Public Universities in Germany for International Students

As an international student, you primarily have three concerns: Budget, socializing, and education. 

While you can solve the socializing problem relatively quickly if you know the language and customs well, the problem of budgeting and education can be quite hard. Well, if you want to study in Germany and become an international student here, budgeting and education may not even be much of an issue at all. Why? It is because of the availability of public German Universities for International Students.

Although you will need to take deep care about your German language and your life in Germany as a foreign student, you can manage the cost of living and studies in Germany quite well with excellent education if you manage to get into one of the public universities in Germany. 

Why? These universities have some of the lowest educational prices, and they provide some of the best universities in Germany. 

But before we talk about all of these universities, do you know what a Public German University is?

What is a Public University?

Public Universities in Germany are the universities that provide education at a low fee. The reason behind this cheap fee is that instead of relying on private organizations for funds, these universities are funded by the public through the governmental state. This is the gist of what a public university is. 

However, if you are an international student, the definition of a public university in Germany for international students may not matter at all. What matters most to an international student in a public university in Germany is tuition fees, admission criteria, graduates' employability, and scholarships. 

How much does it cost to Study at a Public University for International Students?

The majority of Public Universities don't charge any tuition fees. Instead of tuition fees, the universities charge semester fees as cheap as 140 Euro and don't exceed 1521 euros. 

Although this may seem like a lot of money, it is relatively cheap compared to private universities which can cost as much as 30,000 euros. 

Suppose you are wondering why public universities are virtually free. In that case, Germans believe that regardless of who enters these public universities, they will eventually become employees in Germany. 

This is not an unbiased belief because most international students who get an education in Germany do indeed get employed in Germany after graduation regardless of their nationality. 

What are the admission criteria to study in a Public University in Germany for International Students?

Although the criteria for application vary depending on the university, the criteria for public universities for international students are generally higher when compared to public universities. Because you will be virtually studying on the people's funds, the university needs students that can stand above the rest and contribute the most to the nation. 

Because of this very reason, to get admission to a Public University in Germany, you will need to maintain a few factors.

Some of the admission criteria for public universities in Germany for international students:

• Get first division or above 3 GPA or equivalent to the first division in SLC/ SEE

• Get grades equivalent to first division or above 3.0 in +2 or other equivalent education faculty

• If you are applying for a bachelor's straight after 10+2, you must attend a year of additional cost called Studienkolleg

• Have a study financial backup

• Have a minimum German language fluency of B1; however, you are recommended to get a higher level of German Language Fluency if you can.

These are the application criteria for public universities in Germany for International Students. 

But what is the employability of the graduates?

What is the Graduate Employability of public universities in Germany for international students?

In general, the employment rate of those who graduate from public universities is a bit higher than those who graduate from private universities. However, this cannot be credited to the education quality since the general quality in these universities is the same. The differences come from the entrance criteria, which we have already discussed. 

Because the public universities only accept students with exceptional qualifications, we can quickly expect the graduates to be exceptional. They have a better starting point. Meanwhile, in private universities in Germany, everyone is accepted as long as they can pay the fees. Some of those people can be pretty dumb. They may not necessarily be focused on education or gaining qualifications which decrease the average graduate employment at a private university by a minuscule amount. 

Now that we have covered the basic gist of everything you need to know about public universities in Germany as an international student, let's talk about 7 of the best.

What are some Best Public Universities in Germany for International Students?

Germany has a lot of universities and a lot of them are quite good. However here we will focus only on the Public Universities of Germany. If you are curious about the top Universities in Germany, you can read our article covering that as well.

As we have already mentioned, these universities have high qualification requirements and only take some of the best students in Germany. Those who are qualified to enter these universities are among the best students in the world. Because of this, they also have some of the best results and international rankings in the world. 

Besides this, these public universities in Germany are also home to some of the best teachers and experienced guides in the world. Keeping this in mind, let's take a look at 5 of the best Public Universities in Germany. 

General overview of Cost of Public Universities in Germany

1)  Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München)

• German University Rank: 1

• Global Rank: 50

• Location: Arcisstraße 21, 80333 München, Germany

• Fee: € 147 per year for those in Munich, Garching and Weihenstephan)

  • € 62 per year for students of Straubing 

  • € 92 per annum for students in heilbronn

This is the best University in Germany - not just the top public German university. The reason behind their university ranking is quite simple. They provide quality education, have some of the best student environments, and are Germany's most outstanding teachers. Their education is of the highest tier, and they focus on practical learning with a theoretical base. 

Besides this, Technische Universität München is also known for its supportive environment and curiosity-driven programs that steer its students to learn more. If you are getting curious about the courses you can take at this university, some of their best courses are: 

• Computer Science

• Engineering

• Natural Sciences

• Data and Analytics

• Information Technology

• Mathematics

• Architecture.

Because of all of these reasons combined, this university is now home to around 40,000 students, among which roughly 30% are international students in Germany who want to study abroad in Germany. 

