# Study in Jena, Thuringia

> 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.

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## Cost of living

- Rent: ≈ €507 (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.
- 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

- **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.

## 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.

## Sources

- [MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW / MLP)](https://www.iwkoeln.de/studien/michael-voigtlaender-christian-oberst-philipp-deschermeier-mlp-studentenwohnreport-2026.html)
- [Friedrich Schiller University Jena](https://www.uni-jena.de/)

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Published by [Where Is My Uni?](https://whereismyuni.com) — every German university on one map. Canonical page: https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/thuringia/jena. Last updated November 2026. [How we research](https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/how-we-research).