Germany has quietly become one of the best-value destinations in the world for a taught master's — strong universities, a huge range of English-taught programmes, and, at most public universities, no tuition fees at all. Here's how to plan it.
The headline: often no tuition
Public universities in most German states charge international master's students no tuition for consecutive master's programmes — you pay only a semester contribution of roughly €150–370, which usually bundles a local transport pass. On our university pages these appear as "No tuition fee". See verified options across German universities — LMU Munich, the Free University of Berlin, RWTH Aachen, Bonn, Göttingen and more.
One exception: Bavaria (and a few private/technical universities like TUM) has introduced non-EU tuition, so always confirm on the specific programme page.
What you'll actually spend
Tuition-free is not cost-free. Budget for:
- Living costs — the student visa requires you to prove roughly €11,900 per year in a blocked account.
- Health insurance, the semester contribution, and visa fees.
Even so, the total is dramatically lower than the UK, US or Australia because the biggest line — tuition — is gone.
English-taught programmes exist in force
You don't need German for many master's, especially in the sciences, engineering, economics and public policy — though some German (A1–B1) helps for daily life and is occasionally required.
Intake and timing
Most German universities start in the winter semester (October), with application deadlines often in the preceding spring/summer. A subset offer a summer-semester (April) intake. Check each programme's verified intake month on our university pages, and line up any scholarship (DAAD, Deutschlandstipendium, Erasmus Mundus) deadlines early.
English test still required
You'll usually need IELTS ~6.5 or equivalent — check the tests pages for the exact range and prepare accordingly.
Germany rewards early, organised applicants. Start from the verified Germany destination page, then match funding for living costs with the scholarship matcher.