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Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

insidehighered.com

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Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#41
post #31
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hint: This is the same for every student. If you want to work full-time you need to make your studies half-time.

You mean a total of 1.5x full-time?

Or 30h and taking a bit longer with the studying. Actually I'm not sure if things changed a bit with the bachlor/master system though.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#42
> Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

One thing to remember: That university education may not be that expensive does not mean everybody is allowed to study. Universities often set high barriers.

In Germany 27% of young adults get an university degree. OECD average is 40%. It's not because Germans are more stupid, but because there are less students allowed to enter University education. Also there are other means of advanced education outside of traditional Universities. Many jobs base their education on the dual education system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_education_system

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#43

Another possible reason - they may well have little choice! Lists of top ranked universities are generally dominated by the US/UK. In this list the highest ranked German institution is at number 30: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankin... It's always going to be hard to charge the same as a competitor when your product is inferior.

Test your hypothesis then, look up tuition for the top 100 on that list and check if there is a clear gradient.

Hint: there isn't.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#44

Another possible reason - they may well have little choice! Lists of top ranked universities are generally dominated by the US/UK. In this list the highest ranked German institution is at number 30: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankin... It's always going to be hard to charge the same as a competitor when your product is inferior.

The budget of top US universities is at least an order of magnitude higher than the top german universities. I doubt that tuition is the biggest factor though. Donations from alumni is more important. In the US loyalty to your alma mater is cultural. In Germany it is not. The biggest donation ever was 200M€ from an SAP founder [0]. Even two digits are noteworthy in general.

[0] http://spon.de/acq9Z

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#45
post #34

You still need rich parents, because you're not allowed to work much to support yourself.

A German student visa allows you to work 120 days per year [0]. At minimum wage [1] that is about EUR 9,000 per year. I think there would be many international students who could support themselves with that. Standard of living would be low compared to Germans, but it's possible. You do however need to show you have EUR 8,640 before you get the student visa [2]. Very poor families would not be able to borrow this amo…

With a flexible employer that might be achievable indeed. With working 2 days a week you'll end up with 5-6000 eur.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#46

Should I study engineering in Germany? I'm looking at undergrad programs in California right now and the numbers don't add up for me. Not just tuition, but cost of living as a full time student as well. I also feel like it would be much easier for me (a non-traditional student) to get into a better university over there, as they pretty much just look at your test scores. Not all this GPA/extra-curricular "well rounde…

There definitely also are programs exclusively in English. Many however are rather partly in English with more option for a Masters degree. I'd check the programs at TU Munich in particular. Karlsruhe, Aachen, Darmstadt are also worth considering albeit less attractive places to live in. All degrees are accredited. My major/minor B.Sc. degree was recognized as a dual major in the US.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#47
post #33

Another possible reason - they may well have little choice! Lists of top ranked universities are generally dominated by the US/UK. In this list the highest ranked German institution is at number 30: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankin... It's always going to be hard to charge the same as a competitor when your product is inferior.

Most of the top universities in the US are effectively free. The pool of students they get to choose from would enter with a basket of scholarship money to the point they wouldn't have to pay. The other group is so wealthy the price of tuition is the cost of a new luxury car, every year. Effectively a single percentage expense. Germany doesn't have to make their schools to compete free because the schools they compet…

I seriously doubt the average Ivy League/Oxbridge aspirant would ever consider a Germany university as an alternative. Below these few elite universities you have another upper tier which in the UK would be Imperial/UCL/Durham etc. (although some departments in this supposedly lower tier are superior to the top tier). Below that you have another tier, and looking at this tier in the global rankings you are starting to see some German universities crop up. Basically, and I'm not looking to be offensive, but with these universities your market is by definition the more mediocre students, and it is in this group that I think you would start to find students for whom price is more of a priority than quality. Students at the better than average universities expect their degree to deliver a premium that will easily wipe out the cost.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#48

Should I study engineering in Germany? I'm looking at undergrad programs in California right now and the numbers don't add up for me. Not just tuition, but cost of living as a full time student as well. I also feel like it would be much easier for me (a non-traditional student) to get into a better university over there, as they pretty much just look at your test scores. Not all this GPA/extra-curricular "well rounde…

Yes.

TU Munich, TU Aachen and others are in no way worse than the US Universities. Degrees are respected internationally​.

Learn German, though. For master's courses you will find English classes at every University, but bachelor's not. At least not on TU Munich, as far as I know.

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#49

Should I study engineering in Germany? I'm looking at undergrad programs in California right now and the numbers don't add up for me. Not just tuition, but cost of living as a full time student as well. I also feel like it would be much easier for me (a non-traditional student) to get into a better university over there, as they pretty much just look at your test scores. Not all this GPA/extra-curricular "well rounde…

[deleted]

Re: Why Germany Educates International Students for Free

#50

Should I study engineering in Germany? I'm looking at undergrad programs in California right now and the numbers don't add up for me. Not just tuition, but cost of living as a full time student as well. I also feel like it would be much easier for me (a non-traditional student) to get into a better university over there, as they pretty much just look at your test scores. Not all this GPA/extra-curricular "well rounde…

This search tool of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) might help you find a suitable program: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/internationa...
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