If your school-leaving certificate does not give you direct access to a German university, the Studienkolleg is your bridge. This guide explains which German certificate you need for the application, why B2 is the safer target, how the entrance test works and what happens at the end of the year.
To apply for a Studienkolleg you need at least B1 German, but in practice most expect B2. Goethe, telc, TestDaF, DSH, ÖSD and DSD certificates are accepted.
Source: studienkollegs.de ·
A Studienkolleg is a preparatory college for international applicants whose school-leaving certificate is not accepted for direct entry to a German university. It works as a bridge into German academic life: you study subjects that prepare you for your future degree, taught in German, and German itself is part of the final exam. Whether your certificate is enough for direct entry depends on how it is rated in anabin, the database of the German education ministers' conference (KMK), so check your certificate there before you plan a year at a Studienkolleg.
The preparatory subjects, from maths to economics, are taught in German. That is why the college checks your German before it offers you a place.
The course normally lasts one year, split into two semesters, and ends with a final exam, the Feststellungsprüfung (assessment exam).
With a passed Feststellungsprüfung you can normally apply anywhere in Germany, not only in the city where you took it (a few exams in North Rhine-Westphalia count only there).
The rule is written plainly by the Studienkollegs themselves: already when you apply, you must prove German at least at level B1 of the Common European Framework. B1 is the level at which you can follow clear standard German on familiar topics and write a simple connected text. In practice, B1 is only the ticket to apply. Most Studienkollegs expect B2, and because they have more applicants than places, applicants who arrive with B2 are in a much stronger position in the entrance test.
Each Studienkolleg sets its own details, such as the documents it wants and whether you apply to it directly or through uni-assist. Read the page of the college you are aiming for before you book an exam, so that your certificate arrives in time for its deadline.
Because there are more applicants than places, most Studienkollegs rank applicants, usually with an entrance test (Aufnahmetest or Aufnahmeprüfung) in German and mathematics. The format depends on the college. Your certificate lets you apply; your result on the day decides the ranking. You also choose a course type (Kurs) that matches the degree you want to study later.
| Step | What applies |
|---|---|
| German to apply | At least B1; most colleges expect B2 |
| Where you apply | Directly at some colleges, through uni-assist at others |
| Entrance test | Usually German and mathematics, used to rank applicants |
| Length | Normally 1 year, in 2 semesters |
| Final exam | Feststellungsprüfung, normally valid across Germany (some NRW exams only in NRW) |
| Costs | Public colleges are generally tuition-free; you pay a semester contribution and your living costs, set locally |
Colleges attached to a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) run their own course types. After a university Studienkolleg you can study at a university or a Fachhochschule; after a Fachhochschule college you normally cannot go on to a university.
The German part of the Feststellungsprüfung matters beyond the college: it is recognised by all German universities as proof of German for your degree, just like the DSH, the TestDaF or the DSD II. So the German you build for the entrance test keeps paying off until the day you enrol.
Both exam families are accepted, so choose by date, centre and exam style. The Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and B2 are modular: reading, listening, writing and speaking are four separate modules, you pass each one with 60 out of 100 points, and you can book or retake a single module. telc Deutsch B1 and B2 are one exam scored out of 300 points (225 written, 75 oral), and you must reach 60 per cent in the written part and in the oral part separately. Both telc exams include a grammar and vocabulary section (Sprachbausteine). Fees are set by each centre and vary by country, so check the local price list.
Goethe B1 and B2: 5 parts, 30 items, 65 minutes each.
Goethe B1 and B2: 4 parts, 30 items, about 40 minutes (B1 including 5 minutes to transfer your answers; B2 plus 5 minutes).
B1: 3 tasks in 60 minutes (two e-mails and a discussion post). B2: 2 parts in 75 minutes, a forum post of about 150 words and a message of about 100 words.
B1: 3 parts in a pair, 15 minutes plus 15 minutes to prepare. B2: a talk of about 4 minutes and a discussion, about 15 minutes plus preparation.
B1 is the official minimum: you must prove German at least at level B1 already when you apply. In practice most Studienkollegs expect B2. There are more applicants than places, and German is part of the entrance test that ranks them.
Certificates from the Goethe-Institut and telc at B1 or B2 are accepted, as are the Austrian German Diploma (ÖSD), TestDaF, DSH and the German Language Diploma (DSD). Each college lists the exact documents it wants, so check its page before you apply.
It is the entrance test that most Studienkollegs use to rank applicants, usually in German and mathematics. The exact format depends on the college. A B2 level makes the German part far more comfortable than the bare B1 minimum.
Normally one year, divided into two semesters. It ends with the Feststellungsprüfung, the assessment exam. With a passed Feststellungsprüfung you can normally apply across Germany, not only where you took it; some Feststellungsprüfungen in North Rhine-Westphalia count only in that state.
Both are accepted. Goethe B1 and B2 are modular, so you can retake only the module you failed, with 60 out of 100 points needed per module. telc B1 and B2 are one exam out of 300 points, and you need 60 per cent in the written and the oral part separately. Pick the exam with the nearest date and centre.
Public Studienkollegs are generally free of tuition, but you pay a semester contribution each semester, plus health insurance, books and your living costs. The amounts are set locally, so check the page of the college you apply to.
Normally not. After a Studienkolleg attached to a university you can study at a university or a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). After a Fachhochschule Studienkolleg you usually stay in the Fachhochschule sector.