Most international students must have must have considered a lot of factors before deciding on their study abroad destination. The standard of living, affordable tuition fee & living expenses, economic strength of a country, friendly weather, recognized certificates and renowned universities, are key factors international students wouldn’t want to ignore.
Germany is a Western European value-based, democratic, economically successful, and cosmopolitan country.
For students who have chosen Germany as their preferred study abroad destination, I will discuss what influenced their decision about studying in Germany.
1.A relatively low tuition fee- A path to debt-free education
Basically, Tuition fees in Germany are the same for both local and international students, which is the number one factor attracting students from all over the globe. One may wonder: how does Germany go about this?
Instead of making students pay huge amounts of money, public universities in Germany spread out the cost over the entire population through taxes. In turn, this money benefits anyone wanting to study and results in minimum tuition fees.
In fact, what you pay in Germany are not actually tuition fees, rather simple administrative fees of between €100 and €500 per semester that also cover your public transportation costs.
Students who want to delve into a different field in their postgraduate program pay fees considerably lower than in Anglophone countries – around €1000 per semester, while consecutive postgraduate degrees are free of tuition charges, again, you will only have to pay administrative fees.
As a result, not many German nationals see the necessity in attending private universities, where tuition fees increase dramatically. More often than not, Germans attend a private university either because a specific study topic they want to pursue is not available in public universities, or they do not get accepted in public universities.
Contrast this with the thousands of dollars or pounds university costs on a yearly basis in much of the Anglophone world, and it is clear that graduating without substantial debt is one major attraction of the German system.
2. Studying in English
Germany has come up with a good deal for international students by offering over 1,150 study courses in English in both undergraduate and graduate levels to avoid any language restrictions.
If you are required to study courses that are only taught in German, there are available language courses to attend during the first semester, or more if necessary.
3.Quality Education system
Academic Institutions of higher learning in Germany rank well in world ranking than most other European Universities.
The German study system focuses on creating independence in students, pushing for hard work towards attaining knowledge and skills rather than a tick in a box when applying for a job interview.
Germany maintains that a degree from a public university is built on hard work and dedication, while good grades and degrees from private universities are considered to have been bought.
Anglophone universities stand very high in quality too and a degree from any of these subject countries is internationally recognized and valued.
Why UK and US universities rank higher than German Universities is due to separation of Research Institutes and Vocational Training from their Universities.
4. Full Public Health Insurance Coverage
Did you know that In Canada, public health insurance covers internationals only in half of its provinces, while in the other half students must purchase private health insurance?
But In Germany, you can get full public health insurance coverage for around €26 to €80 per month, which is a very inviting student discount in contrast to the Anglophone countries. Health insurance is a more complex issue, with prices varying depending on the services you get and the country you come from.
Health insurance for international students is very controversial, students need to get into private insurance plans to be able to afford it. It can be very expensive.
Even in Australia, temporary students face costly health insurance as a requirement.
Only in the UK are foreign students comprehensively covered by the residency-based National Health Service (NHS).
Your University of choice will guide you more on this topic.
5. Cheap Public Transportation
Public transportation is very efficient and beautifully spread out throughout the whole of Germany. Plus, being located in the heart of Europe means visiting European cities with only a small amount of money is one ready benefit.
In the US, public transportation is not as reliable, somehow pushing students towards getting private cars. However, a monthly pass costs, more or less, $75. Some universities in the US offer student transportation tickets with a fee that is included in the overall tuition fees, as is the case for students in Washington.
6. Affordable Cost of Living
Contrast it with UK, US or even Canada, cost of living is very low. In some cities you won’t even spend up to a thousand Euros. Living cost including transportation, accommodation and feeding is estimated around 600 to 800 Euros per month.