Cheap Universities in Germany for International Students

There are several cheap universities in Germany for international students willing to achieve their dream careers and enhance their knowledge, both academically and culturally. Public universities in Germany offer tuition-free education to all students irrespective of their nationality. Private universities, however, charge a nominal tuition fee that can range anywhere between €300- €3,000 per annum. 

Germany is internationally recognized for its academic expertise and quality education and also for being one of the most affordable study destinations as compared to other top countries such as the UK and the USA. International students can study in Germany for free by only paying the living expenses for the duration of their course.

For students enrolled in public universities, the cost of studying in Germany only includes an administrative semester contribution which costs around €150- €250 per semester. Only the students enrolled in universities in the state of Baden-Württemberg are required to pay a nominal tuition fee that is still cheaper than most other countries. International students are however required to have at least €10,332 in a blocked account and withdraw a maximum of €861 per month for their expenses.

Table of Contents

• Affordable Universities in Germany for International Students
• Cheap Private Universities in Germany

Affordable Universities in Germany for International Students

As mentioned earlier, students from abroad can benefit from high-quality education in Germany at affordable tuition rates. Listed below are some of the cheap universities in Germany for international students.

• Technical University of Munich
• Ludwig Maximilians University
• Heidelberg University
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Humboldt University of Berlin
• University of Göttingen
• University of Hamburg
• University of Stuttgart
• Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt)
• Technical University of Berlin

Technical University of Munich

The Tech­nische Uni­versi­tät München or Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the best educational institutions in Germany and in Europe best known for its expertise in STEM fields. It is one of the highest-ranked universities in Germany offering courses in areas such as engineering sciences, natural & life sciences, management, social sciences, and medicine. 

With its main campus in Munich and other campuses in Garching, Straubing, and Freising-Weihenstephan, TUM offers tuition-free education to students from all over the world. However, all students are expected to pay a student union fee, and a semester ticket fee of € 129.40 twice every year throughout their period of study. Given below are some of the popular courses offered at TUM along with their fee details:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Management: $144
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Information Systems: $144
• Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] Executive MBA in Business and IT: $144
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Computational Science and Engineering: $144
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Neuroengineering: $144

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Ludwig Maximilians University

Ludwig Maximilians University also called LMU München is one of the leading research universities in Europe committed to providing international standards to its teaching and research practices. It has one of the largest student populations in Germany with around 54,000 students including nearly 9,400 international students coming from 130+ countries around the world. 

LMU is one of the top free universities in Germany that does not charge tuition fees from students except for summer programs and English-taught master’s programs. Students should pay a semester fee of €129.40 twice every year. LMU offers 300+ degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels through its 18 faculties in English and German languages. It offers courses in the fields ranging from business to law to medicine in addition to joint degrees and exchange programs. Some of the popular courses offered at LMU München along with their fee details are shown below:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Data Science: $287
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Business Administration: $287
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Computer Science and Computational Linguistics: $287
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Economics: $287
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Software Engineering: $287

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Heidelberg University

Heidelberg University, also known as Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, is the oldest university in Germany that has progressed to become a leader in the field of engineering, medicine, life sciences, and classical & ancient history. It is also a leader amongst research-based universities in Europe having a globally impressive reputation as an educational institution. It is one of the cheap universities in Germany most popular for international doctoral candidates due to its collaboration on research activities with organizations like the German Cancer Research Centre. 

Heidelberg University offers a range of degree programs in disciplines such as natural sciences, computer science, mathematics, liberal arts, and more. It offers 180+ degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. A tuition fee of €1,500 and a semester fee of €169.25 are charged every semester from international students coming from non-EU/ EEA countries. Listed below are a few popular courses offered at Heidelberg University with their respective fee details:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Computer Engineering: $382
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Applied Computer Science: $382
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Economics: $382
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Scientific Computing: $382
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Molecular Biotechnology: $382

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Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of the largest research institutions in Germany known also for its high interdisciplinary interaction and expertise in the field of engineering and natural science in Europe. It is a member of TU9 which is a conglomeration of the best Technical & Engineering universities in Germany and is also one of the cheapest colleges in Germany offering internationally recognized degree programs.

KIT offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of arts, sports, law, economics, natural sciences, and more to over 25,000 students including 20% international students from around the world. International students (from third countries / non-EU countries) are required to pay tuition fees of €1,500 per semester in the bachelor's, teacher training, and consecutive master's degree. Some of the popular courses offered at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology along with their fee details are given below:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Mechanical Engineering: $3,330
• Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D.]: $3,330
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Computer Science: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.sc] in Mechatronics and Information Technology: $3,330

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Humboldt University of Berlin

The Humboldt University of Berlin is one of the oldest universities in Berlin equipped with knowledge and expertise in a wide range of fields spanning the natural sciences, arts, and humanities. It enrolls over 30,000 domestic and international students and also has notable alumni and faculty members that include Albert Einstein and 55 Noble Laureates in different fields. 

