Cost of studying in Germany: tuition fees at 285 universities
Tuition in Germany is free at 143 of the 285 universities that publish a rate. The ones that do charge ask up to €49,500 a year. Living costs, proof of funds and application dates included.
- Universities with a published fee
- 285
- Typical year
- €0
- Median where a fee is charged
- €3,000
- Lowest published
- €0
- Highest published
- €49,500
143 of them charge no tuition at all. A semester contribution or student-union fee usually still applies, and it does not reduce rent, food or the sum a student visa asks you to show.
Every figure on this page is the rate the university or the country's own fee law publishes for an international student. Where a university publishes nothing, it is left out rather than estimated, so 285 is the number of universities in Germany that state a rate, not the number that exist.
What each university charges an international student
The rate each university publishes for a year, in EUR. Open a university to see which programmes the rate covers and where the figure came from.
Living costs
Germany puts a student's living costs at €1,100 to €2,000 a month. Covers rent, food, health insurance, transport, study materials and personal expenses. Basis: official university cost pages - RWTH Aachen's 'Costs of Studying in Aachen 2026' advises budgeting at least EUR 1100/month (rent 400-600, food 200-300, health insurance 100-150); TUM Graduate School states EUR 1300-2000/month for Munich, Germany's most expensive student city.
What a student visa asks you to show
€992 a month. 992 euros per month at your disposal (as of 1 January 2025), usually shown through a blocked account (Sperrkonto)
When to apply
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Courses starting in the winter semester | 15 July |
| Courses starting in the summer semester | 15 January |