LMU Munich; Photo Credit: Digital Cat, CC BY 2.0

If you were to enroll in one of the world’s top 50 universities, you would prepare yourself for academic rigour, international exposure, and a huge hit to your finances by way of tuition fees. But, if that institution happened to be in Germany, you’d be surprised at just how affordable world class education can be!

In a research recently conducted by international currency experts, FairFX, Germany was ranked the world’s most affordable country when it comes to getting higher education. It was followed by Sweden, South Africa, Finland, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Russia and Norway.

Not only is Germany cheap but it is also one of the world’s best. Currently, Germany has 40 ranked universities in the top 500 of the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, 2016-17. Of these, 9 are in the top 100. LMU Munich’s President, Bernd Huber, told Times Higher Education, “It’s not so important which university you have attended… You can say very roughly if you do an undergraduate degree you will get a very good education at every university in Germany.”

Most German universities have almost no tuition fees at all. According to the study by FairFX, the average tuition fees is approximately 331 GBP and the average living cost is around 6,369 GBP. Compared to countries like the US and Australia - the world’s most expensive countries to study in, the cost is a mere fraction.

How is Germany able to offer higher education at such low costs when, world over, international tuition fees are steadily increasing? The answer is – because of a strong economy and a relatively higher tax take from a willing electorate.

This does not mean that there are no debates about whether universities will introduce appropriate tuition fees. According to Cornelia Quennet-Thielen, Secretary of State for Education and Research, there is no formal government position on the issue. Universities are clamouring for funding in order to compete internationally. Naturally, the main source of that, as for universities the world over, is student fees.

The future may take a different shape, but in the present, if you are looking for an affordable world-class education – Germany is one of your best options.