Germany, the Land of Ideas, is the fourth most popular study abroad destinations. Owing to its great research facilities, wide-ranging opportunities in STEM fields and zero / low cost of tuition fees, more and more international students are choosing Germany to pursue their higher education.

With the steady increase in the number of international students, Germany has set a goal to host 350,000 international students by the year 2020. But Germany reached this target during the 2016-2017 period itself. As per the reports released by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), this number further increased during 2018. That number went past 375,000, registering a jump of over 7% from the previous year. 

Although the increase in numbers was obvious, with Germany’s top-notch education system and no-to-low tuition fee structure, the increase in English-taught Masters has accelerated the target reach. The number of English-taught Master courses is only increasing further and is far more than English-taught Bachelor’s courses. 

The above figures as well as reaching the target goal way ahead only suggests that Germany is well on its way to give a tough competition to other top study abroad destinations like the USA, UK, and Australia.

The German government on its part has put in continuous efforts to improve the overall quality of education and provide ideal conditions to students and researchers from around the world.

To support its internationalization strategy, DAAD has also initiated two campaigns. “Study in Germany - Land of Ideas” and “Research in Germany - Land of Ideas”, thus focusing on the two biggest strengths that Germany offers.

Why international students are thronging to Germany for higher education?

It comes as no surprise that according to Study.EU Country Rankings 2018 for International Students, Germany was ranked as the Number 1 European country to be preferred by international students for the second consecutive year. 30 European countries including the United Kingdom were considered for the rankings. With the Brexit decision looming around the corner, it is not surprising to see the UK standing 2nd to Germany in the rankings. 

Quality of education, Cost of living, and Life and career are the factors on which the countries have been measured. Below are a few reasons based on which international students have preferred Germany over other European destinations. 

• Many German Public Universities charge a no-to-low tuition fee. This is one of the main reasons for international students to prefer Germany over other study abroad destinations. 
• In addition to its globally recognized programs, Germany is also preferred for its affordable cost of living. Students can survive with as little as an average of 800 Euros per month. 
• Upon graduating, international students can remain in Germany for a period of 18 months to find a suitable job. Given its large economy opportunities are scattered across the country. Due to this more international students tend to stay back and look for relevant jobs after graduating. 
• Although it provides countless course options for international students, it has more opportunities in the STEM fields. These are backed by incredible research infrastructure. 
• Unlike other international study destinations like the US and Australia, Germany is known for its peaceful and safe environments. 
• Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to be fluent in german languages. Especially for Masters, as more efforts are taken to increase the number of English-taught courses.

With the above-mentioned reasons, international students and especially Indians are preferring Germany over other study abroad destinations. So much so that, India is the second most contributing country with 6.1% of overall international student strength in Germany. India’s position rose from 4th to 2nd in the rankings of countries of origin of international students. It has switched places with Russia.

According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the current strength of international students in Germany stands at 393,579. It is a 5% increase over 2018. 

If you find studying in Germany a prospective option to fulfill your study abroad dream and would like to know more about its higher education system or about how to apply to its universities, you can always contact our Student Support Team to get complete assistance, at no cost to you.