Top German universities - quick reference
Currently, the prestige of higher education in Germany is universally recognized among foreign students. The demand and popularity of Germany as a country for elite higher education is due to the high level of quality of educational services, famous medieval castles and mineral springs, thereby occupying the third place in the ranking among countries of the world in terms of the number of foreign students, the number of which exceeds 150,000.
In addition, the best German universities, in the framework of teaching, harmoniously combine old entrenched traditions with the advanced achievements of science and technology. As practice shows, the most powerful and high-quality academic education is provided by leading German universities of technical, philological and medical specialization. Having a diploma from a ranking university in Germany, the graduates are offered the widest opportunities for successful and promising employment not only in Germany but also in other countries, in particular, the USA and England.
Currently, top German universities and the government are pursuing an active policy aimed at attracting foreign students to study. In this connection, there is a significant increase in the number of foreign students, who came to receive an elite German higher education. It is also worth noting that upon graduation, foreign graduates have the right to reside in Germany. A separate advantage of staying in Germany is due to the low cost of living in German territory, if compared with other European countries.
The process of entering the elite university of Germany
The key mandatory requirement for foreign applicants for admission to an advanced German university is due to the excellent level of knowledge of the German language. In the case of an insufficient level of knowledge of the German language, you can undergo education in the framework of effective preparatory language courses, functioning not only on the basis of ranking universities in Germany, but also leading language schools.
In Germany the duration of studies at the leading gymnasium is 13 years. Thus, when entering a prestigious university in Germany, the admission committee of a German university does not recognize the certificate of a school based on 11 years of education, and therefore, it does not ensure compliance with a German certificate. To continue studying in Germany, you will need to undergo deucation for 2 years at any university of your country. So, after this period, the foreign student has an excellent opportunity to submit a package of documents to a rankning university in Germany.
Having a complete higher education and enrolling in the same specialty of a German university, which was completed at a your university, then most disciplines can be rewritten. So, academic freedom is inherent in the German higher education system, that is, each student is given the right to independently choose the list of disciplines that will be included in his diploma.
Top German universities and possible areas of study
If a foreign applicant has always sought to become a scientist and, as part of his studies, he is interested in conducting various studies, then it is worth considering the question of entering ranking university. In the case of choosing engineering and natural sciences, it is better to enter the leading technical universities Technische Universitaten, or alternatively pay attention to the Fachhochschulen institutes of applied sciences. Note that at present, the number of specialties in these educational institutions has significantly increased, even including humanitarian studies.
If a foreign applicant is interested in receiving prestigious German higher education in the field of music or painting, then it is worth paying attention to the elite creative universities of Germany, Musik- and Kunsthochschulen. As an interesting fact, SMAPSE experts cite the following: 1/3 of all students in the walls of the best creative universities in Germany are foreign students, while in other German universities their share does not exceed 10%.
It should be noted that commercial universities have been created in Germany, in particular, they have specialization in theology, and universities, within the walls of which teaching is conducted in English.
Along with other European countries in Germany, a higher education system has been adopted, which has 2 levels. So, after education for 3-3.5 years, a graduate is given a bachelor’s diploma, the variation in the duration of training is determined by the chosen specialty. Having good results in the disciplines, the student has the opportunity to continue their studies for 1-2 years in order to assign a master's degree.
Please note that some specialties do not require a bachelor's degree, in particular this applies to the medical, pedagogical, pharmaceutical and legal fields. It is in relation to these specializations that a requirement is required for obtaining a full education. Thus, in medical specialties, the duration of education is 13 semesters, in pedagogical - 10, pharmaceuticals - 8, legal - 9.
If you intend to get a second higher education after graduating from an elite German university, the duration of study will be significantly less. So, for a curriculum aimed at students who receive a second higher education in Germany, such characteristics as compactness and concentration are characteristic, thereby reducing the educational period to 1-2 years.
Paid and free advanced education in Germany
Almost until today in Germany, higher education at elite state universities was free of charge. Currently, the transition to paid tuition is being carried out, and it is rather difficult to find German universities that do not provide for the collection of tuition fees from foreign students. So, the determination of the cost of education is assigned to the authorities of the federal states, in connection with which, price fluctuations are possible among the leading German universities.
So, the approximate cost of education for a semester is 500 €. Agree that, when comparing with other European countries, this price is quite low, thereby increasing the attractiveness of obtaining German higher education for foreign students. Please note that foreign students will have to additionally pay the costs associated with paying for guardianship, this function is assigned to the international departments working at German universities.
Admission to ranking universities in Germany
It is worth starting with the fact that in the overwhelming majority of prestigious universities in Germany, admission does not provide for the writing of entrance exams for the exclusion of creative and medical specialties. Submission of a package of documents to a German university is possible subject to 2 conditions:
- graduation from a German gymnasium for 13 years;
- passing specialized tests and exams under the Abitur program.
