Study in Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany, a cosmopolitan city representing 20th-century history while offering a modern, fast-paced and straightforward lifestyle. With a population of around 3.5 million, Berlin is the largest in Germany and the second largest city in Europe. 15% of its inhabitants are foreigners living there either temporarily as students or permanently as residents. This means that a variety of trends and traditions live alongside each other in this city. This diversity makes it a unique place, especially for a young student to live there while studying. 

What living in Berlin is like?

While offering a high standard of living, Berlin is cheaper than most other cities. The tuition fee of all public universities is waived off for local as well as international students and is a minimum for other private universities.

A countless number of museums and art galleries are present to serve the different interests of people. The nightlife is also very active in Berlin with different events like concerts being held.

The Average Yearly Weather in Berlin, Germany:

In Berlin, the summers are ideally warm, with mostly cloudy conditions, while the winters are long, cold, and very snowy. Throughout the year, the temperature varies from 29°F to 77°F on average, with a rare low of 14°F in the winters.

Reasons to Study in Berlin

Here are a few of the reasons why Berlin should be your top choice for studying abroad:

International level Education System 

Berlin is home to many international students who bring along with themselves, their culture and traditions. This exposure to diverse nationals while gaining high-quality education provides a setting needed to enhance skills that are globally valued and needed. This serves as a strong base for an international career for the student.

Many finance-friendly studying options are available

The various scholarship opportunities provided by the Educational institutions in Berlin add to their already budget-friendly and waived-off fee structures. This helps you in making your decision based on either university ranking, or the convenience of the locality. Employer scholarships are also easily available for those students who decide to work alongside while studying. Other than that, tuition fee loans are provided to those who can’t momentarily pay their fee, so they can pay it back later on.

Presence of part-time working opportunities

Universities in Berlin design their schedules in order to allow students to accommodate working and earning alongside their studies. Many part-time job opportunities are readily available to enhance skills and give the students necessary practical experiences. Usually, students can work up to 20 hours per week while carrying out their studies and can even work full time during their vacations.

The emerging startup companies in Germany

Germany has become a hub for start-ups in recent years and is now hosting international businesses, especially in technology-related fields. Berlin supports entrepreneurs and supports them not only financially but also by providing ideal environments.

Berlin, a culturally and historically rich city

Over 100 museums in Germany are located in Berlin only. Along with museums, there are also many art galleries and theatres to attract locals as well as tourists, and keep them engaged and entertained in diverse exhibitions, shows and events. 

Readily available affordable living options

Berlin is not only one of the most affordable locations in Germany but also in entire Europe. The living as well as rent costs in Berlin on average are 8.5% cheaper than that in Hamburg. Moreover, many historic events took place in Berlin, making it a living proof of history especially locations like the Berlin wall, the Holocaust Memorial etc.

Berlin provides the perfect blend of city and country life

Around the modern architecture of Berlin are around 2,500 parks, providing a fresh environment to destress and relax at the end of each day. Berlin is the greenest city among all European countries. and aims to be the greenest city in the entire world.

Travel to your heart’s content

Starting your studies in Germany means that your student visa and student permit come in handy. This not only applies to public facilities but also you can have the opportunity to visit most of the entire Europe without having to apply for separate visas all of the time!

One of the best educational systems in the word

Studying in Germany means you have the chance to choose to study from a diverse range of courses and degrees, all offered in both German and English. Whichever is more comfortable for you, you can choose for yourself while learning the other language alongside.

Berlin as your study abroad destination:

Germany has been ranked the 4th most popular destination for international students from all over the world. Berlin, Germany’s capital city, is one of the biggest contributors to Germany’s growth as the top study abroad destination as well as overall. The most attractive facility for potential applicants is the low to no tuition fees of most universities, while still being offered a highly standardised education system. In addition to lower costs comparatively, The German Academic Exchange Service DAAD offers financial support for local and international students to be able to fund themselves while studying and living in Germany. This is done by providing different scholarships according to your program, degree, and university and its location.

Cost of living in Berlin includes different expenses:

The cost of living in Berlin is actually cheaper than 62% of the countries in Western Europe, which is why it’s such a popular study destination. You can expect to spend around €850 per month as a student living in Berlin, Germany. The cost of living in Berlin is estimated to be:

Rent would be one of your largest monthly expenses. It is cheaper for shared living spaces like a shared flat, on average $350 per month, or a student residence hall, $300 per month. This is backed up through the data from DAAD. 

Your other monthly expenditures might include:

  • $205 spent on food monthly
  • $115 for transportation after using the student transportation card given to you by your university
  • $40 as your miscellaneous expenses
  • $300 per semester for access to things like the semester ticket for public transport, sports complex on campus, student parliaments etc.
  • You’re also supposed to pay $97 for your monthly health insurance

Transportation:

After moving to Germany, know that you will have a lot of different transportation options. On such public transportation, one trip will cost you around $2. 

Universities give their students a semester ticket to ease travelling expenses. This is an ID that lasts for the duration of an entire semester and allows the free usage of public transportation for students.

Berlin has a few major airports, all of which have a connected and active bus as well as train transportation system. Inter-city transportation can also be done through metro trains and cable cars.

Eligibility criteria:

For International candidates, the visa charges are $74 with one of the visa requirements being that you show proof of having , in order to be able to cover your living costs and expenses.

In general, the documents required for International students include:

  • Official Academic Transcripts
  • A proof of English proficiency/ Proof of German Language Proficiency
  • Motivation Letter
  • Block Account
  • Work Experience (If required)
  • Update CV/Resume
  • Letter of Recommendation

Top Universities in Berlin, Germany:

A range of over hundreds of programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is accessible for you to choose from to study in Berlin, Germany. These are offered by around 40 different colleges and universities across the city but the three highest-rated universities in Berlin are:

The Freie Universität, Berlin 

This university offers programs mostly in the domains of humanity, social sciences, natural sciences and medicine.There are 12 departments within the university, offering a range of 150 programs in a variety of fields that students can choose from. One of the best medical schools in the whole of Germany is the one of FU, Berlin, the Charite Medical School. It is a highly reputable department due to its continuously evolving and improving teaching, learning and research methods, its highly competent teachers and other staff members, and its affiliations with other organisations around the world. FU also offers exchange programs during the summer or winter vacations for students to have an unusual but impactful learning and growing experience. 

The Humboldt-Universität, Berlin 

This also has humanity and social sciences subjects as available options for degrees, along with cultural sciences, medicine and agriculture.

Each year, Humboldt University keeps ranking among the top 10 German Universities by national and international standards, so it is called the University of Excellence. The research facilities are remarkably growing, expanding mainly due to the quality time and efforts put into research by the dedicated students and staff members, being able to eventually compare and compete with other research centres of the world.

The Technische Universität, Berlin 

This university mainly provides the options of engineering and natural sciences but also has available programs in humanity, social sciences, and economics.

This University brings out the Technological aspect of Germany by having one of the most progressive and advanced education systems. This provides opportunities for new ideas to be born and brought into the world as young entrepreneurial startups. Very strongly adhering to its ethical policies, this university does both; bring potential students out into the practical market and take in startups in need of support.

The Job market in Germany:

Germany is an economically well-developed country with many industries running side by side, each offering remarkably high employment. Top courses that are in demand in Germany include Management and Technology, and engineering related fields like Power Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Software Engineering etc. Moreover, there has been a recent spike in successful small-scale startups as the very low costs of living in Germany support it. These startups prefer to bring young talent into the industry and hire students and recent graduates for internships as well as jobs. 

Overall, Germany can be one of the best studies abroad options for you to consider!