Costs of studying
How much will I need?
Fixed costs each semester
FAU does not charge tuition fees (exceptions: fees apply for degree programmes for professional development and degree programmes for working professionals, (German) as well as for guest students). However, each semester students must pay semester fees consisting of Student Services fees (German) and a fee for the basic semester ticket.
General costs
The question as to the costs of studying can only be answered very generally as the needs and living conditions of every student are different. However, estimates for certain expenditures can be gathered from a long-term study on social factors carried out by the German National Association for Student Affairs in 2016:
According to this study, students in former West Germany who no longer live with their parents have an average amount of more than 930 euros per month at their disposal. Monthly expenditures for personal lifestyle, however, vary a lot. The study shows that approximately 25 percent of the students asked have less than 700 euros while 10 percent have more than 1300 euros per month. For former West Germany, the study revealed the following details on average expenditure:
Rent including bills (in the Erlangen-Nuremberg area) | EUR 325/332 |
Food | EUR 168 |
Clothing | EUR 42 |
Transport (public transport and/or car) | EUR 94 |
Learning material (depending on the subject) | EUR 20 |
Health insurance, doctor, medicines | EUR 80 |
Telecommunications | EUR 31 |
Leisure activities, culture, sports | EUR 61 |
Where does the money come from?
87% of all students are supported by their parents. Students’ own income comes in second (63%) and BAföG third (32%).