Study in Germany

The education in Germany is free for all.

It's a misconception among many of us that studying abroad in Germany will not be comfortable for non-German speaking students. German Universities and educational Institutes always keep international students in their mind whenever they design or renew their educational curriculum and all other related agenda. Educational instruction is optional so that one can choose English as medium of instruction while the environment encourages learning German language without imposing in with English but end up their Masters' program in the German language. A great number of study-abroad aspirants from all over the world choose Germany for their higher studies. The Federal Government of Germany supports and attracts international students by offering wide choice of fields of study.

Institutions of higher education are places of high-quality training and research and are key initiators of innovation in our country, which make a decisive contribution towards securing progress and prosperity. Germany has 394 institutions of higher education: of which 104 are universities, 6 colleges of education, 14 colleges of theology, 51 colleges of art, 189 universities of applied sciences and 30 colleges of public administration. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, there were over 1.996 million students in the 2008/2009 Winter Semester, approximately 48% of whom were women. Approximately two thirds of all students are registered at universities; just under 29 % attend a university of applied sciences. The number of first-year students reached a record high in the 2008/2009 academic year with over 386,500 new students. Since the introduction of the "Higher Education Pact 2020" in 2007, the share of first-year students in Germany as a percentage of a year group has risen by more than 20% to 39.1%.

Not many Stumbling Blocks

Students from all over the world study and research at one of the more than 300 universities in Germany. They're enrolled at universities that have a wide range of scientific fields on offer or at universities of applied science with very specific, application-oriented programs.

German universities are open to all interested students from abroad who fulfill the academic entrance requirements. The best place for information concerning prerequisites and needed language skills is the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). You have to prove that your language skills suffice before you begin studying. There are several examinations you can take.There is one exception, however: if you'd like to enroll in an international program taught in English at a German university, you usually don't have to prove your proficiency in the German language. Instead, you need to prove that your command of the English language is excellent - you might have to present your TOEFL score (Test of English as a Foreign Language), for instance.

All German universities have Academic offices for foreign students (Akademisches Auslandsamt). These are also good places to start.

Further Information

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)