Top 5 Affordable Private Universities in Germany for International Students
One country where the majority of the international students are looking with hopeful eyes is Germany. Germany is known for its tremendous and robust economy; it is considered one of the safest countries in the world and is home to some of the extraordinary automobile companies, such as Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, etc. But the one thing that attracts the international students most to incline towards Germany is free education. Yes, in 2014, Germany took some initiatives and made the tuition fee zero in public universities (exceptions are there, such as the Technical University of Munich) for not only domestic students but also for international students. Germans believe that education is a right for everyone, and German public universities are backed by government funds.
German universities are very prestigious and always find a spot when it comes to academic excellence. The country is known for its forte, which is engineering, technology, and science, and after completion of the program, it allows students to apply for a job seeker visa for 18 months and look for jobs. As far as permanent residency is concerned, if you learn B1-level German and have an EU blue card, you can get permanent residency within 21 months, which is quite fast when compared to other developed nations.
It looks lucrative that German public universities just ask for a semester fee and not a tuition fee, but the competition is so high that only a few of the students receive the offer letter from these universities, whereas private universities charge around 10,000-15,000 euros per year for bachelor programmes and 10,000-20,000 euros for master programmes. For some students it is high, but still, it is less than the hot study destinations such as the USA, UK, Australia and Canada, and of course private universities offer those programs as well, which are high in demand and offered by very few German public universities, such as computer science, gerontology, optometry, etc.
Why choose a private university over a public university in Germany?
Lots of Competition
As mentioned above, there is huge competition when it comes to applying to German public universities. There are 20,000 degree programs offered by German institutions, and 90% of these are offered by public institutions. Therefore, there is a high number of applicants who prefer to choose public universities, which set the benchmarks very high. On the other hand, private universities have less competition.
Admission Process
German public universities are strict when it comes to providing offer letters to the students, as not only EU citizens prefer to study in Germany, but also other nations, whether it is the US, the UK, Canada, or any South Asian countries. Everyone thinks of saving money by pursuing studies in German universities, which results in the admission process being very tough and allowing only merit GPA or quality students to be eligible to apply. On the other hand, since the private universities in Germany are supported by the government, tuition fees, and private funding, the admission process can be a little lenient; in the end, they are functioning on the tuition fees of the students. It is a very common practice that sometimes, if the student is not meeting the eligibility criteria, they do offer prep courses to meet the criteria.
Smaller Class Size
Public universities in Germany have very big classrooms, and sometimes you find yourself in a class of 150-200 students, which makes it harder for professors to give personalised support or feedback. On the contrary, private institutions provide smaller class sizes, and the faculty can offer personalised attention to the students.
English-Taught- Programs
Many popular programs are not offered in English by the German public universities, which makes it very hard for students to study the subject or create a compulsion to learn the German language. Public German institutions prioritise serving local students.
Student Support
The public institutions in Germany offer a less friendly support system. Academic advice and one-on-one mentoring are typically less prevalent. Job fairs, résumé seminars, and internships are less frequent or poorly run. A counselling centre might exist, but it typically has significant wait periods and is understaffed, whereas for private institutions, robust and strong industry connections are a big selling point. They provide career counselling, internship placements, and extraordinary networking events.
As every coin has two aspects, now we are also aware of what the main benefits of studying at private universities in Germany are. Of course, public universities are good at research, but when it comes to offering industry-demand programs, campus engagement, and innovation, they play a significant role. Let’s learn about some of the best private universities in Germany, which not only provide solid academics but also an affordable fee structure.
Affordable Private Universities in Germany
- IU International University of Applied Sciences
- University of Witten/ Herdecke
- SRH Berlin
- University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE)
- Macromedia University of Applied Sciences
- IU International University of Applied Sciences
Founded – 1998
Campus – Bad Honnef, Köln
Average Fee Structure – 3,500–5,500 Euro per year (Lucrative scholarships up to 75% to international students)
Popular Programs – Engineering, Data Science, IT & Business.
- University of Witten/Herdecke
Founded – 1982
Campus – Witten, Arnsberg
Average Fee Structure – 2,000-5,000 Euro per year
Popular Programs – Health, Psychology, Management, Social Data Science.
- SRH Berlin
Founded – 2002
Campus – Berlin,
Average Fee Structure – 7,000-11,000 Euro per year
Popular Programs – Engineering, Design, Business, Psychology.
- University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE)
Founded – 2017
Campus – Iserlohn, – Iserlohn, Arnsberg
Average Fee Structure – 8,000-12,000 Euro per year
Popular Programs – Tech, Art & Design, Business, Sports Management.
- Macromedia University of Applied Sciences
Founded – 2006
Campus – Munich
Average Fee Structure – 7,000-10,000 Euro per year
Popular Programs – Management, Communication, Design, Media, etc.
One more interesting thing about private universities in Germany is that they focus on adaptability, which means they design the program according to the needs of the students. It is the student’s call to decide whether a private university would be helpful for his career or a public one. The one thing that we can conclude is that German institutions are widely known for their excellent education system. This is why international students prefer to take admission in Europe’s largest economy.
If you are curious to know more about Germany and its high-paying jobs for International students, then check out the link given
