Universities in Berlin: Where to Study, What It Costs and How to Apply

Berlin has three large research universities — Freie Universität (FU), Humboldt-Universität (HU) and Technische Universität (TU Berlin) — plus the medical university Charité, the University of the Arts (UdK), several public universities of applied sciences and private schools such as ESMT, Hertie School and Bard College Berlin. Public institutions in Berlin charge no tuition to anyone, including students from outside the EU. The only compulsory payment is the semester contribution: for winter 2026/27 it is $428–433 (€375–380), including a transit pass valid across Germany. The DAAD International Programmes catalogue lists 115 English-only master's programmes and 30 English-only bachelor's programmes at Berlin institutions.

Below you will find how Berlin's institutions differ, where to look for English-taught programmes, what contributions and student housing cost, how admission works and which mistakes most often cost applicants a place. Data checked on 23 September 2026; dollar amounts use the ECB rate for that day. If you are still comparing cities, start with our overview of universities in Germany and our Germany study guide.

Berlin for students: five facts that shape the decision

The big four: FU, HU, TU Berlin and Charité

Choosing between FU and HU on "prestige" makes little sense: both belong to U15 and to the same excellence alliance. The programme itself decides. Open the module handbook (Modulhandbuch) and compare compulsory courses, the share of seminars and the size of the thesis.

TU Berlin is the only technical university of the three. If you are heading for mechanical or electrical engineering, or computer science with an engineering focus, it is Berlin's main option among research universities.

Universities of applied sciences in Berlin

Universities of applied sciences (Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften, HAW) teach through projects and practical semesters. Berlin's public HAWs charge no tuition either.

• HTW Berlin (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft): engineering, computer science, business, design. Contribution for winter 2026/27: $428 (€375.30).
• Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT): engineering, computer science, architecture, life sciences.
• HWR Berlin (Berlin School of Economics and Law): economics, management, law, public administration. Contribution for winter 2026/27: $433 (€379.77).
• Alice Salomon Hochschule (ASH Berlin): social work, health, early childhood education.

A HAW suits students who want to join a company after graduating rather than pursue research. English-taught programmes are rarer than at universities but exist in business and computing.

Art and music schools

The University of the Arts (Universität der Künste, UdK) teaches fine art, music, design, architecture and performing arts. Berlin also has the Hanns Eisler School of Music, the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, the German Film and Television Academy (dffb) and the Barenboim-Said Akademie.

Admission is by portfolio and audition, and deadlines often come earlier than at other institutions. German requirements depend on the programme; the performing arts nearly always need it.

Private institutions in Berlin

Berlin's private sector is large, and here you can start even a bachelor's degree in English. Costs are far above the public sector.

Before applying to any private institution, check its state recognition (staatlich anerkannt) in the HRK's Hochschulkompass database.

English-taught programmes in Berlin

The DAAD catalogue lists 200 international programmes at Berlin institutions, including 115 English-only master's and 30 English-only bachelor's programmes. The bachelor's picture is lopsided: 26 of the 30 are at private institutions (SRH, Hochschule Fresenius, Bard College Berlin, ISM), and the only public ones listed are at HTW Berlin and HWR Berlin. The catalogue contains only programmes that institutions have chosen to describe for international applicants, so always confirm details on the programme page.

How to search:

1. Filter by city (Berlin), degree and language (English only) in DAAD International Programmes or in the HRK's Hochschulkompass.
2. Add the institution-type filter to compare universities and HAWs separately.
3. For each programme, open the university website and note degree requirements, language threshold, deadline and application channel.

English-taught bachelor's places at Berlin's public institutions are scarce. Without German, the realistic options are a private institution or a bachelor's degree at home followed by a Berlin master's. See our guide to master's degrees in Germany in English.

What studying and living in Berlin costs

Semester contribution for winter 2026/27:

Late re-registration adds $23 (€19.94).

Housing. Residences run by studierendenWERK BERLIN are the cheapest option but not a quick one. At Danckelmannstraße a room costs $375–439 (€329–385) per month; at Dauerwaldweg a room costs $398–485 (€349–425). For both, the waiting time is listed as more than 18 months. Apply as soon as you decide to come, and plan a room in a shared flat (WG) or temporary housing for your first months.

Visa minimum. German missions ask for proof of $13,584 (€11,904) per year, or $1,132 (€992) per month. That is the visa floor, not a Berlin budget: ESMT, for example, tells its master's students to plan about $1,369 (€1,200) per month. See our guide to the blocked account in Germany.

Which Berlin institution fits your goal?

How to apply to a Berlin university

After secondary school. If your school certificate does not give direct access, the route runs through Studienkolleg and its final exam (Feststellungsprüfung), or through study at a recognised university at home. In Berlin, FU and TU run a Studienkolleg. See our guide to Studienkolleg in Germany.

Master's programmes. FU lets you start a master's before graduating if you have completed two-thirds of your bachelor's coursework and finish the rest by the end of your first semester. Your final grade must appear clearly on your degree certificate or transcript; FU does not calculate it and does not accept estimated grades.

Channel and deadlines. Many programmes receive international applications through uni-assist, which charges $86 (€75) for the first programme and $34 (€30) for each additional one in the same semester. For many courses the winter-semester deadline is 15 July, but master's programmes often close earlier. See our guide to applying through uni-assist.

Visa. After your admission letter: blocked account, health insurance and a visa appointment. See our guide to the German student visa.

The university decides on admission, the German mission on your visa, and studierendenWERK BERLIN on residence places.

Mistakes that cost applicants a Berlin place

• Counting on a residence as your main option. With waits of over a year and a half, it rarely solves your first semester.
• Confusing free tuition with cheap living. The contribution is modest, but rent takes most of a Berlin budget.
• Choosing between FU and HU by name. Modules, language and requirements decide.
• Applying in the last week. uni-assist recommends at least eight weeks, and checks usually take four to six.
• Not checking the language of every semester. An English-taught master's may include German-language electives; the curriculum shows this.
• Overlooking a private school's status. A nice campus does not replace state recognition.

FAQ

Sources

• DAAD International Programmes, Berlin filter (DAAD has been on Russia's list of undesirable organisations since February 2026) and HRK Hochschulkompass — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Semester contributions: FU Berlin, TU Berlin, HTW Berlin, HWR Berlin — checked 23 Sep 2026
• DFG: Universities of Excellence decision, 11 March 2026 — checked 23 Sep 2026
• TU9 and German U15 — checked 23 Sep 2026
• German Consulate General Vancouver: QS 2027 results — checked 23 Sep 2026
• studierendenWERK BERLIN residences, Danckelmannstraße, Dauerwaldweg — checked 23 Sep 2026
• FU Berlin: master's applications and Studienkolleg — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Bard College Berlin: 2026/27 fees and ESMT Berlin: fees and financing — checked 23 Sep 2026
• uni-assist: fees and deadlines — checked 23 Sep 2026
• German Foreign Office: proof of funds — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Exchange rate: ECB, 23 Sep 2026: €1 = $1.1411

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