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In this article we'll tell you how to enter a German university, what the requirements are, and how much it costs to study there.
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Admission to a German university immediately after school is close to impossible. You will first need to study at a Studienkolleg or pursue a year of undergraduate studies in your country. In this article, we will tell you how to enter a German university, what the requirements are, and how much it costs to study there.
You can read about higher education and German universities in separate articles.
| Program | Min. age | Duration | Min. cost | Avg. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University preparation in a public Studienkolleg | 16+ | 1 year | Free | 339 USD/year |
| University preparation in a private Studienkolleg | 16+ | 1 year | 3,390 USD/year | 11,300 USD/year |
| College | 15+ | 1-2 years | 452 USD/year | 811 USD/year |
| Bachelor's degree at a public university | 17+ | 3-4 years | Free | 3,390 USD/year |
| Bachelor's degree in a private university | 17+ | 3-4 years | 6,780 USD/year | 13,560 USD/year |
| MBA | 22+ | 1-2 years | 14,916 USD/year | 45,200 USD/year |
| Master's degree | 22+ | 2 years | Free | 9,763 USD/year |
| Doctorate degree | 24+ | 3-4 years | Free | 7,910 USD/year |
| Expenses | Average Cost |
| Exams | 243 USD |
| Registration fees | 73 USD |
| Flights | 203 USD |
| Rent | 734 USD/month |
| Meals | 678 USD/month |
| Insurance | 90 USD/month |
| Study materials | 56 USD/semester |
First, decide on a specialty and research as many corresponding programs as possible at German universities. Then, make a list of 5-10 eligible universities and enter them in a table along with the average scores and admission requirements. You can add further information according to other criteria: the availability of scholarships, exchange programs, campus locations, and so on. When choosing a university, we advise you to pay close attention to these four points:
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Advanced searchYou will not be able to enter a university in Germany immediately after 11th grade. The reason is that German students study for 12 and sometimes 13 years depending on the region. As such, the same level of education is required from foreign students.
Thus, before you go to Germany for a bachelor's degree, you need to complete an additional academic year. To do this, you can:
You can enter other levels (master's degree, PhD) without special restrictions. It is enough to go through the procedure for recognizing educational documents.
Additional requirements:
Sometimes, you can improve your chances of admission if you take the TestAS, a standardized test for assessing academic performance. It is specially designed for international students. In some universities, such as the universities of Cologne and Aachen, this test is required.
Upon admission to higher education programs, the assessment and recognition of certificates, degrees, and diplomas is carried out by the university when considering a student’s application. Often, universities use the Uni-Assist service to do so. This service checks whether the necessary documents were presented and if they comply with the requirements of the university. In this case, additional procedures, including legalization, are not required. It is enough to certify the translation of the diploma/certificate into German at the German consulate.
Depending on the chosen university and program, Uni-Assist can:
For employment, in most cases it is enough to obtain a certificate of comparability — Zeugnisbewertung — with the help of the Central Bureau for the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications — Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB). This document does not constitute a recognition of a diploma, but only contains an evaluative comparison with German qualifications, which employers often ask for. The cost of the certificate is 226 USD[1].
Documents for obtaining a certificate of comparability in ZAB depend on the country in which the diploma was obtained[2]. General requirements:
Professional pre-training and externship certificates cannot be recognized as equivalent to German qualifications[3].
Official professional recognition of a diploma in Germany is necessary if:
You can check whether the chosen profession requires recognition and clarify the list of documents using the Annerkungs-Finder service. Before applying, it is also worth checking whether the university that issued the diploma is accredited in Germany.
The result of the assessment of documents can be:
A Studienkolleg is a special educational institution for foreigners who want to study in Germany. It is sometimes called a preparatory program. All studies are in German. The training lasts 1 year. The path to a German university through Studienkolleg is suitable for those who want to leave for Germany immediately after high school graduation.
Admission to a preparatory program takes place together with the application to a university. First, the latter reviews the application and then — if you pass for admission — the university itself directs you to a certain Studienkolleg. For example, if you are applying to the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you will be directed by them to the Bavarian Studienkolleg. There, you will undergo a one-year training, pass final exams, and only after showing good results, will you study at TUM.
Studienkollegs, like universities, are divided into public and private. As a rule, those who have not received a referral to a public Studienkolleg go to private ones. The price for them starts from 6,215 USD and can go up to 12,430 USD per year, depending on the city.
