University of Augsburg

The University of Augsburg is a public university in Augsburg, Bavaria. Its official scholarships and costs page states plainly: 'No fees are currently charged at our university' — students pay only the semester contribution for the semester ticket and student union fee.

The semester contribution is €181.95 for winter semester 2026/27, comprising €85.00 for the Studierendenwerk and €96.95 for the semester ticket. Students need about €1,000-€1,300 per month for living expenses, including rent of at least €400-€600, health insurance of about €140, food of about €300, and clothing, study materials and other needs of about €150.

Why the University of Augsburg suits South Asian students

• No tuition fees — only the €181.95 semester contribution (winter semester 2026/27)
• English-taught master's programmes that can be completed entirely in English, including Data Science, Mathematics and Computer Science, and the elite Software Engineering programme
• APS certificate explicitly required for applicants from China, India and Vietnam (Data Science)
• Early application dates recommended for visa applicants (1 May for winter, 1 November for summer, Data Science)
• Scholarship grants for degree-seeking students after at least two semesters (master's students: after one semester), covering about 50% of living costs for one semester

Full tuition detail (verified): No tuition fees are currently charged at the University of Augsburg (official scholarships and costs page: 'No fees are currently charged at our university'). All students pay a semester contribution of €181.95 for winter semester 2026/27, comprising €85.00 Studierendenwerk contribution and €96.95 semester ticket. Living expenses are about €1,000-€1,300 per month: rent at least €400-€600, broadcasting fee about €20, health insurance about €140, food about €300, and clothing, study materials and other needs about €150. For a visa and residence permit, proof of secured living expenses is required (blocked account of €12,000 is cited on the page for the residence-permit application), and new students should hold about €4,500 extra to cover the first three months, including a deposit of up to three months' rent.

For the English-taught M.Sc. Data Science, applicants submit a bachelor's certificate with transcript of records (with a certified copy or certified translation by a translator sworn in Germany if the originals are not in German or English), a CV, module descriptions for the required subject areas, and proof of English at least at level B2 CEFR. Applicants from China, India and Vietnam must submit an APS certificate.

English at B2 is considered proven if a university entrance qualification or first degree was obtained from an English-speaking educational institution, or by a general higher education entrance qualification with at least the grade 'sufficient' in continued English, or otherwise by successful completion of a relevant test such as TOEFL or IELTS. The programme requires a bachelor's degree with an overall grade of 2.70 or better on the German scale and subject credits in multidimensional analysis, linear algebra, programming, algorithms or numerical methods, discrete structures/databases/data engineering, and data science or machine learning.

Application deadlines for Data Science are 1 September for the winter semester and 1 March for the summer semester, but applicants requiring visas are strongly recommended to apply well in advance — 1 May for winter and 1 November for summer — so that visa formalities can be completed in time. Other master's programmes have their own deadlines and aptitude procedures, which must be checked on each programme's page.

Full English requirement detail (verified): No single university-wide IELTS score is published on the official pages read; requirements vary by programme. Verified example from the M.Sc. Data Science programme page: English language skills at least at level B2 CEFR, proven by a university entrance qualification or first degree from an English-speaking institution, by a school qualification with at least 'sufficient' in continued English, or otherwise by a relevant test such as TOEFL or IELTS. No numeric IELTS band is stated on that page.

Verified English-taught master's programmes include M.Sc. Data Science (4 semesters, winter and summer starts, language of instruction English with some electives in German but completable entirely in English; minimum English B2), M.Sc. Mathematics and Computer Science (4 semesters, winter and summer starts, English B2, completable entirely in English), and the M.Sc. Software Engineering (Elite graduate programme) offered jointly with the Technical University of Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (4 semesters, winter start, English).

Data Science covers machine learning, AI and deep learning, statistics and matrix algorithms, data structures and algorithms for big data, and data engineering with big data infrastructures. Software Engineering focuses on software design and architecture, project management, strategic IT consulting, quality assurance and university and industrial research, with small classes, industry cooperation and a master's thesis abroad.

The university's official scholarships page warns that Germany does not have a broad scholarship culture, that the University of Augsburg can only provide very limited scholarship funds, and that scholarships rarely cover the full cost of living and are not a substitute for the financial resources required for a visa or residence permit.

Most scholarships are grants for one semester covering approximately 50% of living costs. Funding is only possible after successful study at the University of Augsburg for at least two semesters (master's students: after one semester) and only when a scholarship announcement is open, published on the International Office news page. The f.au.st e.V. association can arrange help for gifted students, primarily from non-EU countries, in financial need. The International Office advises degree-seeking students and publishes scholarship announcements on its news page.