In short
Saxony-Anhalt has 13 universities and colleges offering 617 degree courses (246 Bachelor's, 286 Master's), and 21% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €393 a month (30 m² flat in Magdeburg 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).
Bauhaus heritage, the Harz mountains and affordable cities on the Elbe and Saale. Halle and Magdeburg are the main university cities, both with low rents, and Leipzig is about half an hour from Halle by train.
University cities
Every city in Saxony-Anhalt with a university. Cities with a guide link to it.
Halle (Saale)
3 universities 268 courses 9% in English
Magdeburg
3 universities 186 courses 39% in English
Dessau-Roßlau
2 universities 92 courses 24% in English
Wernigerode
1 university 31 courses 16% in English
Merseburg
1 university 27 courses 4% in English
Friedensau
1 university 10 courses 50% in English
Möckern
1 university 3 courses 100% in English
Cost of living
What studying in Saxony-Anhalt costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €393 / month30 m² flat in Magdeburg 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
- Magdeburg is the second-cheapest of the 38 cities in the MLP 2026 study — about €393 for a 30 m² flat.
- Halle is about half an hour from Leipzig by S-Bahn, so you can enjoy a bigger city's nightlife and still pay Halle rents.
- Dessau's Bauhaus building, where the famous design school worked from 1925, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Saxony-Anhalt.
Dow
Chemicals
Large chemical site in Schkopau near Halle.
TotalEnergies
Energy & chemicals
Runs the Leuna refinery in the Leuna chemical park.
Enercon
Wind energy
Builds wind-turbine generators in Magdeburg.
Bayer
Pharma
Makes tablets, including aspirin, in Bitterfeld.
Rotkäppchen-Mumm
Food & drink
Germany's best-known sparkling wine, headquartered in Freyburg.
Culture & people
This is the land of the Reformation and of modern design: Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in Wittenberg in 1517, and the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in 1925. Handel was born in Halle, which still celebrates him every year.
People are modest and practical. Halle's Halloren chocolate factory is Germany's oldest, the Saale-Unstrut region makes wine at the northern edge of German wine country, and the Harz mountains are full of witch legends that come alive on Walpurgis Night.
Events & festivals
Handel Festival, Halle
Late May – June
Concerts and operas of George Frideric Handel in the composer's home town.
Walpurgis Night in the Harz
30 April
Witch and devil festivals in Harz towns such as Thale and Schierke.
Advent in the Courtyards, Quedlinburg
Advent weekends
A Christmas market spread across the courtyards of a UNESCO-listed half-timbered town.
Places to see
Magdeburg Cathedral
Landmark
Germany's oldest Gothic cathedral and the burial place of Emperor Otto the Great.
Magdeburg Water Bridge
Landmark
A 918 m canal bridge that carries ships across the Elbe.
Bauhaus Dessau
UNESCO
The school building and Masters' Houses designed by Walter Gropius.
Halle (Saale)
City
The market square with the five-towered Market Church, and the Francke Foundations nearby.
Lutherstadt Wittenberg
UNESCO
The Castle Church and Luther's House, where the Reformation began.
Brocken
Mountain
The highest peak in northern Germany (1,141 m), reached on foot or by steam train.
Getting around
Most universities include the Deutschland-Semesterticket in the semester contribution, which covers trams, buses and regional trains across Germany. The S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland links Halle with Leipzig and its airport.
Halle is on the fast ICE line between Berlin and Munich, and Magdeburg has regional express trains to Berlin and Hanover. Leipzig/Halle Airport lies between the two cities, just over the border in Saxony.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Saxony-Anhalt, read by our team before they appear.
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Studying in Saxony-Anhalt: FAQ
Is Saxony-Anhalt cheap for students?
Yes. A 30 m² student flat in Magdeburg costs about €393 a month, the second-lowest of the 38 cities in the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 after Chemnitz.
Do international students pay tuition in Saxony-Anhalt?
No. Public universities in Saxony-Anhalt charge no tuition for regular bachelor's and consecutive master's degrees; students pay only the semester contribution.
Can I study in English in Saxony-Anhalt?
Yes — 21% of the 617 degree courses listed for Saxony-Anhalt on Where Is My Uni? are taught in English or bilingually, with Magdeburg offering a high share.
What is the best university city in Saxony-Anhalt?
Halle has the state's largest university, Martin Luther University, and sits next to Leipzig; Magdeburg is strong in engineering and computer science; Dessau is known for design and architecture.
How do I get around Saxony-Anhalt as a student?
Regional trains and the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland connect the cities, and the Deutschland-Semesterticket included at most universities covers them; Halle has fast ICE links to Berlin and Munich.
Every district in Saxony-Anhalt
A guide to each district and district-free city in Saxony-Anhalt: universities, housing, jobs, transport and weather.
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Saxony-Anhalt (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Bauhaus and its sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Magdeburg Water Bridge (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Magdeburg Cathedral (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Brocken (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
Ready to find your course in Saxony-Anhalt?
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