Alice's tips at a glance

Studying in Eichstätt

The KU has around 5,000 students and is a modern University with a tradition that goes back several centuries. Studying and researching in Eichstätt and Ingolstadt means working in a welcoming atmosphere where small groups, individual consultation, and close working relationships are the norm. The KU is characterized by excellent teaching, strong research, and social responsibility. Our University has two campuses: Eichstätt and Ingolstadt. Seven faculties are located in Eichstätt. The Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) and MIDS (Institute of Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning and Data Science) are located on our Ingolstadt campus.

Eichstätt impresses with its unique combination of baroque architecture, modern amenities and the picturesque nature of the Altmühltal natural park that is ideal for hiking, cycling, canoeing and many other outdoor activities. Short distances and lavish green spaces characterize the KU campus in Eichstätt. The buildings on campus are located close to the Eichstätt old town. 

Studying in Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt is home to the second KU campus. The combination of a historic old town, modern infrastructure, attractive leisure facilities and lots of green spaces makes Ingolstadt an ideal place to study. Numerous large companies for internships during your studies or career entry are located here. Ingolstadt combines the many advantages of a big city with leisure and recreation opportunities close to nature, e.g. with its large Klenzepark or the nearby Baggersee lake that invites you to relax after a full day at Uni.

You want to learn more about the KU and its campuses? Click here for more information.

Applying for studies abroad is the first step into a new, exciting chapter of your life. All international prospective students who would like to study for a degree at the KU have to apply online in a first step. Following formal application, you will receive a letter of admission. In a next step, you can enroll for your desired degree program. Please note that you cannot enroll as long as you have no visa. This means that you should make an appointment for obtaining your visa as soon as you have your application confirmation.

All important information for international prospective students on application, enrollment and visa is summarized on our website at:

Information on application & enrollment

Information on visa & residence permit

Are you interested in a specific degree program at the KU and have already made up your mind for studying with us? Great! Please keep in mind that the application deadlines for our English-taught programs at the KU may differ for non-EU international students. The deadlines for all programs are listed on the respective program overview pages: KU Study offer

Living abroad can feel overwhelming at first – we got your back!

Especially when coming in from abroad, you might want to tick the box for accommodation early in advance. For internationals, it is generally recommended to start looking for accommodation at least four months before your arrival. We are here to help you with everything you need to consider from landlords’ confirmations and financing issues, calculating the costs to expect when living and studying in Germany, and where to start looking for accommodation. Our International Office has compiled housing guides for both campus locations that you can check out here: Housing information website of the International Office.

Generally, it is easier to find affordable housing in Eichstätt than in Ingolstadt. Maybe, even when your degree program is offered in Ingolstadt, it might be an option to consider living in Eichstätt and commuting to Ingolstadt for your courses. Plus, costs of living are around 20 per cent higher in Ingolstadt than in Eichstätt.

Please note that admission to a degree program does not guarantee accommodation in a dormitory or private flat – you will have to look for accommodation yourself! However, the KU International Office is here to help and answer questions you may have. It also offers two “Housing consultations” via Zoom for interested international prospective students for which you can register here:

Session 1: May 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. (UCT+1) (Meeting ID: 677 0464 7922, Code: 087752) 
Session 2: May 20, 2025, at 3 p.m. (UCT+1) (Meeting ID: 653 4933 4118, Code: 342517)

You can find even more information and tips on the topic of housing on our KU website.

As a student, your general costs of living may vary greatly depending on your individual needs and housing situation, but when taking certain parameters into account, it is relatively easy to get a rough idea of what your studies abroad will cost you per month. On this website, the KU International Office has summarized all important information for you as regards financing issues or scholarship opportunities and lists what you should include in your calculations. 

Bear in mind costs for rent, insurance, electricity and internet and general costs of living and leisure spending. As regards costs for your studies, there are no tuition fees at the KU, just the monthly semester fees of € 78. In addition, students have the possibility to eat lunch at the KU canteen and cafeteria at reduced prices. You can choose from a wide range of supermarkets which makes it easy to buy food depending on your wishes and budget. Compared to the rest of Europe, costs for food in Germany are rather low.

Scholarship & grant opportunities

If you have a tight budget, there are many opportunities even for our international students to apply for a grant or scholarship to cover part of the everyday costs that come with studying abroad. For example, the scholarship database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) helps you to find scholarship programs easily.
The KU itself also offers partial scholarships for international students. They currently amount to €450 per month for a five-months period. Students can apply for this scholarship from their third semester (Bachelor’s programs) or from the first semester of studies for Master’s programs.

In many cases, international students going to Germany to study for a degree have to have a bank account in Germany to be able to appropriately manage their stay. Sometimes as early as when applying for a visa, you need to provide proof of sufficient financial resources. The safest option here is a blocked account with € 992 for every month of your stay (€ 11,904 for a one-year stay).

