Costs at a Glance
Whenever you start studying at a university, you have to keep an eye on monthly expenses. The costs for studying at the University of Potsdam are comprised of semester fees and the cost of living. Monthly financial expenses vary among students depending upon your personal circumstances and standards. This page presents a few guidelines that should make financial planning easier for prospective students.
No Tuition Fees – With Exceptions
At the University of Potsdam, we do not charge any tuition fees for all undergraduate programs, i.e., for programs leading to the bachelor's degree and the first state examination in Law. There are also no tuition fees for all consecutive master's degree programs. The only exception to this are some of the continuing education programs, where the amount of tuition fees charged is determined on an individual basis.
Regardless of this, however, all students at the University of Potsdam must pay a semester fee, which is made up of various components and is due each semester.
The cost of having your own apartment
The most important factor when making a financial plan is housing. The Potsdam Association for Student Affairs offers residential housing for Bachelor and Master students that is comparatively affordable for the Potsdam area. They are available as partially or fully furnished units. If you want to have your own apartment, you will have to anticipate higher costs. Furnishing a new apartment involves costs that are not included in this estimate. Apartment-sharing communities (WGs) are usually an affordable alternative that fall somewhere in the middle of the price spectrum. Such arrangements often involve the need for new purchases, though.
Average cost of living
The following values are to be understood as guidelines. They are based on information from various sources published since 2018. The values reflect the average cost of living of students at the University of Potsdam who live in a shared apartment in Potsdam but still have statutory health insurance with their family (i.e., are under 25 years old). Values may vary depending on standard of living and personal needs. Please note that contributions for students taking out their own health insurance have increased (currently EUR82.99 + additional contribution required by the respective health insurance company). Health insurance contributions can therefore reach up to EUR128 per month.
Please note that the information in this table reflects the average costs of a student, which can differ depending individual circumstances and preferences. | |
|---|---|
| Rent including utilities | 410 |
| Food | 198 |
| Clothing | 46 |
| Learning materials | 31 |
| Public transportation | included in semester fees (Semester Ticket Germany, if eligible) |
| Health insurance, medical expenses, medications | 100 |
| Communication (telephone, internet and more) | 31 |
| Leisure time, culture and sports | 65 |
| Semester fee at the University of Potsdam (currently a total of € 322,40) | 54 |
| Total | 935 |
Additional expenses
Prospective students who are planning on using German financial aid (BAföG) should note that € 360 is the maximum rental cost considered as necessary. This will not fully cover the average rental costs for the Potsdam area. This standard amount can vary depending on whether the applicant is eligible for independant BAföG (not parentally dependent).
You should also expect higher food costs; up to € 200 a month may be realistic. If you have a car, you must also plan for additional expenses for car taxes, insurance and fuel. Expenses for learning materials can vary greatly depending on the subjects you study. You ask about general rules of thumb at your Departmental Student Representative Committee (Fachschaft) or in your departmental advisory office.
The monthly expenses overall, per student, can vary between €600 and €1,100. Extraordinary expenses, such as buying a computer or paying for student excursions, are not included in the budget example.