In short
Jena has 2 universities and colleges offering 395 degree courses (184 Bachelor's, 117 Master's), and 8% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €507 a month (30 m² flat incl. utilities (WG room ≈ €465), MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — Thuringia charges no tuition at public universities for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution. Fees can apply if you exceed the standard study period by a wide margin.
Jena is a green, hilly university city in the Saale valley where science and industry have worked together since Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe built their optics workshops here. Friedrich Schiller University Jena is one of Germany's older universities and strong in the natural sciences, optics and life sciences, and Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena (University of Applied Sciences) focuses on engineering, health and business. Students make up a big share of the population, and rents stay moderate.
Universities in Jena
Every university and college in Jena in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of Friedrich Schiller University Jena (opens in a new tab)
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
University 220 courses
- Website of University of Applied Sciences Jena (opens in a new tab)
University of Applied Sciences Jena
University 175 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Jena costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €507 / month30 m² flat incl. utilities (WG room ≈ €465), 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
- Working-student jobs in optics and photonics are a real advantage of studying here — look at Zeiss, Jenoptik and the Fraunhofer and Leibniz institutes.
- The city is in a valley: trams run along the bottom, and many halls and campuses are up the slopes.
- Climb the Jenzig or Fuchsturm hills for sunset views over the Saale valley.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Jena.
ZEISS
Optics
Carl Zeiss has major sites in Jena, including medical technology (ZEISS Meditec).
Jenoptik
Photonics
Photonics group headquartered in Jena.
SCHOTT
Specialty glass
The specialty-glass company was founded in Jena and still produces here.
Jenapharm
Pharma
Pharmaceutical company in Jena, part of Bayer.
Culture & people
Jena has a long intellectual history — Schiller, Goethe, Hegel and the early Romantics all worked here — and today it feels young, international and outdoorsy, with limestone hills and the Saale river on every side.
Student life centres on the compact city centre around the Markt and the JenTower, Wagnergasse's bars, and the summer open-air culture of the Kulturarena.
Events & festivals
Kulturarena
July – August
Open-air concert festival in front of the theatre.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
Stalls on the Markt and around the city church.
Places to see
JenTower
Viewpoint
The round tower in the centre with a viewing platform over the city.
Zeiss Planetarium
Planetarium
The world's oldest continuously operating planetarium.
Botanical Garden
Garden
One of Germany's oldest, once overseen by Goethe.
Jenzig
Nature
Limestone hill with hiking paths and a mountain-top inn.
Getting around
Trams and buses (Jenaer Nahverkehr) cover the city. Jena has two main stations, Jena Paradies and Jena West; regional trains reach Erfurt — Thuringia's ICE hub — in under an hour, and Leipzig/Halle Airport is the nearest airport. Check your semester contribution for the included ticket; the Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Jena, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Jena: FAQ
Which universities are in Jena?
Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena (University of Applied Sciences), with 395 courses in our catalogue.
Can I study in English in Jena?
Yes, mostly at Master's level. 8% of the courses in our Jena catalogue are taught in English or bilingually, for example in photonics, chemistry and the life sciences.
Is Jena expensive for students?
No — it is affordable for a university city: a 30 m² student flat costs about €507 a month and a shared-flat room about €465 (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026).
Do I pay tuition fees in Jena?
No. Public universities in Thuringia charge no tuition for EU or non-EU students; only the semester contribution applies.
More guides in Thuringia
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW / MLP) (opens in a new tab)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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