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Munich

Germany · Europe

Germany's engineering heartland: cars, aerospace, industrial software and two of the country's strongest technical universities in one city.

Who this suits, and who it doesn’t

Suits you if you want engineering or applied science next to the companies that employ it, and will learn German properly. Look elsewhere if your budget is tight. Berlin or a smaller university city gives you the same free tuition at a fraction of the rent.

The catch, and the way in

The catch

The most expensive city in Germany to live in, and German is expected in far more of the work than in Berlin.

The way in

The same no-tuition public system as the rest of Germany, and the technical universities run a wide set of English-taught master's degrees; bachelor's teaching is mostly in German.

Living there

What living here is actually like

Orderly, prosperous and close to the Alps. Mountains and lakes are an hour out, and people organise their weekends around them. It's quieter and more traditional than Berlin: things close, rules are followed, and the social door opens slowly but stays open. Transport works and cycling is normal, so you won't need a car.

How the money works

Tuition isn't the problem here; rent is, and Munich's is the highest in the country, so applying for student halls and shared flats months ahead is the difference between arriving and scrambling. The blocked account showing a year of living costs is still the visa gate, and it bites harder here because the city sits above the national assumption behind that figure. Health insurance is mandatory and fixed.Described in shape rather than figures on purpose: rents and salaries move every year and we cannot keep numbers true, but what is expensive and what quietly eats income stays true for far longer.

The language you actually need

Engineering master's programmes and international corporate teams run in English, but Munich's employers expect German sooner than Berlin's and internships almost always do. Assume B2 to work here, and more of daily life needs it than in the capital.

The work that clusters here

The kinds of work Munich is a route into, each with what it actually involves, and what the catch is.

Who is named here

Not a ranking and not in order of merit. These are the places a subject is actually studied and taught at in this city, so you have something to search for.

  • Technical University of Munich

    • Engineering
    • Computer Science
    • Natural Sciences

    Some English-taught programmes

  • Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

    • Natural Sciences
    • Humanities & Social Sciences
    • Medicine & Health
    • Law

    Some English-taught programmes

Language of teaching moves within a cycle, so check it on the university’s own page for your own entry year.