Germany · Baden-Württemberg
Study in Stuttgart in English: engineering, automotive careers and costs
Stuttgart is the centre of German engineering. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch are headquartered in or around the city, and the region files more patents per head than almost anywhere else in Europe. The University of Stuttgart is a leading technical university - aerospace, automotive, simulation technology and supercomputing - and the University of Hohenheim is Germany’s top address for agricultural and food sciences. One thing to plan for: Baden-Württemberg is the state that charges non-EU students tuition.
Why Stuttgart
If you want to work in engineering in Europe, this is where the employers are.
- University of Stuttgart: a top German technical university, outstanding in aerospace, automotive and mechanical engineering, simulation technology and computer science
- University of Hohenheim: Germany’s leading university for agricultural science, food science and nutrition, with strong economics as well
- Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bosch, Mahle, Trumpf and Festo - Europe’s densest concentration of engineering employers
- Fraunhofer institutes and two Max Planck institutes sit next to the university campus in Vaihingen
Universities & English-taught programmes
Strong, specific subject strength - including programmes aimed at students from tropical regions.
- University of Stuttgart: English-taught master’s in information technology (INFOTECH), water resources engineering and management (WAREM), computational mechanics (COMMAS) and environmental process engineering (WASTE)
- University of Hohenheim: English-taught master’s in agricultural sciences, food science, environmental protection and agricultural economics, including tracks written for the tropics and subtropics
- Applied sciences: Stuttgart Media University and HFT Stuttgart run English-taught master’s in media, computer science and sustainable planning
- Most bachelor’s are taught in German (around C1 / TestDaF); English-taught study is concentrated at master’s level
Career prospects & ROI
The highest density of engineering jobs in the country, and salaries to match.
- Industry connections: automotive and supplier engineering, machine tools, industrial software, aerospace and a growing battery and hydrogen sector
- Working-student roles at Bosch, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are a well-trodden route into a first job - start applying in your first semester
- Post-study work: an 18-month residence permit to find a job, then a work permit or EU Blue Card; engineering salaries here are among the highest in Germany
- Even with the state tuition fee, the total cost is a fraction of a comparable degree in the UK, US or Australia
Cost of living in Stuttgart
Estimates for the 2026 academic yearA student in Stuttgart should budget around 1.165 € a month. The heaviest line by far is rent: a room in a shared flat goes for about 560 €, and most land between 450 € and 700 €.
- Room in a shared flat usually 450 € – 700 €
- 560 €
- Food and groceries
- 250 €
- Student travel pass
- 40 €
- Health insurance
- 130 €
- Phone, internet, electricity
- 75 €
- Books, sport, going out
- 110 €
- Monthly total
- 1.165 €
Ranked 8 of 12 on cost among the cities we cover in Germany, cheapest first.
Cheapest on our list: Duisburg, at about 955 € a month. →What things cost here, against the EU
Across the whole shopping basket Germany sits at 109.1, where the EU average is 100 (2024).
EU average = 100
Consumer prices rose 2.3% over 2025.
Prices in Baden-Württemberg
- Consumer prices +2.4% (2025)
- Net rents +2.6% (2025)
- Household electricity 0.44 € per kWh (2025)
Where these numbers come from
The monthly budget is our own estimate, compiled from what student unions, universities and national student services publish. Use it to plan with — it is not a quote.
The price levels, inflation and rent figures are published statistics: Eurostat purchasing power parities and, for German states, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
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What it costs
The one German city here with real tuition - budget for it before you apply.
- Tuition: Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 per semester (about €3,000/year) at public universities, plus a semester contribution of around €180
- Living costs: about €1,050–€1,400/month; the city sits in a narrow valley and housing is tight, so apply to the Studierendenwerk early
- Blocked account (Sperrkonto) for the visa: around €11,900 for the year (about €992/month)
- Part-time work: 140 full or 280 half days a year (roughly 20 hours a week); public health insurance about €130/month
Life, safety & culture
Prosperous, green and quieter than its size suggests - with a dialect to get used to.
- Daily language is German, and the Swabian dialect takes some getting used to; B1 German makes part-time work and house-hunting much easier
- S-Bahn, U-Bahn and regional trains on your semester ticket, with vineyards and the Black Forest close by
- Very safe and well-run, with strong public healthcare via statutory student insurance
- A long-established immigrant city - Turkish, Balkan, Italian and Greek communities - with a growing international student population
How to apply & the bureaucracy
Applications run through uni-assist or the university portal - and confirm the fee before you commit.
- Apply via uni-assist or the university directly; deadlines are typically 15 July (winter) and 15 January (summer)
- English-taught programmes accept IELTS/TOEFL; German-taught ones need TestDaF or DSH
- Confirm the €1,500 per semester non-EU fee on the programme page - exemptions exist (for example for refugees and some exchange students)
- After admission, open the blocked account and book the student-visa appointment immediately; allow 6–12 weeks
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