India now sends more students to Germany than any other country. For many people researching education in Germany for Indian students, the first question is simple – how many Indian students are in Germany, and how many of them go on to build a career there. The short answer: growth has been steady for over a decade, and India overtook China as the largest group of international students in the 2022/23 winter semester. The longer answer covers why students choose Germany, what they study and how a university degree and hands-on professional training such as Weiterbildung work together once they are in the country.
How many Indian students are in Germany?
According to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), just under 59,000 Indian students in Germany were enrolled at German universities in the 2024/25 winter semester, an increase of 20% on the previous year. That made India the largest country of origin among Germany’s roughly 402,000 international students and doctoral candidates, ahead of China at around 38,600.
These figures cover students formally enrolled at a German higher education institution. They do not include everyone who moves to Germany for work, family reasons or a professional qualification in the same period, so the number of Indians living in Germany in any given year is higher than the enrolment count alone.
The trend has been consistent for several years, based on DAAD’s own year-on-year press releases:
| Winter semester | Indian students enrolled | Year-on-year change | Source |
| 2022/23 | 42,997 | +26% | DAAD, Aug 2023 |
| 2023/24 | 49,483 | +15.1% | DAAD, Sept 2024 |
| 2024/25 | just under 59,000 | +20% | DAAD/DZHW, Nov 2025 |
Why Indian students choose Germany
Germany offers a wide range of degree programmes across public universities and Universities of Applied Sciences, many of them research-led and internationally recognised. A growing share is taught fully in English: in summer 2025, state-recognised universities offered almost 2,400 English-language degree programmes, most of them at master’s level – good news if you are specifically looking to study in Germany in English.
Tuition at public universities is low or free of charge for most degrees, which brings the overall cost of a German qualification below several other popular destinations. That said, tuition is only part of the budget. Living costs, health insurance and a blocked account for the student visa still apply, and the total varies by city and university. A German degree also opens a route into the local labour market: graduates on a study visa can apply for an 18-month residence permit to look for related work after finishing their studies. This is an opportunity, not a guarantee of employment, and how well it works out depends on the field, the city and the individual.
What Indian students study in Germany
Most Indian students choose engineering, followed by law, management and social studies, according to DAAD’s own breakdown of Indian enrolments. Across all international students, engineering, together with economics, law and social sciences, accounts for more than two-thirds of enrolments intending to graduate in Germany.
Students choose between two main types of institution:
| Universität (research university) | Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (University of Applied Sciences) | |
| Focus | Academic and research-led | Practical, project-based |
| Best suited for | An academic or research career | A hands-on professional path with close industry contact |
| Typical setting | Larger, lecture-based courses | Smaller cohorts, more direct contact with lecturers |
Which one fits depends on the programme content and the career a student has in mind, not on a general ranking of “the best” university. For most professions, course structure and location matter more than name recognition.
Weiterbildung in Germany: building professional skills
A university degree and Weiterbildung answer two different questions. A degree programme leads to an academic qualification: a Bachelor’s, a Master’s or a doctorate. Weiterbildung, or continuing professional training, teaches a specific set of skills, software and everyday workflows for a particular job. The two are not competing options. A degree and a focused professional course can complement each other at different points in a career.
This matters for a second group as well as new students: people who already hold a qualification or professional experience, live in Germany and want to adapt what they know to local employers, or move into a new professional field altogether. A Weiterbildung course is not a required next step for every student. It is useful specifically where German employers expect familiarity with local systems, software and terminology that a foreign degree or work history does not cover on its own.
Accounting is a clear example. Someone with an international finance or accounting background may already have the underlying skills, but German employers still look for practical knowledge of German bookkeeping processes and software such as DATEV and Lexware. At DWW Akademie, the “Lohn-, Finanz- und Bilanzbuchhalter:in mit DATEV und Lexware” course is a complete accounting course in DATEV and Lexware, adapted for B1–B2 German, with 160 hours of practical training and DATEV access for the length of the course. It is taught using the CLIL method: simplified German for B1–B2, so participants focus on the profession rather than on translating unfamiliar words, supported by a built-in translator, an AI assistant, subtitles and a call simulator.
If your degree or work experience is in finance, accounting or a related field and you want to bring it into the German market, it is worth looking at what this course covers, or discussing your specific background in a consultation. It does not replace a university degree, and it is one route among several. The right one depends on your goal.
What to consider before choosing a programme
Before committing to a university programme or a professional course, it helps to check a few things against your own goal:
| What to check | Why it matters |
| What the programme leads to | An academic degree, a professional qualification and a specific skill set open different doors |
| Entry requirements | Including any German or English language level you need before you start |
| Language of instruction | Whether it matches your current level, or comes with language support built in |
| Total cost | Not only the tuition fee: living costs, insurance and materials all add up |
| Format | Full-time, part-time or online, and how that fits your schedule |
| Certificate or degree issued | What it is recognised for in your target profession |
Someone applying to Germany from abroad with an academic career in mind usually needs a university degree first. Someone already living in Germany with existing experience is often better served by a focused professional qualification that fills a specific, local gap. Whichever route fits, study in Germany for Indian students usually works best when the choice starts from a clear goal, rather than the other way round.
FAQ
How many Indian students are currently in Germany? Just under 59,000 Indian students were enrolled at German universities in the 2024/25 winter semester, according to DAAD, more than any other nationality.
Is studying in Germany free for Indian students? Tuition at public universities is low or free for most degree programmes, but students still cover living costs, health insurance and a blocked account for their visa, so total costs vary by city and programme.
What is the difference between a university degree and Weiterbildung? A university degree is an academic qualification such as a Bachelor’s or a Master’s. Weiterbildung is professional training that teaches specific skills, software and workflows for a job. The two can complement each other.
Can Indian students study in Germany in English? Yes. Almost 2,400 English-language degree programmes were offered at German universities in summer 2025, most of them at master’s level, alongside the traditional German-taught programmes.
Do I need German to work in Germany after graduating? It depends on the field and the employer, but German-language skills and familiarity with German-specific processes and software are often expected outside a small number of English-speaking workplaces. That is one reason some graduates and professionals add a targeted course such as Weiterbildung once they are already in the country.
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