Universities in Munich: LMU, TUM, Hochschule München and More — Admission, Fees and Housing

Munich is home to Germany's two highest-ranked universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027: the Technical University of Munich (TUM, 25th) and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU, 61st). Alongside them are Hochschule München (HM), a large university of applied sciences, art and music academies, and private schools. For students from outside the EU the city has become more expensive: TUM has charged tuition since 2024/25 and HM since winter semester 2026/27, while LMU still charges none. The semester contribution at LMU, TUM and HM is $110 (€97). A room in a student services residence in the city costs $320–655 (€283.20–576.60) per month, and waiting lists run from one to six semesters.

This guide covers how LMU differs from TUM, which other institutions exist, what tuition costs by level, where to find English-taught programmes, how TUM's deadlines work and what to know about housing. Everything was checked on 23 September 2026; dollar amounts use the ECB rate of 29 September 2026. To compare Munich with other cities, see our overview of universities in Germany and our Germany study guide.

LMU or TUM: the main choice in Munich

Both are research universities, and both keep federal Excellence funding from 2027. They are organised differently, though, and for international students the difference starts with money.

If your subject exists at both, compare the curricula and the total cost. A two-year TUM master's costs a non-EU national $18,170–27,250 (€16,000–24,000) in tuition alone; at LMU that line is zero.

Location matters too. Many of TUM's engineering and science departments are in Garching, north of the city, and life sciences are in Freising. Living in central Munich and studying in Garching means a daily ride on the U6.

Hochschule München and other institutions

Hochschule München (HM) is a public university of applied sciences covering engineering, computer science, business, design, social sciences and tourism. From winter 2026/27, HM charges newly enrolled non-EU/EEA nationals $570 (€500) per semester for bachelor's and $795 (€700) for master's programmes. Students enrolled before then do not pay unless they switch programmes. The semester contribution is $110 (€97).

Art and music schools. Munich has the Academy of Fine Arts, the University of Music and Performing Arts, and the University of Television and Film. Admission is by portfolio and audition.

Bundeswehr University Munich mainly trains military officers and is not a typical option for international applicants.

Private institutions. Several operate in the city, from business schools to media colleges. One example: the Master International Business at Munich Business School costs $9,740 (€8,580) per semester, or $29,230 (€25,740) for three semesters, for 2027 intakes. Check state recognition in the HRK's Hochschulkompass database.

What studying in Munich costs: tuition by institution and level

The exact TUM fee is listed on each programme page under Program details.

How to reduce TUM tuition.

• Graduates of any German bachelor's programme pay no tuition in a TUM master's if they prove the degree by the enrolment deadline, five weeks after lectures start.
• Strong master's applicants can apply for a two-semester merit waiver. For the winter semester, applications run from 1 January to 31 May and require an official ranking certificate from your university.
• One-off grants of $570–2,040 (€500–1,800) per semester are available, and you can reapply.
• Studienkolleg students pay no tuition while in the Studienkolleg, but fees start once they move on to a bachelor's programme.

TUM decides on waivers and grants, and places are limited.

Semester contribution. At LMU, TUM and HM it is $110 (€97), paid to Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern. It currently includes no transit pass: the Munich semester ticket agreement has been suspended since winter 2023/24. After enrolment, students can buy a discounted Deutschlandticket. TUM expects new students to pay by 15 September for the winter semester and by 15 March for the summer semester.

English-taught programmes in Munich

The DAAD International Programmes catalogue lists 110 programmes at Munich institutions, including 64 English-only master's and 9 English-only bachelor's programmes. Six of those nine bachelor's programmes are at private institutions; the public ones are two at TUM and one at HM. So without German the realistic routes after school are a private institution or language preparation.

LMU's official list of English-taught master's programmes has 38 entries: physics and astrophysics, biochemistry, neuroscience, economics and quantitative economics, statistics and data science, software engineering, political science, international health and epidemiology, among others. From winter 2026/27 LMU added five new master's programmes, among them English-taught degrees in European and International Economic Law (tuition-free), Geology and Global Public Policy.

