Top Ranked Cities in Germany for International Students

With a world-class education, low-to-nil tuition costs, excellent infrastructure, leading research opportunities and multiple student scholarships, Germany is among the Top 5 student destinations (ranking by UNESCO) around the world.

This blog explores some popular reasons to study in Germany; the best student cities for master’s and UG in Germany; and top universities in Germany, with exclusive details regarding scholarships and rankings by subject as well. So, if you are looking to study in Germany, this is the blog for you!

Reasons Why You Should Study in Germany

Free Tuition:  Yes, you heard it right! Public universities in Germany for undergraduate students charge no tuition fee at all. Students are required to pay a nominal fee [around €350 (~US$400)] covering administration, student support and other costs.

For master’s students who have completed a related bachelor’s program in Germany, the tuition for a master’s degree program remains low; however, for ‘non-consecutive’ students, the tuition cost can be around €10,000 (~US$11,500) per semester.

Quality Education: A hub for research and innovation, Germany boasts of 45 universities that are counted among the best universities in the QS World University Rankings® 2021 (including eight in the Top 150). Moreover, every major German city has at least one university ranked among the top universities globally. A total of 14 German universities make the world’s Top 250, and 30 are included within the world’s Top 500, with around 19,000 English taught programs to cater to international students.

Scholarships: Apart from minimal tuition fees, Germany offers many scholarships such as DAAD Scholarships offered by The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Deutschland Stipendium offers scholarships of €300 a month based on the academic excellence of students. Moreover, students can get Erasmus+ scholarships led by the European Commission which provides funding to students in exchange programs to study in Europe.

Diverse Student Population: Catering to more than 200,000 international students, Germany hosts people from diverse cultural backgrounds, making it all the more fun to live and learn from the diverse experiences of people.

Employability: Germany is a hub of world-class universities. Four of its universities in the Top 100 German universities rank high in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) ranks 36 and RWTH Aachen University ranks 63.

Top-Ranked Student Cities in Germany

Germany has three cities: Munich and Berlin in fourth and fifth spots, respectively, followed by Stuttgart (68) as per the 2020 QS Rankings Best City.

MUNICH

Munich is home to the famous Oktoberfest known for its unlimited beer and six million visitors. The third-largest city in Germany, Munich is ranked 4^th in the Best Student City Ranking (QS World University Rankings 2020) in the world. Amidst the beautiful Bavarian landscape, Munich is highly credited for its refined architecture attributed to its art galleries, castles, a Gothic Revival wonder, etc. As a hub for multiple destinations contributing to its literary and artistic repertoire, you can never get bored in Munich.

Places to Visit: Munich Residenz, Marienplatz, and the Neues Rathaus, Frauenkirche, Asamkirche (Asam Church), and Englischer Garten (English Garden) are some of the top places to visit in Munich, showcasing some of the most sophisticated architectures in the world.

Prestigious Universities in Munich: Technical University of Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich University of Applied Sciences.

Scholarships: There are many student scholarships in Munich based on the level of education and universities. The Technical University of Munich provides a one-time financial aid between €500 and €1,500 per semester offered by the Bavarian government. Ludwig Maximilian University has a dedicated LMU Scholarship Office and Student Services Organisation to help students with their funding needs.

Additionally, TUM is the best place for new start-ups to go for support and funding (Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany’s Gründungsradar 2013 rankings).

BERLIN

The capital city of Germany, Berlin is one of the most sought-after student cities in Germany. Ranked 5^th in the Best Student City Ranking (QS World University Rankings 2020), Berlin is home to some of the most renowned universities.

With 180 museums, Berlin showcases sophisticated art and culture in its very being. A “laid back” city competing with London and New York in terms of the cool factor, Berlin is the second home (away from home) for many international students.

Places to Visit in Berlin: The Brandenburg Gate, The Rebuilt Reichstag, Museum Island, Berlin Wall Memorial, German Historical Museum are some of the best destinations to visit in Berlin.

Prestigious Universities: Berlin has three universities ranked within the world’s Top 150 in the QS World University Rankings with the Humboldt University of Berlin (ranked 121^st), the Free University of Berlin (ranked 130^th) and the Technical University of Berlin (ranked 147^th). Additionally, ESCP Europe, GISMA Business School and ESMT Berlin are some of the high-class B-schools in Berlin contributing to the pool of universities for an MBA in Germany.

Scholarships: Apart from multiple DAAD scholarships, the Einstein International Postdoctoral Fellowship offers funding for postdoctoral research in Berlin. Also, the GeT MA Scholarships for International Students are offered by the Humboldt University of Berlin and the Hochschule Hof International Scholarships funding approx. € 8037.64 along, with the ‘Go Clean Scholarship’- covers € 3136.26 in TU Berlin.

STUTTGART

The “cradle of automobiles”- Stuttgart, the capital city of Baden-Württemberg is ranked 68^th in the Best Student City Ranking (QS World University Rankings 2020). A city amidst the bounty of nature, Stuttgart is a haven for musical and cultural activities such as opera, ballet festivals, philharmonic events and travel fairs.

Stuttgart provides a space that suits and complements people of different personalities as one can also build strong social networks, go hiking, ski and snowboard and enjoy the famous annual Cannstatter Volksfest.

Additionally, Stuttgart is a highly desired destination for engineering and technology graduates as it has the headquarters of major automobile companies such as Porsche, Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, and Dinkelacker.

Places to visit: Ludwigsburg Palace, Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden, and the Württemberg Mausoleum, etc. are some of the destinations for your bucket list.

Prestigious Universities: 85^th in the Employer Activity rank and 17^th in the Affordability rank, the University of Stuttgart is the best in Stuttgart. With its interdisciplinary integration of engineering, natural, cultural and social sciences, the University of Stuttgart is highly accredited in top-flight disciplinary research. The University of Hohenheim and Stuttgart Media University is also considered best universities in Stuttgart.

Scholarships: The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has a range of scholarships.

Please check out our exclusive list of the top universities in Germany with the top subjects, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020:

Are you interested in pursuing your higher studies in Germany? If yes, book a session with our experts immediately!

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