"Study in Germany for free" is still broadly true, but it stopped being universally true. Two states now charge non-EU students, and one of Germany's best-known universities charges more than most private ones. Here is the real position, with every figure carrying its unit.
The mistake that ruins budgets: German fees are quoted per semester, not per year. There are two semesters in an academic year. A €1,500 fee in Baden-Württemberg is €3,000 a year. A €6,000 master's fee at TUM is €12,000 a year. Almost every comparison table online omits the unit. Double any per-semester figure you are quoted before you budget.
Three fee positions exist in Germany today. Which one applies to you depends entirely on which state, and in one case which university, you apply to.
Filter by state or by what you can afford. Every figure below is per semester for a non-EU student, which is what a Pakistani applicant pays.
| University | City | State | Tuition, non-EU | Per year | Semester contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical University of Munich (TUM) | Munich | Bavaria | €4,000–6,000 / semester Master's. Bachelor's €2,000–3,000 | €8,000–12,000 | €85 |
| Heidelberg University | Heidelberg | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) | Karlsruhe | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| University of Freiburg | Freiburg | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| University of Stuttgart | Stuttgart | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| Ulm University | Ulm | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| University of Mannheim | Mannheim | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| University of Konstanz | Konstanz | Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 / semester | €3,000 | €150–400 |
| LMU Munich | Munich | Bavaria | €0 | €0 | ≈ €370 |
| University of Würzburg | Würzburg | Bavaria | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| University of Technology Nuremberg | Nuremberg | Bavaria | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| TH Deggendorf | Deggendorf | Bavaria | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| RWTH Aachen University | Aachen | North Rhine-Westphalia | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| University of Cologne | Cologne | North Rhine-Westphalia | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg | Sankt Augustin | North Rhine-Westphalia | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| Humboldt University Berlin | Berlin | Berlin | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | Berlin | Berlin | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| Technische Universität Berlin | Berlin | Berlin | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| TU Braunschweig | Braunschweig | Lower Saxony | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
| TU Ilmenau | Ilmenau | Thuringia | €0 | €0 | €150–400 |
Tuition figures verified August 2026. TUM's own fees page states master's fees of "4,000 or 6,000 euros per semester" and bachelor's of "2,000 or 3,000 euros per semester" for non-EU students. Baden-Württemberg's €1,500 per semester applies statewide, introduced winter semester 2017/18. Semester contributions vary by university and usually include a regional transport pass — confirm the exact figure with the university before you budget.
A two-year master's at TUM costs roughly €16,000–24,000 in tuition. Compare that with the private English-taught universities we partner with, which run €10,000–17,000 a year — TUM at the top of its range is no longer the cheap option, and it still requires the full public-university admission process.
TUM does offer waiver scholarships worth up to €1,800 per semester for outstanding academic performance or financial need. You apply each semester, so it is not something to assume when planning.
If free tuition is the reason you chose Germany, TUM is no longer that. RWTH Aachen is ranked comparably for engineering, sits in North Rhine-Westphalia, and charges nothing. That single swap can be worth €20,000 across a master's.
€1,500 per semester for non-EU students across every public university in the state — Heidelberg, KIT, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Mannheim and Konstanz. EU and EEA students, and anyone holding a German university entrance qualification, are exempt. At €3,000 a year it is still far below UK or Australian tuition, but it is not free and should be in your blocked-account planning.
Every student pays a Semesterbeitrag of roughly €150–400 per semester regardless of nationality. It funds student services and usually includes a regional public transport pass, which for most students is worth more than the fee itself. Do not confuse it with tuition — a university charging "€0 tuition" still charges this.
Tuition is only part of the picture. Every Pakistani student needs a funded Sperrkonto before the visa appointment, and that requirement does not change based on which university admits you.
More detail: how the blocked account works, and what each provider charges.
Mostly yes, but no longer everywhere. Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 per semester, covering Heidelberg, Ulm, KIT, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Mannheim and Konstanz. And TUM charges non-EU students 2,000 or 3,000 euros per semester for bachelor's programmes and 4,000 or 6,000 euros per semester for master's. Every other public university, including LMU Munich, RWTH Aachen and the Berlin universities, charges no tuition.
TUM states that non-EU tuition is usually 2,000 or 3,000 euros per semester for bachelor's programmes and 4,000 or 6,000 euros per semester for master's. A two-year master's is therefore roughly €16,000–24,000 in tuition alone. Waiver scholarships worth up to 1,800 euros per semester exist for outstanding academic performance or financial need, applied for each semester.
All public universities in Baden-Württemberg, introduced in winter semester 2017/18. That includes Heidelberg, Ulm, KIT, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Mannheim and Konstanz. EU and EEA students, and students holding a German university entrance qualification, are exempt.
No. The semester contribution, or Semesterbeitrag, is an administrative charge every student pays regardless of nationality, typically €150 to €400 per semester. It usually includes a regional public transport pass. Tuition fees are separate, and most German public universities do not charge them at all.
Per semester — the single most common budgeting mistake. There are two semesters in an academic year, so a €1,500 fee in Baden-Württemberg is €3,000 per year, and a €6,000 TUM master's fee is €12,000 per year. Always double any per-semester figure before you budget.
Tell us your marks, your budget and your subject, and we will give you a shortlist where the fees are confirmed rather than assumed.
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