At TUM, many master's programmes in engineering, computer science and management are taught in English; each programme page lists the language under Required Language Proficiency. TUM's minimum English scores for master's programmes are IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 88 (or the equivalent on the new 1–6 scale), PTE Academic 65, or Cambridge CAE or CPE. School grades do not count for master's admission; a previous degree counts if English was the language of instruction for at least half of the programme.

See our guide to master's degrees in Germany in English for how to search and check requirements.

Housing in Munich

Residences run by Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern are the most predictable option on price. According to the list updated in September 2026:

• a standard room or apartment in Munich and Garching costs $320–655 (€283.20–576.60) per month including utilities; the cheaper places on the same list, from $300 (€262), are in Rosenheim, a different town;
• waiting times range from one to six semesters by residence, most often one to two or four to five semesters;
• the waiting period starts on the day you apply, so apply as soon as you decide to come rather than after admission.

Near TUM's Garching campus there are student services residences too: at Garching I, a room costs $440–460 (€385.90–403.90) per month with a wait of about three semesters.

German missions ask for proof of $13,520 (€11,904) per year for a visa, or $1,130 (€992) per month. If a residence room costs about $455 (€400), roughly $670 (€590) a month is left for everything else, and any pricier rent shrinks that. Plan a buffer. See our guide to the blocked account in Germany.

Which Munich institution fits you?

How to apply: deadlines and Munich-specific details

TUM deadlines. Each programme has its own window. For example, Computational Science and Engineering admits only for the winter semester, with applications from 1 February to 31 May. Management and Technology accepts applications from 1 April to 31 May for winter and from 1 to 30 November for summer.

VPD for TUM. Master's applicants whose bachelor's degree is not from Germany must, in addition to applying in TUMonline, request a preliminary review (VPD) through uni-assist. The uni-assist application must be completed before the application window closes; the VPD itself can be submitted later.

GMAT at TUM. For the Management and Technology master's, GMAT is compulsory only for graduates of universities in China, Bangladesh, India, Egypt and Pakistan. For everyone else it is optional but earns extra points in the first selection stage.

After secondary school. Munich has a state Studienkolleg. See our guides to Studienkolleg in Germany and bachelor's degrees in Germany.

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

The university decides on admission and fee waivers, the German mission on your visa, and the student services organisation on residence places.

Common mistakes

• Assuming TUM is tuition-free. That applies only to EU/EEA nationals and students who enrolled before winter 2024/25.
• Missing HM's new fee. It applies to new non-EU students from winter 2026/27.
• Waiting for admission before joining the residence queue. The queue counts from your application date.
• Looking for housing only in the centre. If you study in Garching or Freising, living near campus saves money and time.
• Missing a TUM window. Deadlines vary by programme, and some admit only for winter.
• Not getting a class-ranking certificate. Without it you cannot apply for TUM's merit waiver.

FAQ

Sources

• German Consulate General Vancouver: QS 2027 results — checked 23 Sep 2026
• DFG: Universities of Excellence decision, 11 March 2026, TU9, German U15 — checked 23 Sep 2026
• TUM: tuition for non-EU students, waivers and grants, semester fee and payment deadlines, language certificates, international students — checked 23 Sep 2026
• TUM: Computational Science and Engineering and Management and Technology: how to apply — checked 23 Sep 2026
• LMU: fees, student services contribution, international programmes, new master's programmes 2026/27 — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Hochschule München: fees for international students, fee statutes, semester contribution — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern: rents and waiting times, September 2026 and queue rules — checked 23 Sep 2026
• DAAD International Programmes (DAAD has been on Russia's list of undesirable organisations since February 2026) — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Munich Business School: Master International Business — checked 23 Sep 2026
• German Foreign Office: proof of funds — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Exchange rate: ECB, 29 Sep 2026: €1 = $1.1355

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