The Humboldt University of Berlin offers 190+ degree courses through its 9 faculties in its three campuses, namely Campus Adlershof, Campus Mitte, and Campus Nord. The courses are taught in disciplines such as Arts and Humanities, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Education, and Psychology. Find below some of the main courses offered at Humboldt along with their fee details:

• Master of Arts [M.A] in Global Studies: $1,136
• Master of German-English Law Studies: $1,760
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Rural Development: $10,226
• Master of Arts [M.A] in Social Sciences: $9,977

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University of Göttingen

The University of Göttingen is focused on research-based teaching and operates basically on the concepts of research, experiment, and emphasis on source criticism. It offers a range of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate courses to students belonging to 141 nationalities. Students have an opportunity to choose from a wide range of courses in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, law, economics, social sciences, as well as humanities, theology, and medicine.

The University of Göttingen has over 31,000 students and 200+ degree programs divided across seven categories that make it one of the largest universities in Germany. This public university in Germany offers tuition-free courses and charges only a nominal semester fee of €384.66 every semester. International students who have received scholarships from German public funds are charged €309.66 towards semester fees. Find below some of the major courses along with their fee details offered at the University of Göttingen:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Computer Science: $803
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Molecular Medicine: $803
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in International Economics: $803
• Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D.] in Mathematical Sciences: $803
• Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D.] in Microbiology and Biochemistry: $803

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University of Hamburg

The University of Hamburg is known to be the largest research and training institution in northern Germany and offers a wide range of courses for its students combined with outstanding research. It offers these courses through its 7 faculties in the fields of law, medicine, education, business administration, psychology, and more.

Having a student population of nearly 44,000 including 15% international students, the University of Hamburg has produced distinguished scholars and Nobel Prize winners such as Otto Stern, Wolfgang Pauli, and Agathe Lasch. It offers 170+ academic programs in which the bachelor’s programs are taught only in German and some master’s programs are taught in English. Students are not charged tuition fees but are required to pay a semester contribution fee of €328 every semester even for a semester on leave. Students who have applied for several semesters of leave in a row can pay a reduced amount of €278. Listed below are some of the popular courses offered at the University of Hamburg along with their fee details:

• Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] in Health Management: $14,208
• Master of Journalism, Media, and Globalisation: $19,980
• Master of Law [L.L.M] in Insurance Law: $11,544
• Master of Law [L.L.M] in European and International Law: $8,880
• Master of Law [L.L.M] in Law and Economics: $10,545

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University of Stuttgart

The University of Stuttgart is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany known for its outstanding, globally recognized research-based teaching towards equality and holism. It maintains worldwide collaborations and partnerships for networking and research and constitutes highly motivated employees, excellent teaching staff, researchers, and visionary thinkers. It is ranked among the world’s best engineering universities and is also one of the best in the field in Germany.

The University of Stuttgart offers around 167 bachelor and master courses composing 10 different faculties in the fields of business administration, engineering, technical education, natural science, social sciences, and humanities. International students are charged a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester in addition to the regular semester fee of €200.40. Some of the major courses offered at the University of Stuttgart along with their fee details are given below:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Mechanical Engineering: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.Sc] Computer Science: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.Sc] Aerospace Engineering: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.Sc] Information Technology: $3,330
• Master of Science [M.Sc] Business Administration: $3,330

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Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt)

The Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) commonly known as TU Darmstadt is an autonomous institution of prominence in Germany renowned for its education in the fields of engineering and natural sciences. It also offers courses in humanities and social science and not only excels in theoretical knowledge impartation but also promotes research studies. TU Darmstadt offers a total of 113 programs to 25,000+ students including 19% international students from all over the world.

TU Darmstadt does not charge any tuition fee for any of its courses and students are only expected to pay the semester and administration fees of €270.47 per semester. About €30 is charged additionally from students who pay the fees after the proposed date. Given below are some of the main courses offered at TU Darmstadt along with their respective fees for international students:

• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Energy Science and Engineering: $600
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Information Systems Technology: $600
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Architecture: $600
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Computational Engineering: $600
• Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] in Applied Mechanics: $600

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Technical University of Berlin

The Technical University of Berlin also called Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) is one of the cheap universities in Germany offering quality academic programs to students of all nationalities. It is a member of TU9 which is an alliance of nine german technological institutions. It is globally recognized for its engineering programs in the field of computer science, management, mathematics, human sciences, and mechanical engineering. 

TU Berlin is home to around 43,000 students coming from 150 countries around the world. It offers free education in Germany for international students through its 49 bachelor’s and 95 master’s programs provided at seven varied faculties. Students are expected to pay around €670 per year towards semester fees, exam fees, and other administrative fees. The major programs offered at TU Berlin along with their fee details are given below:

• Master of Business Law - European and International Energy Law: 411,800
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Polymer Science: $666
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Urban Management Program: $7,770
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Global Production Engineering: $9,145
• Master of Science [M.Sc] in Urban Development: $11,800

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Cheap Private Universities in Germany

Most public universities in Germany offer free education in terms of zero tuition fees to students from all over the world. Private universities, on the other hand, charge a nominal amount towards tuition fees and the overall cost of attending private universities in Germany is a bit higher. However, private universities in Germany are affordable as compared to other popular study destinations in the world. Listed below are a few cheap private universities in Germany for international students:

1. Friedensau Adventist University
2. The FOM University of Applied Science for Economics and Management
3. SRH Hochschule Berlin