Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design for International Students

Students from outside the EU and EEA pay tuition of 1,500 EUR per semester for Bachelor's and Master's programmes. The fee is set by the state of Baden-Württemberg and has applied since winter 2017/18; a second degree costs 650 EUR per semester. As of October 2026 the fee still applies. State law exempts some groups, for example holders of a German school-leaving certificate, exchange students and recognised refugees; ask the HfG Studierendensekretariat whether an exemption applies to you.

The semester contribution does not include a Deutschlandticket or semester ticket.

Paying tuition does not replace the proof-of-funds requirement. For the student visa you still need to show 11,904 EUR for the year, usually in a blocked account, and that money has to be transferred months before the semester starts. The 1,500 EUR tuition per semester comes on top of that.

You apply directly through the HfG online portal; there is no uni-assist step. Applications are open from early April to 15 May (winter) and from early October to 15 November (summer). These are final deadlines, and the same dates apply to all applicants.

If your certificates are from outside Germany, you must enclose recognition of your school-leaving certificate or degree by the Studienkolleg Konstanz and proof of German (DSH 2 or TestDaF 4) with the application; applicants from China also need an APS certificate. Bachelor applicants who meet the requirements are invited to an online aptitude test; Master applicants submit a project outline and work samples and then have a selection interview.

No programme at the HfG is taught in English. All applicants from non-German-speaking countries must prove German at DSH 2 or TestDaF 4 level with their application.

Four degree programmes can be studied full time: Interaction Design (B.A.), Communication Design (B.A.), Product Design (B.A.) and Strategic Design (M.A.).

Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, HfG) is a public university of applied sciences for design in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Württemberg. Its roots go back to a drawing school founded in 1776; it became an independent school in 1909, a university of applied sciences in 1972 and has used its current name since 2005. Its teaching is shaped by the Bauhaus and the former Ulm School of Design.

The HfG offers Bachelor's degrees in Interaction Design, Communication Design and Product Design and a Master's in Strategic Design. The Bachelor in Digital Product Design and Development is a degree of Aalen University developed with the HfG.