Germany has found a way to attract undergraduate students to study in their country; free tuition. All a student has to pay for is living costs and a semester ticket that covers transportation and costs no more than $250. The estimated total is $11,000 per year, in contrast to U.S. universities which, on average for the 2015-2016 school year, asked for $32,405 for one year of tuition.

A student can study in Germany only knowing English. Anyone applying for an international course can enroll without having to demonstrate their proficiency in German, substituting the German language for English instead.

Quality

The quality of education is highly rated, with 11 German universities ranking in the world’s top 200 universities, according to the QS World University Rankings. Germany also grants easy access to other cultural and historic cities in Europe. It only takes a few train tickets to arrive in Paris, London, Barcelona or Rome.

Studying in Germany requires that a student is ready to cross the Atlantic into Europe.

“It is a big step, travelling literally across the world,” college counselor Will Gunn said. “It really takes you out of the rhythm of your life. Your family is not going to be moving to Germany with you, nor are your friends likely to. It’s not the kind of thing you can undertake lightly.”

Job Opportunities

Job opportunities after studying depend on whether a student wishes to return to America or stay and work in Europe.

“It could be very difficult, potentially, coming back from a different country’s educational system,” Gunn said, “if you were going to come back into the US and get a job here.”

Job opportunities are more available in Germany than in the USA. A report from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany shows that Germany has a youth unemployment rate of 7.7%, compared to the U.S. at 10.9%.

The German Academic Exchange Service has more information about costs, requirements, programs, and application. Visit Top Universities for statistics, rankings, and other programs about universities in Germany and across the European Union.

“I like the idea of people going abroad for almost any possible reason,” Gunn said. “I can think of very few things that you can do with your life than going out and seeing the rest of the world, seeing how people live and how they’re different, but more importantly the same. I think this is an outstanding opportunity for anybody looking to study abroad.”