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Public Universities in Germany with Open Admission: English Master's for Indian Students (2027)

Pratik Jain8 min readLast updated

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Last Updated: November 5, 2026

QUICK ANSWER: Which public universities in Germany have open admission? Our database lists more than 2,100 English-taught Master's at German public universities, and more than 1,000 of them have open admission. FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, RWTH Aachen and TU Dresden have the most. Open admission means no limit on places, not easy entry: you still need matching subjects, the published minimum grade, APS and, for B.Tech graduates, the dMAT.

Most Indian students search for "public universities in Germany" for one reason: low or no tuition. The question that matters next is which programmes you can actually get into. This guide uses our German Master's database to show where open admission programmes are, what open admission really means, and how to check that a university is public.

What does open admission mean?

German programmes fall into three admission types. The type is set for each programme, not for the whole university.

Admission typeWhat it meansWhat decides your result
Open (zulassungsfrei)No limit on placesYou are admitted if you meet every entry requirement
Restricted (NC)Limited placesApplicants who meet the requirements are ranked, mainly by grade
SelectionLimited places with an assessmentGrade, subject fit and sometimes interviews, tests or a motivation letter

Important

Open admission is not a lower bar. Some open programmes publish a minimum German grade: TU Dortmund's Automation and Robotics and the University of Bremen's Communications and Information Technology both list 2.0. If you miss one requirement, you are rejected, even with no competition for places.

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Which public universities have the most open admission programmes?

Counted from our database of German Master's programmes (built from DAAD International Programmes, Hochschulkompass and university websites, October 2026). English-taught programmes with open admission only. Confirm every detail on the programme's own page before you apply.

UniversityCityOpen English Master'sExamples for engineering and CS graduates
FAU Erlangen-NurembergErlangen38Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Materials and Processes
RWTH AachenAachen32Automotive Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
TU DresdenDresden26Computer Science, Advanced Computational and Civil Engineering
University of BonnBonn24Mobile Robotics
Kiel UniversityKiel23Computer Science
RPTU Kaiserslautern-LandauKaiserslautern22Automation and Control, Computer Science
Ruhr University BochumBochum21Computer Science, Computational Engineering
TU DortmundDortmund20Automation and Robotics
TU DarmstadtDarmstadt17Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Aerospace Engineering
University of FreiburgFreiburg17Computer Science, Embedded Systems Engineering
University of MagdeburgMagdeburg16Chemical and Energy Engineering, Computational Methods in Engineering
University of BremenBremen16Communications and Information Technology, Control, Microsystems, Microelectronics
TH IngolstadtIngolstadt16AI Engineering of Autonomous Systems, Automotive Production Engineering
BTU Cottbus-SenftenbergCottbus15Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security

The counts include every subject, from physics to American Studies. What matters is how many open programmes exist in your own field. Filter by subject and admission type in the free German University Shortlister.

Tip

A famous city is not a better chance. Kiel, Magdeburg, Cottbus and Kaiserslautern all have open programmes in computer science, AI or engineering. Smaller and eastern university cities are also the cheapest to live in, while a shared room in Munich has a median rent of €850 a month.

What do open admission programmes still check?

RequirementWhat to check
Subject fitYour Bachelor's must be in the same or a closely related field
CreditsMany programmes list minimum credits in maths, programming or core subjects. Run the credit table check
Minimum gradeSome publish one, often between 2.0 and 2.5. Convert yours with the CGPA to German GPA converter
Degree recognitionYour university should be H+ on anabin. See our anabin guide
EnglishIELTS or TOEFL at the programme's minimum. Minimums in our list range from 5.0 to 7.5
APSRequired for all Indian applicants. See our APS guide
dMATFrom the Summer 2027 intake, every B.Tech and B.Eng graduate needs it. Test dates are 16 January and 13 March 2027. See our dMAT guide

Warning

Missing credits are the most common reason for rejection at open programmes, not a low CGPA. Check your transcript against the programme's requirements before you pay any application fee.

How do I check that a university is public?

Search the university on Hochschulkompass, the official database of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). Each university profile shows whether it is run by the state or privately.

Three things that confuse students:

  1. "University of Applied Sciences" can be public or private. TH Ingolstadt and HAW Hamburg are public. Some well-advertised Universities of Applied Sciences are private.
  2. "State-recognised" does not mean public. It means a private university's degrees are officially recognised. It still charges tuition.
  3. Private universities charge for the whole programme. Public ones charge a semester contribution, with a few exceptions below.

For when a private university can still make sense, see Are private universities in Germany worth it?

📄

Free Guide: SOP Skeleton & 10 Critical Errors

Download our free 1-page PDF SOP framework we use with our students.

What does a public university cost?

ItemAmount
TuitionNone at most public universities. €1,500 a semester in Baden-Württemberg (for example Freiburg, Stuttgart, KIT). TUM charges non-EU students
Semester contributionA few hundred euros a semester, often including the €226.80 semester ticket
Blocked account€11,904 for the first year (€992 a month)
APS₹18,000

Rent is the biggest variable. See our cost of living guide and semester fee guide.

How should I use open admission programmes in my list?

  1. Start from your subjects. Shortlist programmes that match your Bachelor's, then sort by admission type.
  2. Mix your list. A few selection programmes, several restricted ones that fit your grade, and three or four open programmes as your safe base.
  3. Do not leave open programmes to the end. They still have fixed deadlines, and many run through uni-assist, which takes weeks. See our uni-assist guide.
  4. Plan APS and the dMAT first. Neither depends on admission type, and both take time. Our admission timeline shows the order.

Not sure which open programmes fit your transcript?

We check your subjects, credits and grade against real programmes before you apply.

Book a free evaluation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which public universities in Germany have open admission for Master's?

In our database, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, RWTH Aachen, TU Dresden, the University of Bonn, Kiel University, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund have the most English-taught Master's with open admission. Admission type is set per programme, so check each one.

Does open admission mean I will definitely get in?

No. Open admission means there is no limit on places, so you are admitted if you meet every entry requirement. Most rejections come from missing subjects or credits, a grade below the published minimum, or a missing document.

Are public universities in Germany free for Indian students?

Most charge no tuition, only a semester contribution of a few hundred euros. Universities in Baden-Württemberg charge non-EU students €1,500 a semester, and TUM charges non-EU tuition. Always check the programme page.

How do I know if a German university is public or private?

Look up the university on Hochschulkompass, the official database of the German Rectors' Conference. Its profile shows whether the university is state-run or privately run. Private universities charge tuition for the whole programme.

Do I still need APS and the dMAT for open admission programmes?

Yes. APS is required for Indian applicants whatever the admission type. From the Summer 2027 intake, every B.Tech and B.Eng graduate also needs the dMAT, unless an exemption applies.

Pratik Jain

Pratik Jain

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Next Steps

Best Universities in Germany for Indian Students

TU9, Universities of Applied Sciences, tuition and how competitive the top universities are.

German University Shortlister

Filter English-taught Master's by field, admission type, IELTS and deadline.

Credit Table Check: Indian Engineering Degrees for German Master's

Check your subject credits before you apply.