Is Germany Still Tuition-Free in 2026? TUM and Baden-Württemberg

TUM tuition fees non-EU students are the example that broke the old slogan. Is Germany still tuition-free 2026? For many public Master's programmes, yes on tuition, no on total cost. You still pay a semester contribution and you still need a blocked account for living costs.

Two public exceptions matter for Indian and other non-EU applicants:

1. Technical University of Munich (TUM) tuition for newly enrolled non-EU/EEA Bachelor's and Master's students from winter semester 2024/25.
2. Baden-Württemberg public universities: €1,500 per semester for most international students from outside the EU/EEA (in force since winter semester 2017/18).

Official TUM page: Tuition fees for students from non-EU countries. Official state FAQ: MWK Baden-Württemberg, fees for international students.

Living costs are separate: cost of living and MS budget from India.

TL;DR

Semester contribution vs tuition Germany

Semester contribution vs tuition Germany is the first clarification.

Consultancies that still say "FREE tuition, just fly" skip rows two and three, and they skip TUM and BW.

TUM fees for non-EU Master's students

TUM's own wording (confirm on the live navigator):

• Whether you pay depends mainly on citizenship, plus previous education and degree programme.
• New enrolments in Bachelor's or Master's from winter semester 2024/25 if you are not from the EU/EEA (or equivalent).
• Bachelor's: usually €2,000 or €3,000 per semester.
• Master's: usually €4,000 or €6,000 per semester.
• Plus the semester fee for your campus.
• Doctoral studies, some continuing students from before WS 2024/25, exchange, Studienkolleg, and a few other groups are treated differently. Use the navigator, not a screenshot from 2023.

TUM also publishes waivers and scholarships. A waiver is an application, not a default.

TUM non-EU Master's fees per semester at €6,000 is €12,000 per year before rent. Two years is €24,000 tuition if the rate stays. Add that to the blocked-account living figure before you treat TUM as "the same cost as RWTH."

Baden-Württemberg tuition fees international students

Baden-Württemberg tuition fees international students at public Hochschulen are €1,500 per semester (€3,000 per year) for the group defined in the Landeshochschulgebührengesetz: people who enter from outside the EU/EEA to study.

That covers public universities in cities such as Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Freiburg, Mannheim, Konstanz, Tübingen, Ulm. EU/EEA students and many Bildungsinländer are not in this fee group. Second-degree fees are a different line (€650 per semester on the MWK FAQ).

Abolition has been discussed in politics. As of this writing the €1,500 fee is still what the ministry page describes. Check your offer letter.

Which states actually charge non-EU tuition

Which German states charge tuition non-EU students at public universities:

• Most Länder: no general non-EU tuition; semester contribution only.
• Baden-Württemberg: €1,500 per semester for the international-student group above.
• Bavaria: no statewide €1,500 copy of BW. TUM (and you must check other Bavarian institutions individually) added its own non-EU tuition for new Bachelor's and Master's.
• Private universities anywhere: tuition is normal. See public vs private.

Always open that programme's fee page. Fachhochschulen, continuing-education Master's, and executive programmes can charge even in "free" states.

How to budget an offer

1. Open the university fee page and write tuition + Semesterbeitrag for two years.
2. Add city rent from the cost of living calculator.
3. If you hold several Zulassungen, compare totals, not logos: multiple admission letters.
4. Visa proof is still the blocked-account (or accepted alternative) plus a plan for tuition if your school invoices it.

Germany is still one of the cheaper public-university destinations in Europe if you pick a no-tuition programme. It is not a slogan you can paste onto every TUM or Stuttgart offer.

Common mistakes

• Budgeting "zero tuition" for TUM or a BW public university
• Mixing Semesterbeitrag with Studiengebühren
• Ignoring waivers at TUM as if they were automatic
• Using a 2023 screenshot of TUM as "still free"

Official sources

• TUM, tuition fees for students from non-EU countries
• TUM, scholarships and waivers
• MWK Baden-Württemberg, fees FAQ

Related: Public vs private · Cost of living · MS total cost from India · Blocked account