Is studying in Germany free? Tuition fees for non-EU students in 2027

Which German universities charge non-EU students tuition?

Three states allow it, in three different ways. Baden-Württemberg makes every public university charge. Bavaria and Saxony let each university decide. In the other 13 states we found no rule that lets public universities charge non-EU students tuition for a first degree or a consecutive master’s (one that follows on from your bachelor’s). Some states charge any student who stays many semesters beyond the standard length of the degree.

Baden-Württemberg charges students from outside the EU who come to Germany to study (Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: Fees for international students and second degrees (German)). At the University of Stuttgart, for example, it applies to bachelor’s, consecutive master’s and state examination programmes, on top of the regular semester fee of €184 (University of Stuttgart: Tuition fee for international students). So the real bill there is €1,684 per semester.

Bavaria lets each university decide under Article 13 of its higher education act (Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG), Art. 13 (German)). Not every Bavarian university charges, and the list above may not be complete, so check the fee page of the one you apply to. Some call the charge a service fee: Deggendorf Institute of Technology charges students from outside the EU (“Drittstaaten”) €500 per semester, plus a €60 application fee (Deggendorf Institute of Technology: Application and service fees for third-country nationals (German)), and OTH Regensburg charges €500 per semester in the programmes it lists (OTH Regensburg: Service fees for international students (German)).

Saxony allows fees only if the university also runs a scholarship programme for the students who pay (Saxon Higher Education Act (SächsHSG), section 13 (German)). In the four semesters up to summer 2024, the only Saxon institutions that reported income from this rule were two music colleges (Saxon State Parliament: Drs 8/527, answer of the Saxon science ministry on tuition fees (German, PDF)), so for most subjects Saxony charges no tuition.

A fee state does not mean every programme charges. TUM, for example, charges no tuition for some programmes, such as its M.Sc. Quantum Science & Technology. Doctoral study carries no tuition in Baden-Württemberg or at TUM (Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: FAQs on fees for international students (German); TUM: Tuition fees for international students). Always check the programme’s own page.

How many programmes taught in English are free of tuition?

About a third in our dataset, and all of them are at public universities. We track 829 bachelor’s and master’s programmes taught wholly or partly in English at 26 German universities, each fact quoted from an official page. For a winter 2026/27 start, 327 charged a non-EU student no tuition. For a winter 2027/28 start it is 274, because FAU starts charging with the summer 2027 intake. Deggendorf’s programmes count as free of tuition here, although its non-EU students pay the service fee above.

Where public universities charge, a whole master’s at the list price costs this much for a winter 2027/28 start (rate per semester times the longest published standard length):

Private master’s programmes in our dataset cost €5,175 to €51,800 in total, with a median of €16,500 (the cheapest published payment plan of 205 programmes, counted over the longest published duration). At SRH the price also depends on your nationality: its M.Sc. Applied Computer Science costs non-EU students €6,950 per semester (SRH University: Applied Computer Science (M.Sc.)).

What does a “free” degree still cost?

Every student pays a semester contribution, also at tuition-free universities. DAAD says the payment “has nothing to do with tuition fees”: it funds student services and the student government, and it comes to €70–430 (DAAD: Costs of education and living). At the 15 public universities in our dataset it ranges from €82 to €472.50, with a median of €358. 10 of them include a semester transport ticket. At TU Darmstadt, for example, the Germany-wide Deutschlandsemesterticket accounts for €226.80 (TU Darmstadt: Semester fee). So the contribution is partly your travel pass, not only an admin fee.

Before any university decides on your application, you may also pay:

• uni-assist, which checks applications for many public universities: €75 for the first programme and €30 for each further one in the same semester (uni-assist: Pay and submit).
• University application fees for non-EU applicants: FAU charges €100 per application, “regardless of the result of the selection process” (FAU: Fees for applications from non-EU states); Deggendorf €60.
• From India: the APS certificate costs 18,000 rupees, non-refundable (APS India: Information leaflet for students with a Bachelor or Master degree (valid as of October 2026)). From summer 2027, many master’s applicants also need the dMAT test, at €150 (APS India: Digital Master Test (dMAT)). Our APS guide explains who needs it.
• Admission tests such as the GRE or GMAT, where a programme requires them.

