Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Why this works

• As a public Bavarian university, FAU charges non-EU students only €310 per year, far below private German alternatives.
• Bavaria applies no extra non-EU semester surcharge, unlike Baden-Württemberg where non-EU students pay €1,500 per semester.
• FAU covers a rare breadth of fields — STEM, medicine, law, business, humanities, theology — giving you flexibility to change focus.
• A German university degree is an EU-recognised qualification, opening graduate job markets across all 27 member states.
• After graduation, Germany grants an 18-month job-seeker visa, letting you convert your degree into local work experience in Bavaria's strong industrial economy.
• Erlangen-Nürnberg sits in the Nuremberg Metro, one of Germany's leading engineering and tech hubs, with Siemens headquarters and dense Mittelstand employers for internships.

What to check

• Most bachelor programmes at German public universities are taught in German; daily life and lectures require at least B2–C1 level, which takes years to reach.
• Non-EU school leavers typically must complete a Studienkolleg preparatory year before admission, adding one year and entrance-exam pressure to your timeline.
• Germany requires proof of funds via a blocked account (Sperrkonto) of approximately €11,904 before a student visa is issued — a significant upfront capital requirement.
• Nuremberg has a tight student housing market; finding affordable accommodation near campus requires early planning and local-language searches.
• Students may work only 120 full days or 240 half-days per year, limiting earned income and making the blocked-account requirement harder to offset through part-time work.

Accommodation

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg — 3,700+ housing places across Erlangen and Nuremberg. Shared bath/kitchen from ~€200; studio up to ~€400. New 600-place initiative launched Apr 2026

Scholarships

DAAD: Master's/PhD, merit-based (RU/BY de-facto restricted post-2022). Deutschlandstipendium: €300/mo, all nationalities, merit + social commitment. Apply via university portal (Apr–Jun).