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Study in Lower Saxony

Green, relaxed and affordable, from Hanover's trade fairs to Göttingen and Osnabrück — with Volkswagen and Continental nearby.

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Lüneburg Heath
Photo: Lüneburg Heath — Nikanos (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 2.5

In short

Lower Saxony has 35 universities and colleges offering 1,763 degree courses (832 Bachelor's, 880 Master's), and 23% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €505 a month (30 m² flat in Hanover incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — Public universities charge no tuition for regular degrees; you pay only the semester contribution (about €100–400, usually including the semester ticket). Students far beyond the standard study period pay long-term fees.

Germany's second-largest state by area: green, flat and relaxed, from the North Sea coast to the Harz mountains. Hanover is a trade-fair city with big employers, Göttingen is a classic university town, and rents are moderate.

University cities

Every city in Lower Saxony with a university. Cities with a guide link to it.

  • Hanover

    9 universities 346 courses 21% in English

  • Osnabrück

    2 universities 310 courses 28% in English

  • Göttingen

    3 universities 299 courses 33% in English

  • Oldenburg

    2 universities 189 courses 21% in English

  • Hildesheim

    2 universities 140 courses 9% in English

  • Braunschweig

    2 universities 105 courses 17% in English

  • Wolfenbüttel

    1 university 89 courses 9% in English

  • Wilhelmshaven

    1 university 63 courses 10% in English

  • Lüneburg

    2 universities 63 courses 73% in English

  • Vechta

    2 universities 47 courses 2% in English

  • Emden

    1 university 44 courses 30% in English

  • Clausthal-Zellerfeld

    1 university 37 courses 22% in English

  • Buxtehude

    1 university 8 courses 0% in English

  • Diepholz

    1 university 8 courses 0% in English

  • Ottersberg

    1 university 7 courses 0% in English

  • Hameln

    1 university 4 courses 25% in English

  • Melle, Wiehengeb

    1 university 2 courses 0% in English

  • Lingen (Ems)

    1 university 1 course 0% in English

  • Nienburg (Weser)

    1 university 1 course 0% in English

Cost of living

What studying in Lower Saxony costs, from the latest figures we could source.

Rent for a student flat
≈ €505 / month30 m² flat in Hanover incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026
Tuition for non-EU students
€0 / semesterPlus the semester contribution every student pays. The rules are summed up in In short.
Proof of funds for a visa
€992 / monthThe proof of funds German missions currently ask of student-visa applicants (€11,904 a year) — confirm with the German embassy or consulate handling your application.

Good to know

  • Rents are friendly: about €505 for a 30 m² flat in Hanover and €519 in Göttingen, far below Munich's €880 (MLP 2026).
  • Hanover hosts some of the world's biggest trade fairs — good for internships and part-time jobs.
  • Göttingen's university is linked to more than 40 Nobel laureates; new doctors traditionally kiss the Gänseliesel statue.

Industries & employers

Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Lower Saxony.

  • Volkswagen

    Automotive

    Headquartered in Wolfsburg, with plants in Emden, Salzgitter and Hanover.

  • Continental

    Automotive supplier

    Headquartered in Hanover.

  • TUI

    Tourism

    The world's largest tourism group, headquartered in Hanover.

  • Hannover Re

    Reinsurance

    One of the world's biggest reinsurers, headquartered in Hanover.

  • Salzgitter AG

    Steel

    One of Germany's largest steelmakers, in Salzgitter.

  • Meyer Werft

    Shipbuilding

    Builds cruise ships in Papenburg.

Culture & people

Lower Saxony is calm and unpretentious. The Hanover region is often said to speak the 'purest' standard German, while Low German (Plattdeutsch) is still heard in the countryside and along the coast.

Food is hearty and northern: kale with sausage (Grünkohl) in winter, asparagus in spring and heath lamb from the Lüneburg Heath. The landscape is flat and made for cycling, and the East Frisian islands are a classic weekend trip.

Events & festivals

  • Schützenfest Hannover

    Late June – early July

    The world's largest marksmen's festival, with a funfair, beer tents and a huge parade.

  • Maschseefest, Hanover

    August

    Three weeks of food, music and stages around the Maschsee lake in the city.

  • Hannover Messe

    April

    The world's leading industrial trade fair — useful for engineering students looking for contacts.

  • Kramermarkt, Oldenburg

    Late Sept – early Oct

    One of northern Germany's biggest folk festivals.

Places to see

  • Lüneburg Heath

    Nature

    Purple heather, juniper and sheep — at its best when it blooms in August.

  • Göttingen & the Gänseliesel

    City

    The goose-girl fountain in front of the Old Town Hall, symbol of this student city.

  • New Town Hall, Hanover

    Landmark

    A grand town hall with a curved lift up into its dome, next to the Maschpark.

  • Wadden Sea National Park

    UNESCO

    Mudflats you can hike across at low tide, between the coast and the East Frisian islands.

  • Goslar & Rammelsberg

    UNESCO

    A medieval imperial town in the Harz and the historic silver mine above it.

  • Osnabrück

    City

    The 'City of Peace', where the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated in 1648.

Getting around

Hanover is a major ICE hub: Berlin is under two hours away, and Göttingen about 35 minutes. Most universities in the state include the Deutschland-Semesterticket in the semester contribution, covering local transport and regional trains across Germany.

Hanover Airport is linked to the city by S-Bahn, and Bremen and Hamburg airports are within easy reach of the north of the state. The landscape is flat, so cycling is the everyday way to get around university towns.

Student experiences

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Studying in Lower Saxony: FAQ

Is Lower Saxony expensive for students?

No, rents are moderate: a 30 m² student flat costs about €505 a month in Hanover, €519 in Göttingen and €530 in Oldenburg (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026), compared with about €880 in Munich.

Do international students pay tuition in Lower Saxony?

No. Public universities in Lower Saxony charge no tuition for regular degrees; students pay only the semester contribution, plus long-term fees if they stay far beyond the standard period of study.

Can I study in English in Lower Saxony?

Yes — 23% of the 1,763 degree courses listed for Lower Saxony on Where Is My Uni? are taught in English or bilingually, with Göttingen offering a high share.

What is the best university city in Lower Saxony?

Göttingen is the classic research university town, Hanover offers big-city life and industry contacts, and Osnabrück, Oldenburg and Braunschweig are relaxed mid-sized student cities.

How do I get around Lower Saxony as a student?

Most universities include the Deutschland-Semesterticket, valid on all local and regional transport in Germany, and Hanover's ICE hub connects you quickly to Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Every district in Lower Saxony

A guide to each district and district-free city in Lower Saxony: universities, housing, jobs, transport and weather.

Sources

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