2)  University of Heidelberg (Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg)

• German University Rank: 2

• Global Rank: 63

• Location: Grabengasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

• Fee: € 1500 per semister 

This university, also known as Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, is one of the top public universities in Germany. As you may have seen, this is the third-best University in Germany and the 64th among the top Universities in Germany. 

Offering 160 different degrees, the University of Heidelberg has one of the richest histories in Germany. Founded in 1386, this is the oldest University in Germany. This university is packed with tons of experience and experts in Germany. The education environment is focused on learning via experience, and they have a principle of reaching the end steadily but surely. 

If you want to study at this prestigious university, you can do so at a price of 1500 per semester or 3000 euros per year. Some of the study programs that you can get at this university are:

• Accounting

• Acting

• Art

• Athletics Coaching

• Biochemistry

• Biology

• Business Administration

• Chemistry

• Communication

• Computer Science

• Criminology

• Economics

• Education

• Educator Endorsements

• Psychology

• Self-Designed Studies

• Sociology

• Spanish

• Sport Management

• Theater

• Theater Education

And more. Regardless of what you are interested in, as long as you have the qualifications to join the university, they have got you covered. 

3)  Ludwig Maximilians Universität München

• German University Rank: 3

• Global Rank: 64

• Location: Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 München, Germany

• Fee: € 300 per year for 8 + hour per week per semester

  • € 200 euros per year for 5 to 8 hour per week per semester

  • € 100 euros per year for 5 or less hour per week per semester

Although this is not the best University in Germany, it is still the second-best University in Germany. Ludwig Maximilians Universität München is among the top universities in Germany. It is simple as well; they have some of the best teachers and teaching environments for the students and the best facilities. 

Besides this,  Ludwig Maximilians Universität München or Ludwig Maximilian University Munich was established in 1472, which was right during the middle ages. Because of this long history, Ludwig Maximilians Universität Mnich has the experience and history of providing a good education for their students. 

Here are some study programs that you can take at this university. 

• Data Science

• Honors Degree Technology Management

• Human Biology — Principles of Health and Disease

• Neuro-Cognitive Psychology

• Osteuropastudien

• Quantitative Economics

• Theoretical and Mathematical Physics

Needless to say, with this extensive history, rich experience. With qualified teachers and a perfect environment for their students, Ludwig Maximilians Universität Mnich is one of the best public German universities in Germany for International Students. 

4)  Humboldt University Berlin

• German University Rank: 4

• Global Rank: 117

• Location: Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany

• Fee: € 315 per year

Known as Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin in Germany, this is a rather old university with some of the best educational qualifications in all of Germany. Also known as the Mother of All Modern Universities, they teach the concept of learning through mistakes. 

Although the teaching concept may seem flawed in Humboldt university of berlin, it is an effective one. With some of the best teachers in the world and state of art facilities, this teaching method becomes extremely effective. 

However this university is slightly more expensive than other public universities in Germany, the cost of education is well worth the education at the Humboldt University of Berlin. If you want to join this university, you better get ready to make mistakes and learn to form them. Some of the study programs offered in this university are:

• American Studies

• Ancient Greek Studies

• Archaeology and Cultural History of North-East Africa

• Classical Archaeology

• Cultural Theory and History

• Education Studies

• English Studies

• European Ethnology

• Fine Art and Image History

• French Studies

• German Linguistics

• German Literature Studies

• German Studies

• German Linguistics

• Historical Linguistics

• Historical Sciences

So if you are someone who is into these topics, then this is one of the best public universities in Germany for international students. 

5)  Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

• German University  Rank: 6

• Global Rank: 131

• Location: 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

• Fee: € 1500 per semister 

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie or Karlsruher Institute for Technology in English is the most expensive public university on this list. With a semester cost of 750 euros, this is not meant for those who have a weak financial background. 

However, if you have suitable finance, then Karlsruher Institut für Technologie is one of the best public universities for you. This university focuses on being the entrepreneurs for innovation and entrepreneurship. The students in Germany are encouraged to take on personal projects and learn on their own. However, if the students have any confusion about their project, they can quickly seek guidance, and their team of experts will be ready to guide their students. 

As the name says, this university is focused on research and technology. Therefore if you want to study abroad in any of the following courses, you won't find a better public university in Germany for international students than this one. Some of the study programs taught in this university are:

• Mechanical Engineering (International)

• Mechanical Engineering (International) in Automotive Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering (International) in Energy Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering (International) in Global Production Management

Conclusion

Public universities are some of the cheapest forms of education in Germany. However, it is more challenging for one to get into public universities in Germany. Although this is the case, if you can get into these universities, you can leave the issue of the cost of living in Germany aside and focus on your education and life in Germany as an international student.

I hope this was helpful for you. And if you need a consulting service regarding studies in Germany, just contact us, and we will be here to solve all of your worries.