PhD Cost In Germany

Cost of PhD in Germany For International Students

PhD in Germany with scholarship

How To Finance Your PhD in Germany

Germany’s 16 states abolished tuition fees for undergraduate students at all public German universities. This means that currently both domestic and international undergraduates at public universities in Germany can study for free, with just a small fee to cover administration and other costs per semester. Also here are PhD fees in Germany for international students, PhD in Germany with scholarship, PhD in Germany requirements, PhD in Germany in English, PhD in Germany with scholarship and PhD programs in Germany.

This good fortune may not last, however. In autumn 2017 the south-west state of Baden-Württemberg reintroduced tuition fees for non-EU students, and it’s possible other states will follow suit in the coming years. Non-EU students in Baden-Württemberg must now pay tuition fees of €1,500 (approx. US$1,697) per semester; or €3,000 (approx. US$3,395) per year. For now, the low fees certainly help to make studying in Germany an attractive option for prospective students, and the country is consistently been ranked as one of the most popular destination for international students in the world. 

Overview of fees

There are normally no tuition fees since the PhD programmes at universities and research institutions are publicly funded. At some universities, doctoral students have to pay an administrative fee per semester (Semesterbeitrag) which covers student services, public transport etc. Other than that, you will have to cover your living expenses including rent, food, clothing, telephone etc.

Breakdown of funding

Germany is keen to attract international PhD students in all disciplines and there is a wealth of funding opportunities available. As well as universities, there are also numerous funding programmes for highly talented students to carry out German doctoral studies within external research institutes.

More than 32,000 (source: Research In Germany.org) international PhD students are currently in receipt of funding in Germany, from a variety of sources. German industry and private companies make the largest contribution to funding PhD candidates and nurture talent through dual study programmes and internships. There are also a number of funding opportunities offered by non-university research organisations and over 20,000 foundations (source: DAAD) committed to promoting research also provide their own scholarships, bursaries and loans. You can find an overview of studying for a PhD in Germany.

What funding is available?

Funding for doctoral studies in Germany is available through universities, public and private funding bodies as well as numerous research foundations, charities, companies and European Union initiatives. Funding is provided for basic and specific research in virtually all areas, whether you are looking to follow a ‘traditional’ individual PhD route or through a structured doctoral programme route. In general, doctoral students in Germany either work on a research project (paid PhD position) or receive a scholarship. A scholarship is granted for a limited time – as a rule for two to three years – and students usually have to reapply every year.

Germany offers numerous funding sources for international doctoral candidates. The largest scholarship provider in Germany (and the world) is the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) which focuses on promoting the internationalization of German learning and research activities in all areas. The DAAD website features a vast database which can help doctoral candidates search all the scholarships, grants, bursaries and loans available.

The second largest funding body in Germany is the state-backed German Research Foundation (DFG) which brings together higher education institutions and other research organisations. The DFG funds research in all disciplines and provided support for over 14,000 individual doctoral projects in 2014.

Some non-university organisations such as the Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association and Fraunhofer Society, although not able to award doctorates themselves, collaborate with universities to offer doctoral scholarships and paid positions through their own research agendas and programmes. There are a multitude of further opportunities for PhD candidates to apply for funding, through public, private and EU-wide organisations. See below for more information.

Cost of living in Germany

While many students can study in Germany for free, living expenses are unavoidable. The cost of living in Germany is more expensive in some areas than others – Munich, for example, is considered the most expensive German city to live in. The average monthly living costs in Germany for a student are around €850 (~US$962).

Rent will be your largest monthly expense, though this is cheaper if you live in a shared flat (average rent of €280/~US$340 per month) or a student hall of residence (€234/~US$290 per month).

Based on data from DAAD, other average monthly costs are as follows:

• €168 (~US$205) for food
• €42 (~US$52) for clothes
• €94 (~US$115) for transport
• €31 (~US$38) for telephone, internet and TV license
• €20 (~US$25) for work/study materials
• €61 (~US$75) for leisure activities

To find living expenses for specific cities in Germany (and compare them to the average costs in your home city) Numbeo is a useful tool.

