In short
Chemnitz has 1 university offering 118 degree courses (40 Bachelor's, 75 Master's), and 33% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €277 a month (30 m² flat incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — TU Chemnitz charges no tuition, including for non-EU students; you pay a semester contribution that includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket. Saxon law would allow fees for non-EU students, but TU Chemnitz does not charge them.
Chemnitz is the place to study if you want low costs and a technical degree. A 30 m² flat costs about €277 a month, the lowest of all 38 cities in the 2026 MLP study. TU Chemnitz is the city's university, strong in engineering, computer science and materials, and the city was European Capital of Culture in 2025.
Universities in Chemnitz
Every university and college in Chemnitz in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of Chemnitz University of Technology (opens in a new tab)
Chemnitz University of Technology
University 118 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Chemnitz costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €277 / 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
- Chemnitz has the cheapest student flats of all 38 cities in the MLP 2026 study: about €277 for 30 m², and €222 for a shared-flat room.
- The Kaßberg and the area around the Reichenhainer Straße campus are popular with students.
- Learn some German; it makes life outside the university much easier than in bigger cities.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Chemnitz.
Volkswagen
Automotive
Engine plant in Chemnitz; VW also builds electric cars in nearby Zwickau.
Fraunhofer IWU and ENAS
Research
Fraunhofer institutes for machine tools and smart systems, next to the university.
Machine-building firms
Engineering
Chemnitz has been a centre of German machine-building since the 19th century.
Culture & people
Chemnitz grew rich in the 19th century from textiles and machine-building and was called "Saxon Manchester". In GDR times it was named Karl-Marx-Stadt, and the giant Karl Marx head in the centre is still its landmark. The Kaßberg is one of Europe's largest quarters of late-19th-century houses.
Being European Capital of Culture in 2025 brought new art projects, such as the Purple Path sculpture trail across the region, and a fresh look at the city. The Ore Mountains, a UNESCO mining landscape famous for wooden Christmas crafts, are just to the south.
Events & festivals
KOSMOS Chemnitz
Late August
A free one-day city festival of music, art and debate across the centre.
Hutfestival
Late May
Street-art and performance festival in the city centre.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
A large market with Ore Mountains crafts around the town hall.
Places to see
Karl Marx Monument
Landmark
The 7-metre bronze head known locally as "the Nischel".
Kaßberg
Neighbourhood
Hill quarter of restored late-19th-century apartment buildings.
Museum Gunzenhauser
Museum
Modern art in a former savings-bank building.
Saxon Industrial Museum
Museum
Machines and industrial history in an old foundry hall.
Ore Mountains
UNESCO
Mining landscape and Christmas craft villages south of the city.
Getting around
Chemnitz's trams and buses (CVAG) and the regional trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket included in the semester contribution; the "Chemnitz model" tram-trains also run out into the region. There is no ICE stop: regional trains reach Leipzig in about an hour and Dresden in a little over an hour, and the nearest airports are Leipzig/Halle and Dresden.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Chemnitz, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Chemnitz: FAQ
Is Chemnitz the cheapest student city in Germany?
Yes. In the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026, Chemnitz has the cheapest student housing of all 38 cities studied: about €277 a month for a 30 m² flat, compared with a mid-range figure of about €565 across the 38 cities studied.
Which universities are in Chemnitz?
Chemnitz has one university in our catalogue, Chemnitz University of Technology (TU Chemnitz), with 118 degree courses in engineering, computer science, natural sciences, economics and humanities.
Can I study in English in Chemnitz?
Partly: 33% of TU Chemnitz's courses are taught in English or bilingually, mostly Master's programmes in engineering and computer science.
Do I pay tuition fees at TU Chemnitz?
No. TU Chemnitz charges no tuition for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution, which includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
More guides in Saxony
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- KOSMOS festival (City of Chemnitz) (opens in a new tab)
- Chemnitz culture highlights 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Saxony tuition rules for non-EU students (GradGermany, Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- TU Chemnitz (opens in a new tab)
- Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region, UNESCO (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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