Education in Germany
Study and training routes, and how to check where your qualification takes you.
Germany offers two genuinely different routes: university study, where tuition at public institutions is low or free and the competition is academic, and Ausbildung, where you are employed and paid while training in a profession.
Which is open to you depends on how your existing qualification is assessed in Germany, and that is a factual question with an official answer. The databases below are what universities and authorities actually consult, so checking your own certificates there is the sensible first step.
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Checked against the relevant official sources, with the date each figure was last verified.
German language courses: integration courses, VHS and job-related German
How to choose between an integration course, a general German class, a Volkshochschule course and BAMF job-related language support.
9 min read · updated August 2026
Qualification recognition for study and training in Germany
How anabin, uni-assist and Recognition in Germany answer different questions about school certificates, university admission and professional qualifications.
9 min read · updated August 2026
Ausbildung: vocational training in Germany
Ausbildung is paid vocational training that combines working in a company with attending a vocational school. It is a recognised qualification, not a stopgap, and it is one of the most realistic routes into working life in Germany.
13 min read · updated August 2026
Bachelor’s degrees in Germany
What it takes to start an undergraduate degree in Germany: how your school certificate is assessed, when a Studienkolleg is required, what the language requirements really are, and how the application actually works.
14 min read · updated August 2026
Master’s degrees in Germany
Germany has the largest selection of English-taught Master’s programmes in continental Europe, most of them at public universities charging no tuition. The difficulty is not cost but admission: every programme sets its own requirements.
13 min read · updated August 2026
Studienkolleg: the preparatory year
A Studienkolleg is a one-year preparatory course for applicants whose school certificate is not treated as equivalent to the German Abitur. It ends in an examination that gives you a university entrance qualification.
9 min read · updated August 2026
Doing a PhD in Germany
German doctorates are usually free of tuition and frequently paid, because a doctoral researcher is often an employee rather than a student. The hard part is finding a supervisor, not affording the degree.
10 min read · updated August 2026
Scholarships and funding for study in Germany
Because public universities charge little or no tuition, German scholarships mostly fund living costs rather than fees. That changes which ones are worth pursuing, and how the applications are judged.
9 min read · updated August 2026
How university applications work in Germany
There is no single national application system for international applicants. Depending on the university and the subject, your application goes through uni-assist, directly to the institution, or through Hochschulstart. Sending it down the wrong channel usually means it is not considered.
9 min read · updated August 2026
What studying in Germany actually costs
Tuition is usually the smallest part of the bill. The real costs are rent, health insurance and the money you have to prove you hold before a visa is issued.
9 min read · updated August 2026
Studying in Germany as an international student
The whole path in order: checking your qualification, choosing a programme, applying, the visa, arriving, and the administrative sequence in the first fortnight that everything else depends on.
12 min read · updated August 2026
English-taught degree programmes in Germany
Germany has one of the widest selections of English-taught degrees in continental Europe, much of it tuition-free at public universities. The provision is heavily skewed towards Master’s level, and towards particular subjects.
8 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from Bangladesh
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from Bangladesh: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from India
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from India: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from Pakistan
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from Pakistan: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from Nepal
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from Nepal: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from Sri Lanka
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from Sri Lanka: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Study in Germany from Nigeria
The realistic routes into German education for applicants from Nigeria: degree study, vocational training, and the preparatory year. What to check first, in what order, and where the official decisions are actually made.
11 min read · updated August 2026
Calculators for this topic
Do not assume a qualification outcome from a forum post. Check your own certificates in anabin and confirm requirements with the university’s international office in writing.
Open the checklistOfficial resources
The authorities and portals that decide or publish the rules in this area.
Studying in Germany
DAAD — German Academic Exchange Service
Guidance on degree programmes, admission, funding and research for international students.
Visit official websiteStudying in Germany, opens in a new tabHochschulkompass — degree programme search
German Rectors’ Conference (HRK)
The authoritative directory of German universities and their current Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral programmes.
Visit official websiteHochschulkompass — degree programme search, opens in a new tabCheck university admission
uni-assist e.V.
Tool for checking how your school-leaving or university qualification is treated for German admission.
Visit official websiteCheck university admission, opens in a new tabanabin — database of foreign qualifications
Central Office for Foreign Education (KMK)
The official database showing how foreign institutions and qualifications are assessed in Germany.
Visit official websiteanabin — database of foreign qualifications, opens in a new tabScholarship database
DAAD
Searchable scholarship database covering DAAD and other funding programmes by degree and country.
Visit official websiteScholarship database, opens in a new tabVocational training in Germany
Make it in Germany
Federal overview of how Ausbildung works and who can apply from abroad.
Visit official websiteVocational training in Germany, opens in a new tabFrequently asked questions
anabin, maintained by the Central Office for Foreign Education, shows how German authorities assess foreign institutions and qualifications. uni-assist also offers a check for university admission. Outcomes depend on your individual certificates.
Public universities charge little or no tuition for most programmes, but there is a semester contribution set by each university, and you still need to cover living costs. Some Master’s programmes and private institutions do charge fees.
A vocational training route that may combine paid company work with vocational school, or be school-based. Language and entry requirements depend on the occupation, provider and any visa route.