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
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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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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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