# Study in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany > Schleswig-Holstein has 13 universities and colleges offering 588 degree courses (260 Bachelor's, 317 Master's), and 24% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €474 a month (30 m² flat in Kiel 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). Between two seas: North Sea islands, the Baltic coast and sailing in Kiel. Laid-back, windy and close to Denmark, with university cities in Kiel, Lübeck and Flensburg and Hamburg within an hour or so by train. **Find a course:** https://app.whereismyuni.com/dashboard/map?area=SH ## Cost of living - Rent: ≈ €474 (30 m² flat in Kiel 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). - Kiel is affordable — about €474 for a 30 m² flat, compared with €700 in nearby Hamburg (MLP 2026). - Kiel Week in June is one of the world's biggest sailing events — and a huge free summer party. - Flensburg is just a few kilometres from the Danish border, and Danish is taught and spoken in the region. ## Industries & employers - **Dräger** (Medical & safety tech): Family-run company headquartered in Lübeck since 1889. - **thyssenkrupp Marine Systems** (Shipbuilding): Builds submarines and naval ships in Kiel. - **Niederegger** (Food): The famous Lübeck marzipan maker. - **freenet** (Telecom): Mobile-phone provider headquartered in Büdelsdorf near Rendsburg. - **GEOMAR** (Ocean research): One of Europe's leading marine research centres, in Kiel. ## Culture & people Northerners are famously few with words — 'Moin' works as hello at any hour — but friendly and dependable. The weather is windy and changeable ('Schietwetter'), and people make up for it with beach chairs, sailing and long summer evenings by the water. The state has a Danish minority in the north and Frisian speakers on the North Sea coast and islands. Fish sandwiches, Lübeck marzipan and Flensburg beer are local staples, and the Hanseatic towns are full of red-brick Gothic architecture. ## Events & festivals - **Kiel Week** (Late June): Nine days of sailing regattas, tall ships and free concerts along the Kiel Fjord. - **Wacken Open Air** (Early August): One of the world's biggest heavy-metal festivals, in a small village in Holstein. - **Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival** (July – August): Classical concerts in churches, barns and manor houses across the state. - **Lübeck Christmas markets** (Advent): Several markets in the old town, including one in the courtyard of a medieval hospital. ## Places to see - **Holstentor & Lübeck old town** (UNESCO): The leaning city gate and the island old town of the 'Queen of the Hanseatic League'. - **Lübeck Cathedral** (Landmark): A brick cathedral founded in 1173 by Henry the Lion. - **Kiel Fjord** (Sea): Ferries, sailing boats and the beaches of Laboe and Falckenstein on the Baltic. - **Flensburg harbour** (City): Historic ships and merchant courtyards at the end of the Flensburg Fjord. - **Wadden Sea & Sylt** (UNESCO): Mudflats, dunes and the long beaches of Sylt and the North Frisian islands. - **Hedeby & Danevirke** (UNESCO): A Viking trading town and border wall near Schleswig, with a museum and reconstructed houses. ## Getting around Most universities include the Deutschland-Semesterticket in the semester contribution, covering buses, ferries on the Kiel Fjord and regional trains across Germany. Regional trains connect Kiel, Lübeck and Flensburg with Hamburg in roughly 45 minutes to two hours. Hamburg Airport is the main airport for the state. From Kiel, overnight ferries sail to Oslo and Gothenburg, and trains to Copenhagen run via Flensburg. ## FAQ ### Is Schleswig-Holstein expensive for students? No. A 30 m² student flat costs about €474 a month in Kiel, compared with about €700 in nearby Hamburg (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). ### Do international students pay tuition in Schleswig-Holstein? No. Public universities in Schleswig-Holstein charge no tuition for regular degrees; students pay only the semester contribution, which usually includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket. ### Can I study in English in Schleswig-Holstein? Yes — 24% of the 588 degree courses listed for Schleswig-Holstein on Where Is My Uni? are taught in English or bilingually. ### What is the best university city in Schleswig-Holstein? Kiel has the largest university and is the place for marine science and sailing; Lübeck is strong in medicine and life sciences; Flensburg is small, close to Denmark and known for teacher training and European studies. ### How do I get around Schleswig-Holstein as a student? Regional trains link the university cities with each other and with Hamburg, and the Deutschland-Semesterticket covers them, plus buses and the Kiel Fjord ferries. ## Sources - [MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln)](https://www.iwkoeln.de/studien/michael-voigtlaender-christian-oberst-philipp-deschermeier-mlp-studentenwohnreport-2026.html) - [Wikipedia — Schleswig-Holstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleswig-Holstein) - [Wikipedia — Kiel Week](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Week) - [Wikipedia — Lübeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck) - [Wikipedia — Hedeby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedeby) - [Wikipedia — Drägerwerk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr%C3%A4gerwerk) --- Published by [Where Is My Uni?](https://whereismyuni.com) — every German university on one map. Canonical page: https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/schleswig-holstein. Last updated November 2026. [How we research](https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/how-we-research).