The APS fee and FAU’s application fee are not refunded if you are not admitted; check the refund rules for the others. At a private university, the money usually comes later, after the offer (see what private universities charge first).

Does tuition count towards the blocked account?

No. The blocked account proves you can pay for living costs: €992 a month, or €11,904 for the first year (German Missions in Nigeria: Financial means; German Missions in India: Checklist for studies). The Federal Foreign Office describes the account as cover for living costs (Federal Foreign Office: Blocked account). Tuition comes on top. Our blocked account guide explains how the account works.

If your university charges tuition, each mission asks for proof of payment:

• Nigeria: “Proof of payment for the first year of study. If your university doesn’t accept a full payment, please add the funds to your blocked account” (German Missions in Nigeria: University studies).
• Pakistan: “Proof of payment of tuition fees (if applicable to the course of study)” is a mandatory document. Without it, “your online registration will remain halted” (German Embassy Islamabad: Visa for students).
• India: the missions’ web checklist asks for proof that you paid the first year “or have paid a substantial deposit”, but only if you study “at a private university” (German Missions in India: Checklist for studies). Their PDF checklist says more broadly: “If your university charges tuition/study fees” (German Missions in India: Checklist for student visa applications (PDF, September 2024)). If you go to TUM or a university in Baden-Württemberg, prepare the proof anyway.

Some universities bill tuition only at enrolment, which can come after your visa appointment. Hochschule Ansbach’s statute, for example, ties payment to the enrolment deadline in the admission letter (Hochschule Ansbach: Fee statute for international students of 29 October 2025 (German, PDF)). If you have no invoice yet, ask the university for a fee statement and ask the mission what it accepts. Our student visa guide covers the rest of the file.

Is a public university harder to get into than a private one?

Not in general, but for applicants from India, Nigeria and Pakistan the public route is longer, costs more before any decision and is less certain. If you choose a public university because it looks cheaper, plan for its earlier deadlines and extra steps, and apply to more than one programme.

What the numbers show

Most programmes have no limit on places. Across all German higher education institutions, the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) counts that 70.2% of undergraduate programmes and 66.6% of master’s programmes were free of admission restrictions in winter 2025/26 (HRK: Statistische Daten zu Studienangeboten, winter semester 2025/26 (German, PDF)). In an unrestricted programme, everyone who meets the requirements is admitted. Many programmes, public and private, still run a selection procedure, such as an aptitude assessment, that can turn a qualified applicant down. Even where places are limited, many applicants get in: at TU Dresden, most restricted master’s programmes admitted every eligible applicant in winter 2025/26 (TU Dresden: Selection results for restricted master's programmes, winter 2025/26 (German, PDF)). No German statistic publishes an acceptance rate for non-EU applicants, so be wary of any figure you see.

Where the public route gets harder

• Requirements are checked strictly. Master’s programmes often ask for a set number of credits in named subjects and a minimum grade. Our admission guide explains how this works.
• Extra steps take weeks. A uni-assist VPD (the preliminary review many universities require) “usually takes 4 to 6 weeks”, and uni-assist advises requesting it “ideally at least 8 weeks before the deadline” (uni-assist: VPD). Most Indian applicants also need an APS certificate first.
• Deadlines for non-EU applicants come earlier. At RWTH Aachen, non-EU applicants to open-admission master’s programmes apply by 1 March for the winter semester, EU applicants by 15 July (RWTH Aachen: Master's application for international applicants). Across the public programmes in our dataset, the earliest non-EU deadline falls a median of 4 months before the semester starts.
• Limited places usually mean a separate quota. Where places are restricted, non-EU applicants often compete only among themselves for a small share of them (see the quota for non-EU applicants).