Submission of documents takes place online through the official portal of the German Center for International Education Uni-Assist. Typically, applications are accepted until July 12-15 if the study starts in the winter semester, and until January 12-15 if it starts in the summer semester.
Applicants are accepted only after an entrance test (Aufnahmetest). It evaluates the level of the German language and basic knowledge in the chosen field.
You can sign up for the final exams by preparing independently (externe Feststellungsprüfung) without studying at a Studienkolleg. To do this, the student must provide the following documents:
However, we still advise you to complete full training at a Studienkolleg. It is extremely difficult to pass the FSP yourself. Plus, you not only improve your knowledge of German and prepare for admission at a Studienkolleg, but also get to know the culture of the country and make new friends. And in general, the education system in Germany is different from that of other countries, so in order to get used to the future workload at the university, it is better to take a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg.
If you finished 11th grade or college — you first have to take a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg. You will receive a referral to a Studienkolleg when you enter the university.
After completing the preparatory courses and successfully passing the FSP final exam, you must again apply to the chosen university. For many of them, this is simply a formality and you will be automatically accepted. If you decide to enroll in another university, you can apply with the same FSP results and certificate. You do not need to go through Studienkolleg training again.
For those who studied at a private Studienkolleg, the procedure is the same. You take the FSP and provide your high school diploma and language certificate when applying to the university. Just be sure that the private Studienkolleg offers graduates to take the FSP, which is recognized throughout the country.
You can apply to a German university directly, without the Studienkolleg stage. This option is suitable for school graduates who have already completed a year of undergraduate studies in their country. In this case, your specialty must correspond to the German program you wish to enroll in. Also, be sure to check if your university is recognized in Germany. This can be done on the Anabin site.
Document submission is usually supervised by the Uni-Assist service. That being said, admission to specialties regulated by national quotas requires additional registration.
Germany has a system called Numerus clausus that limits the number of places for study. In this regard, universities can be conditionally divided into three groups:
Dates for document submission may differ if the university uses the VPD procedure (Vorprüfungsdokumentation) — a preliminary assessment of diplomas from previous education. Because the processing of a VPD request takes from 4 to 6 weeks[8], you will need to upload your documents to the website in advance.
To be admitted to a master's program, you must go through the procedure of recognizing your previous degree. If you are rejected, you will need to study for one year at a Studienkolleg. There is no centralized submission of documents for master's programs, but some universities are connected to the Uni-Assist system to collect applications from foreign students. Acceptance of documents for the winter semester ends in mid-July, and for the summer semester in mid-January.
Some universities may establish additional selection criteria in the form of entrance examinations and interviews. This usually applies to educational institutions with an admission quota (Numerus clausus). They can request GMAT, GRE, and other exam results, course descriptions, research plans, or proof of work experience in a relevant field.
Doctoral studies in Germany are divided into individual and structured.
Individual studies equate to independent research work supervised by one scientific advisor (Doktorvater/Doktomutter). There is no compulsory attendance, deadlines, and strict adherence to the curriculum.
You cannot apply for this program without an application from a supervisor. In addition, there is no central admission system for doctoral students in Germany. Therefore, you will have to look for a curator for your research on your own. You can take advantage of the following resources[9]:
Structured doctoral studies are often conducted by international or private universities. Attendance at lectures and seminars is compulsory. You may also expect mid-term certification in topics related to your research. The advantage here is in a large number of English-language programs. You need to apply directly to the university.
Despite the fact that most programs at German universities are free, this rule does not apply to all universities. The cost of living in Germany can also be quite high for international students. For this reason, the German government and international student organizations offer a large number of scholarships and grants to applicants.
Regardless of whether you are applying for a bachelor’s or master’s program, there are three types of scholarships in Germany.
An exception is the Deutschlandstipendium. This is a national program, but the selection process is carried out independently by universities. They often publish their information in German, which is why international students are late in learning about this opportunity. Everyone, regardless of the country or degree, can participate in this program.
To study in Germany, you will need to obtain a national visa that allows you to stay in the country for more than 90 days. Such visas are of two types — for students and applicants. The main difference is that in order to receive the first, you must provide confirmation of admission to a German university. The applicant's visa is valid for three months and can be extended for another six in the case of, for example, enrollment in language or short preparatory courses[10].
To apply for a visa, you will need the following documents:
The visa fee is 73 USD.
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