The next step is the competition of documents. At the same time, foreign students may need to undergo such types of checks, namely interviews, tests, role-playing games. SMASE experts remind you once again that participation in the competition does not include documents of the school certificate attesting to the completion of education for 11 years. However, there are quite a lot of foreign students at the leading German universities.
If you want to receive exactly German higher education, a foreign student needs to level the difference in 2 years of study. So, you will need to complete education for 2 courses in the full-time department of a university in your country, or alternatively 3-4 courses in the evening. If the foreign applicant is a gold medalist, then he is given the right to submit a package of documents immediately at the time of graduation. However, SMAPSE experts note that while studying at a university in the homeland, the applicant should have a specialty that will be similar to the proposed direction in a German university.
In order to be admitted to the exams, a foreign applicant will need to complete 2 semester studies at a German college of pre-university education, the name of which is Studienkolleg. The directly international department of the University of Germany, which is selected as an applicant, can send to this college for education.
To enroll in Studienkolleg German courses, you must provide the admissions committee with a copy and translation of a secondary school certificate, excerpts from the test record, an international certificate confirming a good level of German language proficiency, and passing the German language test. As a rule, education in such German colleges is free of charge, while in some cases a requirement is made regarding payment of a semester fee, the cost of which varies from 30 to 200 €.
As for the qualification exam, its structure includes the written and oral parts of the test in the disciplines that were studied at a German college. Based on the results obtained, a certificate is issued to a foreign student, recognized by all German universities without exception. If the exam is not passed, then there is an opportunity for re-passing, which is carried out no earlier than 6 months after writing the test. Note that to obtain admission to the qualification exam, a visit to a German college is not necessary. Self-education is possible, however, it is rather difficult and not always effective.
Obtaining a German student visa
The list of documents required for obtaining a visa is presented on the official website of the German Consulate. Please note that in addition to the completed application form, passport, photographs, as well as an invitation from the university to study, you must provide confirmation regarding the availability of funds in the amount of at least 8,000 €. So, this amount is considered sufficient to live in Germany calmly for 1 year. As confirmation, one of the following documents is accepted, namely:
- A statement by the parents, which refers to the taking of all expenses associated with the education of the child, and a bank statement or statement of income from work must be attached to this document;
- Letter of guarantee of a person who permanently resides in Germany;
- A deposit of 8,000 € to a special account in one of the German banks, from which only 1/12 of the amount will be withdrawn each month, thereby guaranteeing the student that there are no financial difficulties throughout the school year.
SMAPSE experts recommend enclosing a motivation letter in the package of documents, the task of which is to convince consulate employees of the soundness and soundness of the choice of a particular German university, where you plan to receive a prestigious higher education.
As a rule, the duration of the interview of a foreign applicant at the consulate does not exceed 5-10 minutes, while there are no significant difficulties. However, SMAPSE experts advise you to prepare answers to possible questions in advance. In particular, the following questions may be asked regarding the location of the university, the number of years of study in the chosen direction, and others. Please note that the interview can take place in German.
Accommodation options in Germany
On the territory of almost all leading German universities, student campuses have been created. Regardless of who the student is, namely a foreign student or a German, the distribution of seats is carried out. The cost of living in a student dorm room varies from 200 to 300 € per month. Some students decide to rent individual housing off campus. Currently, the following type of lease is popular among foreign students, which involves uniting students and renting one apartment for several people.
Ranking of the best universities in Germany
The direct responsibility of the university development center is to determine the prestige of universities and faculties in the context of a large number of parameters. Winning German universities become recipients of additional state funding. The following are the best universities in Germany:
- University named after Humboldt in Berlin
- University named after Albert Ludwig in Freiburg
- University of Karlsruhe
- University of Tubingen
- University named after Friedrich Alexander in Erlangen and Nuremberg
- University of Wurzburg
- Technical University of Munich
- University named after Ludwig Maximilian in Munich.
TOP faculties in the context of leading German universities:
- Production Economics (Universities in Mannheim, Munich, Münster)
- Economics of the national economy (in Bayreuth, Erfurt)
- Jurisprudence (in Bayreuth, Frankfurt an der Oder, Mannheim, Munster)
- Economic Informatics (in Magdeburg, Münster)
- Economic Engineering (in Clausthal, Cottbus)
- Computer Science (in Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken, Berlin)
- Pharmaceuticals (in Freiburg, Heidelberg).
List of documents for successful admission to a prestigious university in Germany
- A copy of the certificate of completion of high school, which is notarized;
- Notarized translation of this document;
- 2 photos;
- Brief biography with a detailed description of education, in particular the name of educational institutions, exams;
- Students must provide a certificate from the place of study in disciplines and grades;
- International language certificate;
- A notarized copy of the certificate with the results of the qualification exam with a list of studied disciplines and grades on them.