DAAD’s advice for programmes with limited places applies here: “Submitting more applications to different higher education institutions increases your chances of success.” It also recommends “applying to higher education institutions at less popular locations” (DAAD: Application process). Through uni-assist, four programmes in one semester cost you €165.

How does the quota for non-EU applicants work?

In a programme with limited places, German admission law usually sets aside a share of places for applicants from outside the EU who did not finish school in Germany. The share is often small, and it works like a wall: you compete only with other non-EU applicants for those places. This matters only in restricted programmes; most programmes have no limit on places.

The interstate treaty on university admission says that anyone who falls under such a quota “kann nicht im Verfahren nach Artikel 10 zugelassen werden”: they cannot be admitted through the main selection, which holds most of the places (Interstate treaty on university admission (Staatsvertrag über die Hochschulzulassung), Art. 9 and 10 (German)). Bremen puts it plainly: foreign applicants in the quota “dürfen in den übrigen Quoten nach den §§ 26 und 30 nicht ausgewählt werden”, so they may not be selected in the other quotas (Bremen: Studienplatzvergabeverordnung, §§ 26 and 32 (German)). The quota is formed only when a programme has more applicants than places.

How big is the quota?

Each state sets its own share, and several let each university choose within a range:

Programmes aimed at international students can reserve far more. Baden-Württemberg’s regulation lists programmes with a foreign-applicant share of up to 100% (Baden-Württemberg: Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HZVO), §§ 8, 22 and Annex 5 (German, PDF)), and the University of Stuttgart’s M.Sc. Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design gives 65% of its places to foreign applicants (University of Stuttgart: Official notice 15/2020, M.Sc. Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design (German, PDF)). In our dataset, 43 restricted public programmes publish a non-EU quota. In 4 of them, at the University of Stuttgart, the split depends on where your previous degree is from, not on your passport, so you are not ranked against German graduates.

How are you ranked inside the quota?

Usually by the grade of your school certificate or, for a master’s, your previous degree. Some states put certain applicants first: Bremen ranks holders of a place guarantee or applicants in government programmes ahead of others in the quota (Bremen: Studienplatzvergabeverordnung, §§ 26 and 32 (German)).

Quotas by country are rare. North Rhine-Westphalia lets universities split the quota into country groups (“Länderproporz”) (North Rhine-Westphalia: Vergabeverordnung NRW, §§ 12 and 26 (German, PDF)). TU Hamburg forms country quotas for its bachelor’s programmes and admits only applicants whose school grades are in the “oberen Leistungsdrittel des jeweiligen Bildungssystems”, the top third of their own country’s system (TU Hamburg: Satzung über das Studium, §§ 4–5 (German, PDF)). The University of Freiburg shares its medicine quota between five world regions in proportion to where the applications come from (University of Freiburg: Selection statute for foreign applicants in medicine (German, PDF)). We found no rule that caps the number of students from India, Nigeria or Pakistan.

How many people apply for these places?

No German source we found publishes applications from one country next to the quota places they compete for. The Berlin Senate explains why: universities must delete applicants’ personal data within four years, often right after the admission round (Berlin House of Representatives: Drs. 18/21426, applications by origin at Berlin universities (German, PDF)). What is published shows the pressure from the other side:

• Through uni-assist, 26,185 people from India, 9,963 from Pakistan and 2,249 from Nigeria applied in the 2025 study year (summer 2025 and winter 2025/26). India’s number grew by 42% in two years (DAAD/DZHW: Wissenschaft weltoffen 2026 (German, PDF)). These are applicants to many universities and programmes, not to one quota.
• In winter 2019/20, the last year Berlin published such a breakdown, applicants from outside the EU sent 2,424 of the 10,218 applications for master’s programmes at Freie Universität Berlin (Berlin House of Representatives: Drs. 18/21426, applications by origin at Berlin universities (German, PDF)).
• In Baden-Württemberg medicine, where the non-EU quota is 5%, students from outside the EU made up 4 to 5% of first-year students both in 2012 to 2014 and in 2022 to 2024 (Baden-Württemberg State Parliament: Drs. 17/9440, foreign students in medicine (German, PDF)). The quota sets the ceiling, however many apply.

