The question is the level, not the country
"Which European countries teach in English" has a misleading answer: all of them, somewhere. The useful question is at which level. In Germany the answer flips completely between bachelor's and master's. In the Netherlands it does not. That single distinction decides more than any ranking.
Where English gets you in
| Country | English-taught availability | Typical IELTS bar | Tuition, public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Master's: broad. Bachelor's: a minority | 6.0 | €0 + €70–430/semester |
| Austria | Master's: broader. Bachelor's: mostly German-taught | set per programme | €1,453/year + ÖH €26.20/semester |
| Netherlands | The largest selection of the six — research universities (WO) and applied-sciences universities (HBO) | 6.0–6.5 (TOEFL iBT 80+) | €8,000–20,000/year |
| Estonia | Available at both levels | 6.0 | ~€1,500–8,500/year |
| Latvia | Available at both levels | 5.5 | ~€1,550–6,000/year |
| Lithuania | Available at both levels | 5.5 | ~€950–6,200/year |
No country publishes a single national IELTS minimum. Each programme sets its own, and selective programmes ask for more. The column above is the bar our matcher uses to filter routes, not an official floor — read the score off the programme page before you book a test date.
Germany without German
This is the most common question we get, and it has two different answers.
Master's — yes, realistically. There is a large English-taught selection, concentrated in engineering, IT, data science and the sciences. You need IELTS or TOEFL, not German. Search hochschulkompass.de or the DAAD database for your field before assuming it is covered.
Bachelor's — mostly no. Bachelor programmes are predominantly taught in German and usually require C1 (TestDaF 4×4 or Goethe C1). English-taught bachelors exist but are the exception. B2 is rarely enough for admission to a German-taught programme.
And a separate gate sits before the language one: a CIS-issued school certificate often does not qualify for direct bachelor admission at all, regardless of what language you study in. That route runs through a preparatory year (Studienkolleg) first.
Austria — the same German-first logic, a different price
At bachelor's level Austria works like Germany: most programmes are taught in German and ask for B2–C1 or a university entrance exam. English-taught options are noticeably broader at master's level. If your German is not there yet, the bridge is the VWU (Vorstudienlehrgang), Austria's preparatory year — the counterpart to the German Studienkolleg.
Two practical differences. There is no central application portal: you apply to each university directly. And public tuition is a flat €726.72 per semester for third-country students on a student residence permit plus the €26.20 ÖH fee — €0 for EU/EEA citizens, and for Ukrainians while they hold Vertriebene status. The trade-off sits on the visa: Austria asks the highest financial proof of the six — €15,701 a year.
Netherlands — two university types, two difficulty levels
WO (research universities — Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden) run 3-year bachelor's and are the more selective track. HBO (universities of applied sciences — HAN, Inholland, Rotterdam) run 4-year bachelor's and are easier to enter with a CIS school diploma.
Both teach in English at scale. Most programmes want IELTS 6.0–6.5 or TOEFL iBT 80+, with selective WO programmes asking above applied-sciences HBO ones. The trade-off is price: this is the most expensive of the six.
The Baltics — the lowest language bar
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania run English-taught programmes at both levels, and the typical bar our matcher uses is the lowest of the six — 5.5 for Latvia and Lithuania. Tuition sits between the German zero and the Dutch band.
One thing that catches people out: Duolingo is not universally accepted. Public universities in the Baltics usually want IELTS or TOEFL. Confirm on the specific programme page — do not assume it qualifies you.
What actually blocks people
Rarely the language test. Far more often:
- Recognition of the school certificate. Whether your certificate maps to a direct bachelor entry is decided by the destination's recognition body, not by your English.
- The money you must prove before the visa — a separate number from tuition, set by the destination state.
- The payment route. With a Russian or Belarusian passport, many universities accept only SEPA transfers from inside the EU. Clarify before you pay any deposit.
In Germany, students may work 120 full days or 240 half days per year without a separate permit — real, but not a substitute for financial proof.
What we do not promise
We do not promise admission to any university or approval of any visa. Programme language, entry requirements and fees are set by the institutions and change without notice — the figures above are indicative for 2026-27.