You won’t need a visa to study in Germany if you’re an EU national or citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Otherwise, expect to pay €75 (~US$85) for your student visa, but there are also fee reductions or waivers for Schengen visas. In order to fulfill the visa requirements, you will need to show proof you have, or have access to, around € 10,236 (~US$11,582) per year. 

Naturally, you will need to meet your living costs. Currently, anyone applying for a visa to study in Germany must be able to prove they have access to a minimum of roughly 10,236 euros a year. As a rule, this sum is not sufficient to cover all the costs. On average, according to a survey by the German National Association for Student Affairs, a student in Germany spends 918 euros a month on rent, food, clothing, travelling, work materials, leisure activities, etc.

Once you have enrolled at university, your list of expenditure will also include the semester fees that have to be paid when you re-register every six months. How high this fee is depends on the services that are included – for example, use of public transport. As a rule, it is between 80 and 410 euros. The student card you then receive allows you to pay lower fares on the bus, eat cheaply at the refectory and often pay reduced admission fees.

You will also need health insurance as a pre-condition of registering at a German university. If you’re a resident of a country within the EU or EEA, there should be a social security agreement between your country and Germany. This means that if you have public health insurance, you should be covered in Germany as well. If your health insurance isn’t valid in Germany, expect to pay around €80 (~US$97) per month to cover this.

Undergraduate costs to study in Germany

Although you can study for free at public German universities as an undergraduate, there is a charge per semester for enrolment, confirmation and administration. This is typically no more than €250 (~US$290) per semester but varies depending on the university. 

Most universities in Germany are public. Private institutions are usually dependent on tuition fees for their funding (though some also receive support from foundations), and set their own fees, which can be anything up to and beyond €20,000 a year (~US$24,400).

The Federal Student Financial Aid Program (BAföG: Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) can be used by both German nationals and EU students, as well as some foreigners under select conditions.

Generally, this aid is for those under 30 years old (under 35 if you’re studying for a master’s degree), but exceptions can be made depending on circumstance. The BAföG is usually split in two, with 50% taking the form of a state grant and the other half being an interest-free loan that must be paid back in instalments when the maximum period of assistance expires.

Master’s and postgraduate costs to study in Germany

Master’s degrees at German universities are usually free if they are classed as “consecutive” – i.e. following directly on from a related bachelor’s degree gained in Germany. Again, there is a small charge per semester for enrolment, confirmation and administration.

Tuition fees for “non-consecutive” master’s degrees, for those who have gained their bachelor’s degree elsewhere in the world, vary between universities and may be around €20,000 (~US$24,400) per year at public institutions and up to €30,000 (~US$36,600) at private German universities.

At PhD level, tuition is once again free at all universities in Germany – for the first six semesters at least. As at all levels of study, PhD students are also required to make a semester contribution of no more than €250 or so for administration and other costs. You can find out more about studying a PhD in Germany here. 

Scholarships to study in Germany 

The German Academic Exchange Service, otherwise known as the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst), provides support for German and international students to gain funding to live and study in Germany for free or at a more affordable cost. 

DAAD scholarships to study in Germany are offered to German and international students of all levels, as well as academics and researchers. To find relevant scholarships to study in Germany, you can search based on keywords, study level, country of origin and subject.

Another useful resource is the Federal Ministry of Education and Research or BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung), which hosts a site dedicated to providing information on scholarships to study in Germany.

Funding organisations

Here you will find a list of Germany’s major funding organisations, both public and private. Most organisations have searchable databases where you can input your research interests to find tailored information about grants, scholarships and loans.

1. DAAD: Germany’s largest scholarship provider
2. DFG: Science and research organization funded by the German Federal Government, providing grants and scholarships to students around the world.
3. Research in Germany website: Funding programme database for PhD candidates.
4. Stipendien Lotse: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) scholarship database, providing information about funding opportunities in German companies such as Airbus and Bayer. In German.
5. Horizon Initiative 2020: European Union Framework Programme for Research and Information.
6. Max Planck Society: Non-university research organisation which funds doctoral studies through its International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS).
7. Fraunhofer Society: Non-university research organisation offering scholarships and paid positions.
8. Helmholtz Association: Non-university research organisation offering scholarships and paid positions through its 18 Helmholtz Centres.
9. Marie-Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowships: Grants and scholarships across all disciplines.