A current account is also required to pay health insurance and rent. Students can open one locally or online with a direct bank. Fees vary greatly, but direct banks are generally the cheaper option. In order to open an account, you will need proof of residence in Germany and a tax number. 

It is advisable to compare offers of different German banks – many banks in Germany also offer a standard account (current account) free of charge for students.

If you want to learn more, contact our International Office.

Internationals who would like to come study in Germany have to have valid health insurance that is recognized in Germany. EU citizens are usually insured through the health insurance in their home country, but this often only includes emergency treatment abroad.

Travel insurance is rarely sufficient for enrolment. Therefore, we highly recommend that all foreign students take out insurance through the German statutory health insurance system (currently approx. € 140 per month).

In addition, students must also have travel health and accident insurance for the period between the departure from their home country and enrolment at the KU. It is also advisable to have travel health insurance until the end of your stay in Germany, as such insurance usually includes services such as repatriation to your home country.

Click here for more information.

German courses for internationals

When you come here to study at the KU, most programs require at least basic knowledge of German. There are some programs that can be studied entirely in English, e.g. the Bachelor’s program in Data Science. But for most others, you will need at least level “DSH 2” of the German language examination for university entrance or “TestDaF 4-4-4-4”. If you are unsure about the German language requirement for your specific program, please visit the program's website. Anyone who has not yet acquired the needed language level but has been admitted for studies can enroll for an eight-month German intensive course at the KU prior to the start of their studies. Also during the semester, the KU’s Language Center (building on the left) offers various ways how you can improve your German language skills:

Pre-semester German intensive course

The above-mentioned pre-semester course is an intensive three-week course for international students who must achieve and prove German level A2 within the first year of study. It is offered each semester before the start of lectures. If the study program starts in March or September, the first course days are online via Zoom. After the official arrival day and check-in to the dormitories, the course will switch to on-campus lessons.

Q-Course German

The "Q-Course" is aimed at applicants who wish to pursue a degree at the KU, but do not yet have the required German language skills for admission to the Intensive German Language Course. The course objective of the Q-course is a completed A1 level. More information on the Q-Course and other German courses is available here.

Courses offered by the KU Language Center and free-of-charge online courses

The Language Center offers a variety of traditional German courses during the regular periods of study as well as skill-specific German courses (e.g. speaking and writing training, German regional studies, pronunciation, academic writing, etc.).
You can check out the Language Center's course offer here.

The KU Language Center also offers a comprehensive list of free-of-charge online courses, podcasts and other learning materials that help you improve your language skills: Go to virtual bookshelf

Language tandems

If you would like to practice everyday conversation skills and improve your vocabulary and pronunciation even beyond course lessons, language tandems are a great option for immersing yourself deeper into a language and making new contacts.

The KU Language Center offers a tandem partnership program that you can sign up for here. If a suitable partner is found, you will be given their contact details and you can arrange a time to meet up. 

At the KU, international students receive support for all organizational questions. The International Office (IO) and Student Advisory Service at the KU provide prospective students with information on individual degree programs, language tests, internships, financing and specific planning of their course of study before they travel to Germany. Furthermore, the IO helps international students find accommodation, with formalities and official bureaucratic procedures and in case of everyday problems and questions concerning their studies.

In addition, a buddy program ensures that all international students have a peer student that they can turn to at any time – not only with everyday problems but also when it comes to being integrated into a new social network. The so-called “Welcome Teams” are organized by a student group, the “AK International” at both KU campuses in Eichstätt and Ingolstadt. Here, KU students volunteer their time and make sure that you quickly settle in, especially in the first few weeks after your arrival. The picture on the right shows students from one of the recent "AK International".

During the semester, the "AK International" student group offers a variety of social activities, which are supplemented in Ingolstadt by the ESN (Erasmus Student Network).  Their support includes things like:

• Recruitment and training of volunteer buddies for international students
• Pick-up from the train station and help with the handover of the apartment
• Event planning before and during the semester (e.g. field trips, parties)
• Organization of language tandems

The buddy program is offered in cooperation with the KU International Office, but if you would like to get in touch directly, you can find contact details on this website.

Student groups with different thematic focuses

Being a Fairtrade University, one focus area of many student groups is sustainability and awareness for the conscious use of resources. This is why many student groups (called “AK”s in German) deal with sustainability and related environmental topics. For example, there is a student group that runs a community fridge and organizes breakfast made from “rescued food” to combat food waste, or a student group that tends to the community garden Kapuzinergarten, that is also home to the University’s own bees.

Find them on Instagram:
@denknachhaltig
@foodsharing.eichstaett
@kapuzinergarteneichstaett