Study in Germany in English

There are alternative options. For example, the pan-European business school ESCP Europe offers the chance to study in the capital cities of three countries (London, Paris/Madrid and Berlin) on its Bachelor in Management program for €14,000 per year for EU students, or €19,000 (~US$21,280) per year for non-EU students.

ESCP Europe also offers graduate programs taught in English across all five of its European campuses (in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw), including the Master in Management program.

To study in Germany in English for free, you might want to look beyond the most famous universities in Germany, to consider institutions which are perhaps smaller, specialized or vocational in focus. For instance, you may consider Germany’s Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen), which offer more specialized pathways of learning to create highly skilled graduates in the science and technology sectors. This option can be good for those who already have a career path mapped out and wish to get practical skills in their field alongside a recognized degree.

Before applying, make sure to do some research regarding the institution’s reputation in your chosen field. You should also ensure that the institution offers the right qualifications for your career, as some only offer diplomas, rather than full degrees.

There are currently only a limited number of undergraduate English-language programs at top universities in Germany. Due to the scarce nature of these programs, if you really want to study at a leading university, you may have to be a little bit flexible on your choice of program.

Below is a short list of the opportunities available for undergraduates to study in English in Germany at universities featured in the QS World University Rankings®. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and new courses are being developed continuously, so it is important to conduct additional research yourself – using online searches, the DAAD, rankings, student sites/forums and other organizations offering advice and guidance.

• Universität Freiburg

As well as offering a range of English-language master’s programs, Universität Freiburg is also one of few German universities to offer a bachelor-level degree program taught in English, allowing international students to study for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc), depending on their major. Universität Freiburg has a strong international reputation, ranked joint 169^th in the QS World University Rankings® 2020.

• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, at 181^st in the world rankings, offers a BSc in Molecular Ecosystem Sciences which is taught in English. The school also offers a number of international graduate programs.

• Universitat Leipzig

You can study for a BA in American Studies and a BSc in International Physics Studies in English at Universitat Leipzig, which is currently ranked 531-540 in the world rankings.

• Berlin International University of Applied Sciences

All programs are taught in English at this University of Applied Sciences. However, you will need to pay tuition fees of €7,200 (~US$8,050). They offer programs in two faculties, Architecture and Design, plus Business Administration. The English-taught programs are: Master of Business Administration (MBA), MA Interior Design, BA Interior Design, BA Architecture, BA Product Design, BA Graphic Design & Visual Communication as well as BA Business Administration with either focus on International Management and Marketing or Organizational Psychology and Digital Business & Management as a separate program. 

• Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

A public university with an international orientation, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences offers various English-taught bachelors degrees, including International Relations, Sustainable Tourism and Gender Diversity. There are no tuition fees, so students only need to pay the semester fee, which currently amounts to €302.88 (~US$340).

• Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg – International master’s programs in English
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München – Graduate ‘English-taught courses’ (ETC)
• Technische Universität München (TUM) – International graduate programs in English
• Universität Freiburg – English-language master’s programs
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management - Range of programs taught in English
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – English-language graduate programs
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin – International master’s programs in English
• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen – International graduate programs in English
• RWTH Aachen University – International master’s programs in English
• Freie Universität Berlin – International master’s programs in English
• Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn – International master’s programs in English
• Universität Hamburg – Bilingual and English-language master’s programs
• ESCP Europe – International business and management master’s programs in English (based across ESCP campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw)
• Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg – A range of master's programs taught fully or partly in English

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list. For the full list of German universities featured in the QS World University Rankings 2020, visit this page. You can also find more information on international graduate programs offered at Germany’s leading institutions on the TU9 website, which has a list of courses available at the nine engineering and technology-focused universities which comprise the TU9 group.

For answers to all your queries about studying abroad in Germany, see our list of Frequently Asked Questions About Studying in Germany.

This article was originally published in February 2015. It is updated regularly, most recently in June 2019.

Want more content like this? Register for free site membership to get regular updates and your own personal content feed.