In short
Greifswald has 1 university offering 120 degree courses (31 Bachelor's, 38 Master's), and 54% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €405 a month (30 m² flat incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — The University of Greifswald charges no tuition, including for non-EU students; you pay a semester contribution that includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket. A 2026 proposal to introduce fees for non-EU students was rejected.
Greifswald is a true student town: the University of Greifswald, founded in 1456, is the city's heart, and students make up a large share of the population. It is small, safe and walkable, with the Baltic coast at the end of the street. Rents are among the lowest in Germany.
Universities in Greifswald
Every university and college in Greifswald in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of University of Greifswald (opens in a new tab)
University of Greifswald
University 120 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Greifswald costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €405 / month30 m² flat 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
- Greifswald is one of the cheapest cities in the MLP 2026 study: about €405 for a 30 m² flat and €340 for a shared-flat room.
- A bike is all you need; the town is flat and compact.
- German is important: most courses and almost all daily life run in German.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Greifswald.
Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
Research
Runs the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment in Greifswald.
University Medicine Greifswald
Healthcare
The university hospital, one of the region's largest employers.
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
Research
Federal research institute for animal health, on the nearby island of Riems.
Culture & people
Greifswald is a Hanseatic town with a market square of brick gables and three big Gothic churches. The Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich was born here in 1774, and his paintings of the Eldena Abbey ruins made the area famous.
Life is calm and outdoorsy: students sail on the Ryck river and the Greifswald Bodden, cycle to the fishing village of Wieck, and take day trips to the islands of Rügen and Usedom.
Events & festivals
Nordischer Klang
May
Germany's largest festival of Nordic culture, with music, film and literature.
Fischerfest Gaffelrigg
July
Harbour festival with traditional sailing boats in Wieck.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
Held on the historic market square.
Places to see
Market Square
Square
Brick gabled houses and the town hall at the centre of the old town.
Eldena Abbey
Ruin
Monastery ruins painted by Caspar David Friedrich.
Wieck
Village
Fishing village with a wooden bascule bridge at the mouth of the Ryck.
St Nicholas Cathedral
Church
Brick Gothic cathedral with a tower you can climb.
Rügen and Usedom
Day trip
Germany's two largest islands, both within easy reach.
Getting around
Greifswald's buses and regional trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket included in the semester contribution. Trains reach Berlin in about two and a half to three hours and Stralsund in about 20 minutes, and the nearest large airports are Berlin and Hamburg. Most students cycle everywhere.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Greifswald, read by our team before they appear.
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Studying in Greifswald: FAQ
Is Greifswald cheap for students?
Yes. A 30 m² student flat costs about €405 a month and a shared-flat room about €340, among the lowest figures in the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026, where only Chemnitz and Magdeburg are cheaper.
Which universities are in Greifswald?
Greifswald has one university in our catalogue, the University of Greifswald, founded in 1456, with 120 degree courses in medicine, sciences, humanities, law and economics.
Can I study in English in Greifswald?
Only a few programmes: 54% of the University of Greifswald's courses are taught in English or bilingually.
Do I pay tuition fees in Greifswald?
No. The University of Greifswald charges no tuition for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution.
More guides in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- University of Greifswald (opens in a new tab)
- Nordischer Klang 2026 (University of Greifswald) (opens in a new tab)
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania tuition bill (GradGermany, Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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