For you, this means: check whether your programme is restricted, then read its selection statute for the non-EU share. If it is a few percent and the programme is popular, apply to several programmes, including unrestricted ones.

What do private universities charge before the visa?

Private universities often admit on a rolling basis (see the table above) and decide quickly: BSBI, for example, says it will notify you of its decision “within 10 working days after receiving your application” (BSBI: Postgraduate application). The money comes after the offer: many ask for a deposit or fee before they send the admission letter that your visa application needs. A deposit is usually deducted from your tuition later; IU’s registration fee is not.

• University of Europe for Applied Sciences: non-EU students pay a reservation fee of €3,000, and only then does UE issue the letter of admission, which it calls “mandatory for your visa application” (University of Europe for Applied Sciences: How to apply, master's). Its fees page gives a minimum of €1,500 (University of Europe for Applied Sciences: Fees and finance), so ask which amount applies to you.
• BSBI: to get the admissions letter for the visa, you send the signed study contract and transfer a minimum deposit of €2,000 (BSBI: Postgraduate application).
• Gisma: a deposit of €1,500 for most international students, €3,000 for some programmes and countries, and a full year’s tuition upfront for bachelor’s students from certain countries (Gisma: Tuition fees and funding).
• IU: a one-time campus registration fee of €1,500, “paid once your application is approved” and charged on top of tuition (IU International University: Tuition fees).

Before you pay, check the university itself. Is it recognised by a German state? Is it accredited, and until when? And who awards your degree: the university, or a foreign partner? Our private universities guide shows how to check all three, and our private university deadlines calendar lists their 2027 dates.

Indian students already use this route more than others. In winter 2024/25, 18.93% of Indian students in Germany were at a private university, against 11.55% of all international students, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis: Private Hochschulen, statistical report 2024 (German)).

How to keep the bill down

1. Check your intake, not just the year. At TUM, “the tuition rates in effect at the start of their studies will continue to apply” until you finish (TUM: Tuition fees for international students). Starting one semester earlier can lock in a lower rate for the whole degree.
2. Look beyond Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Comparable programmes in other states charge no tuition. Our India, Nigeria and Pakistan pages list the universities we track with their fees.
3. Apply to several public programmes, early. Count backwards from the earliest non-EU deadline, and leave time for APS and a uni-assist VPD.
4. Ask about waivers and scholarships. In Baden-Württemberg, universities may exempt particularly talented students (Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: FAQs on fees for international students (German)). TUM publishes its own scholarships and waivers on its fee pages.
5. Use a private university as a deliberate choice, not a last-minute fallback. Compare the total price and the deposit terms before you sign, and check recognition first.

Not sure about your English test? Our guide to studying without IELTS shows where an English-taught degree counts instead.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and method

We read or re-checked the pages below in November 2026, most recently on 11 November 2026, and only used what they state. The counts come from AdmitArrive’s university dataset of 26 universities (15 public): every fact in it is quoted from an official page (usually the university’s own, for some programmes DAAD’s International Programmes database or uni-assist), with the page address and the date we checked it. A programme taught at several campuses counts once. “No tuition” means the university publishes no tuition for a non-EU student starting in that semester; 16 programmes publish no non-EU price and are not counted as free. Whole-degree totals are the published rate times the longest published standard length, before scholarships or waivers. Medians use the cheapest published payment plan. The dataset does not cover every German university, so the counts describe the programmes we track, not Germany as a whole. Fees change each year and visa rules change too, so confirm them with the university and with the German mission that handles your application. We review this guide at least every three months.

