5 reasons why international students choose to study abroad in Germany

If you are thinking of studying abroad, you may have already explored a few study destination options based on different reasons. Expatrio, in partnership with DeGiS, sent out a survey to international students in Germany and they were asked about the countries they considered before selecting Germany. Let’s have a closer look at the countries that the students considered.

Germany was the first choice for 59% of the students. Others considered the USA, Canada, the UK, while only a few had Australia or New Zealand in mind. All these countries, including Germany, have been featured in global rank lists for top study destinations for international students over the years.

The reasons why international students selected Germany as the top study destination were;

1. No tuition fees - The majority of the respondents selected no tuition fees as a factor that convinced them to study in Germany. This goes along with the findings of a study that was conducted by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Center for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW).

2. German university reputation - some respondents value the reputation of German universities. The most prestigious German universities are on the list of 70 best universities in the world. There is a clear correspondence of this in three of the most reliable global rankings.

3. Employment opportunities - career opportunities in Germany have also attracted the students. 60% of them are planning to remain in Germany after their studies. Study-in-Germany had similar results with 69% of students planning to live in Germany for a longer time period.

4. Living expenses - some found the cost of living in Germany attractive relative to other countries. More insights have been gained regarding the students' actual living expenses in Germany. 89% felt that the monthly living expense amount of €853 set by the German government is sufficient (the amount has now increased to €861).

5. Family or friends in Germany - joining family and friends came out as one of the top five reasons students relocated to Germany.

Other reasons included; the attractiveness of the German economy, access to scholarships, the quality of life in Germany, and the opportunity to explore the arts such as classical music. The rest of this group mentioned that they had already learned German before and wanted to relocate to Germany to speak with natives.

In comparison to previous years, it still appears that the top two reasons for studying in Germany are still no tuition fees and the reputation of the Universities.

Click here to view our full insights report about Relocating to and Living in Germany.