Reset
Country
Germany 171Austria 0
University type
University 50Technical 10Applied sciences 62Art and music 29
Ownership
Public 171Private 0Church-run 0
Language of programmes
German 119English 89
Tuition for international students
Tuition-free 171Up to €1,500 per semester 51
Has a Studienkolleg
At the university 16Refers to a partner college 33Foundation 0

Filters change the page address. Ready-made selections have their own pages.

171 universities Tuition-free
Sort RelevanceMost programmes

We will pick universities and programmes for your future profession

The catalogue shows every university but does not tell you where to apply. We start from the profession and your details — school certificate and grade on the German scale, language, budget, dates — and leave a short list of programmes you can realistically get into.

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Applied sciencesPublictuition-free for international students

Hochschule Bochum

Bochum · North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany
Tuition€0including international students
University details

Ready-made selections

Popular combinations of filters — each with its own page and a short explanation.

By cost
Tuition-free for internationalsPrivate universitiesUp to €1,500 per semester

Frequently asked questions about choosing a university

How many universities are in this selection?
171 universities in 95 cities: 171 public and 0 private. By type: applied sciences — 62, university — 50, art and music — 29, technical — 10.
Do public universities charge tuition fees?
Public universities in most federal states charge no tuition, only the semester fee; Baden-Württemberg charges international students €1,500 per semester. Private universities set their own fees — they are shown on each university page.

A university is chosen for the programme

Requirements, language and deadlines differ even within one university. Start with the programme — the catalogue shows which universities offer it.

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