• DAAD: Costs of education and living
• Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: Fees for international students and second degrees (German)
• Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: FAQs on fees for international students (German)
• University of Stuttgart: Tuition fee for international students
• Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG), Art. 13 (German)
• TUM: Tuition fees for international students
• FAU: Tuition fees for students from non-EU states
• FAU: Fees for applications from non-EU states
• TH Ingolstadt: Tuition fees for students from third countries
• TH Nürnberg: Tuition fees for international students (German)
• Hochschule München: Hochschulgebührensatzung (German, PDF)
• Hochschule Ansbach: Fee statute for international students of 29 October 2025 (German, PDF)
• Deggendorf Institute of Technology: Application and service fees for third-country nationals (German)
• OTH Regensburg: Service fees for international students (German)
• Saxon Higher Education Act (SächsHSG), section 13 (German)
• HMT Leipzig: Tuition fees (German)
• HfM Dresden: Gebühren- und Entgeltordnung (German, PDF)
• Saxon State Parliament: Drs 8/527, answer of the Saxon science ministry on tuition fees (German, PDF)
• TU Darmstadt: Semester fee
• Federal Foreign Office: Blocked account
• German Missions in India: Checklist for studies (page dated 16 February 2026)
• German Missions in India: Checklist for student visa applications (PDF, September 2024)
• German Missions in Nigeria: University studies
• German Missions in Nigeria: Financial means
• German Embassy Islamabad: Visa for students (page dated 27 November 2025)
• HRK: Statistische Daten zu Studienangeboten, winter semester 2025/26 (German, PDF)
• TU Dresden: Selection results for restricted master's programmes, winter 2025/26 (German, PDF)
• Interstate treaty on university admission (Staatsvertrag über die Hochschulzulassung), Art. 9 and 10 (German)
• Bremen: Studienplatzvergabeverordnung, §§ 26 and 32 (German)
• Baden-Württemberg: Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HZVO), §§ 8, 22 and Annex 5 (German, PDF)
• Bavarian University Admission Act (BayHZG), Art. 5 (German)
• Berlin: Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt No. 6 of 7 March 2025, p. 149 (German, PDF)
• Brandenburg: Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HZV), §§ 17–20 (German)
• Hamburg: Hamburgisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 2025 No. 1, university admission act (German, PDF)
• Hesse: Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HHZV), Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 2019 No. 26 (German, PDF)
• Hesse: Hochschulzulassungsgesetz (HHZG), Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 2019 No. 21 (German, PDF)
• Lower Saxony: Hochschulzulassungsgesetz (NHZG), Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt 2026 No. 49 (German, PDF)
• University of Rostock: Admission statute (URZS), § 4 (German, PDF)
• North Rhine-Westphalia: Vergabeverordnung NRW, §§ 12 and 26 (German, PDF)
• Saxony: Studienplatzvergabeverordnung, § 28 (German)
• Saxony: Hochschulzulassungsgesetz (SächsHZG), § 6 (German)
• Schleswig-Holstein: Hochschulzulassungsverordnung, §§ 47 and 57 (German, PDF)
• University of Stuttgart: Official notice 15/2020, M.Sc. Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design (German, PDF)
• TU Hamburg: Satzung über das Studium, §§ 4–5 (German, PDF)
• University of Freiburg: Selection statute for foreign applicants in medicine (German, PDF)
• Berlin House of Representatives: Drs. 18/21426, applications by origin at Berlin universities (German, PDF)
• DAAD/DZHW: Wissenschaft weltoffen 2026 (German, PDF)
• Baden-Württemberg State Parliament: Drs. 17/9440, foreign students in medicine (German, PDF)
• DAAD: Application process
• uni-assist: Pay and submit
• uni-assist: VPD
• APS India: Information leaflet for students with a Bachelor or Master degree (valid as of October 2026)
• APS India: Digital Master Test (dMAT) (page dated 6 November 2026)
• RWTH Aachen: Master's application for international applicants
• University of Europe for Applied Sciences: How to apply, master's
• University of Europe for Applied Sciences: Fees and finance
• BSBI: Postgraduate application
• Gisma: Tuition fees and funding
• IU International University: Tuition fees
• SRH University: Applied Computer Science (M.Sc.)
• Destatis: Private Hochschulen, statistical report 2024 (German)