# Study in Cottbus, Brandenburg

> Cottbus has 2 universities and colleges offering 77 degree courses (31 Bachelor's, 44 Master's), and 35% of them are taught in English or bilingually. Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg charges no tuition, including for non-EU students; you pay a semester contribution that includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.

Cottbus is the centre of Lusatia, a region moving from lignite mining to new industries, research and a new medical university. BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg is the main university, with energy, environmental and engineering programmes, and 35% of courses taught in English or bilingually. Life is quiet and inexpensive, and the Spreewald is on the doorstep.

**Find a course:** https://app.whereismyuni.com/dashboard/map?area=BB&city=Cottbus

## Cost of living

- Rent: no figure in the 2026 rent study
- Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg charges no tuition, including for non-EU students; you pay a semester contribution that includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
- Cottbus is not in the MLP rent study, but it is one of the more affordable places to study in eastern Germany.
- Berlin is about 80 minutes away by regional train, covered by your semester ticket.
- Learning some German helps a lot outside the university.

## Industries & employers

- **LEAG** (Energy): Lusatia's large energy company, moving from lignite towards renewables.
- **Deutsche Bahn ICE works** (Rail): A new ICE maintenance works opened in Cottbus in January 2024 and is still expanding.
- **Medical University of Lusatia – Carl Thiem** (Healthcare): The new state medical university and hospital, the city's largest employer.

## Culture & people

Cottbus is the cultural centre of the Sorbs (Wends), a Slavic minority with its own language and traditions; street signs are bilingual and Easter eggs decorated in Sorbian style are a local speciality. The Staatstheater, an art nouveau theatre, is the city's pride.

Prince Hermann von Pückler, a famous 19th-century landscape gardener, created Branitz Park with its earth pyramids just outside the centre. The Spreewald, a maze of canals explored by punt or canoe and famous for its pickled gherkins, is a short trip away.

## Events & festivals

- **FilmFestival Cottbus** (November): Germany's leading festival of Eastern European cinema, held since 1991.
- **Sorbian Easter traditions** (Spring): Decorated eggs, Easter riders and markets across Lusatia.
- **Spreewald paddling** (Summer): Canoe and punt trips on the Spreewald's canals.

## Places to see

- **Branitz Park** (Park): Prince Pückler's landscape park with a lake pyramid where he is buried.
- **Staatstheater Cottbus** (Theatre): Art nouveau theatre building from 1908.
- **Spreewald** (Nature): UNESCO biosphere reserve of canals and forests.
- **Cottbuser Ostsee** (Lake): A former open-cast mine being flooded to become Germany's largest artificial lake.

## Getting around

Cottbus's trams and buses and regional trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket included in the semester contribution. Regional trains reach Berlin in about 80 minutes and Dresden in under two hours, and BER is the nearest international airport. The city is small and flat, so cycling works well.

## FAQ

### Which universities are in Cottbus?

The main university is the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (BTU). The Medical University of Lusatia – Carl Thiem was founded recently and is building up its medical degree programmes.

### Can I study in English in Cottbus?

Yes. 35% of Cottbus's 77 degree courses are taught in English or bilingually, a high share, mostly Master's programmes at BTU.

### Is Cottbus cheap for students?

Cottbus is not covered by the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026, but as a small eastern German city it is generally much cheaper than Berlin or other big university cities.

### Do I pay tuition fees in Cottbus?

No. BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg is public and charges no tuition for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution.

## Sources

- [BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg](https://www.b-tu.de)
- [FilmFestival Cottbus](https://www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/en/press-en/content/about.html)
- [Deutsche Bahn: opening of the Cottbus works (January 2024)](https://www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/12629828/a3069134f7de62d87e7f93de830f922c/24-01-11-PI_Eroeffnung-Werk-Cottbus-data.pdf)

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Published by [Where Is My Uni?](https://whereismyuni.com) — every German university on one map. Canonical page: https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/brandenburg/cottbus. Last updated November 2026. [How we research](https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/how-we-research).