With little to zero tuition fees, quality institutions and attractive post-study work opporunities, it’s perhaps no surprise that there was an increase in international students flocking to Germany last year.

The country experienced 7% growth in international enrolments in 2015 equating to 321, 569 international students, according to the latest annual Wissenschaft weltoffen, by DAAD and DZHW.

In the UK meanwhile, the cost of an undergraduate education can be anywhere from £15,295 to £22,515 for non-EU students and future funding options for European students are in doubt after the UK voted to leave the EU in June this year. 

Could Germany be set to overtake the UK as Europe's favourite study destination in future? A recent trends study from India's M.M. Advisory says it's a strong possibility. 

“Last year, [Germany] attracted a lot of attention globally when it announced an initiative to waive off tuition fees for international students,” states M.M. Advisory. “That’s made many students, especially in high-cost countries including the US, to start evaluating Germany as a serious option for international education.

"Based on the past three years’ momentum, and the smart initiatives being rolled out to attract students, we are projecting that Germany will overtake UK and become the international education leader in Europe in the next five years.”

Germany's growth rate of international enrolments is surpassing that of the UK.
Source: India's M.M. Advisory

Where do Germany's international students come from?

Unlike the UK, Germany's universities are less dependent on the typical source markets and the international student body is more diverse, a good sign for sustaining high international student numbers.

Chinese students still make up the top source market, accounting for over 30,000 students (one in eight foreign students), and India has seen growth of 25% to overtake Russia as the second most popular destination. 

In third place is Russia, which accounts for 11,534 students. Fourth is Austria with 9,875 students and fifth is France with 7,305 students.  

Germany boasts a diverse mix of international students. Source: DAAD, DZHW

What is attracting international students to Germany?

Work opportunities 

Post-study work opportunities are a major pull factor for international students. A 2014 DAAD survey showed that over half of the 11,000 international student respondents said they would like to remain in Germany after completing their studies. 

There are also plenty of work experience opportunities during your studies with DAAD's RISE programme. 

Are you interested in post-study work opportunities? Check out this article and find out what your options are!

Little to no tuition fees

As the tuition and living costs are rising in most traditional study destinations, a huge attraction for students looking to save money is the prospect of little to zero fees in Germany. The 2014 DAAD report found that 68% of students are motivated by low tuition fees. 

Most undergraduate courses are free or very inexpensive and there is even the opportunity to have minimal costs for postgraduate degrees if you completed your undergradate qualification in a German institution.

English-taught programmes

There are now more English-taught programmes than ever in Germany, particularly for postgraduate courses where there are close to 1,000 English taught programmes. 

The DAAD survey revealed that 72% of respondents were driven by the acceptance of German degrees internationally.

Quality institutions

The main motivating factor for studying in Germany according to the report was the quality of education available, which accounted for 89% of respondents. 

Interested in studying in Germany? Search for courses now and start your study abroad adventure!

Where can a degree in Germany take you?

Want to know more about what you can achieve with a German degree? Check out this video from Study in Germany. It portrays six young international students with a German degrees who have all found successful careers in Germany or back in their home country.