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How much does University of Music Karlsruhe cost for international students?
Non-EU students pay a tuition fee of 1,500 EUR per semester for Bachelor's and consecutive Master's programmes, because Baden-Württemberg charges it at its public universities. Students from the EU and EEA and holders of a German university entrance qualification do not pay it. A second degree after a German degree costs 650 EUR per semester instead. The state government's coalition agreement of May 2026 announces a review of the fee for international students; no change had been decided as of October 2026.
| Item | Cost for international students |
|---|---|
| Bachelor (non-EU) | 1,500 EUR per semester |
| Master, consecutive (non-EU) | 1,500 EUR per semester |
| Postgraduate Master's (chamber music, art song, contemporary music) | About 700 EUR per semester (confirm with HfM) |
| Soloist / Concert Examination | About 1,400 EUR per semester (confirm with HfM) |
| Supplementary programmes | About 1,000 EUR per semester (confirm with HfM) |
| Semester contribution (everyone) | Total not published; it includes the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe contribution, the 80 EUR state administration fee and the student body contribution. Ask HfM for the current amount |
| Application fee (entrance examination) | 50 EUR per programme (150 EUR for late registration) |
The fees for the postgraduate and supplementary programmes come from HfM's winter 2023/24 semester handbook, so confirm the current amounts.
Paying tuition does not replace the proof of funds. For the student visa you still need to show 11,904 EUR for the year, usually in a blocked account.
What are the application deadlines?
HfM publishes one set of dates for all applicants; you register for the entrance examination through the HISinOne portal. Every applicant pays an application fee of 50 EUR per programme. A late registration is possible only in exceptional cases and costs 150 EUR.
| Degree | Intake | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor and Master (artistic programmes) | Winter (entrance examination in June) | 1 April |
| Bachelor and Master (artistic programmes) | Summer (entrance examination in February) | 1 November (applications from 1 October) |
| Music Theatre Direction | Winter only | 1 April |
| Music Informatics and Musicology | Winter only | 15 June |
| Music Journalism | Winter only (entrance examination in June or July) | See the programme page |
For the summer intake, some examinations take place earlier, for example school music and choral conducting in January. Check the semester dates page for your programme's examination dates.
How many programmes are taught in English?
No HfM degree programme is taught in English. When registering for the entrance examination, a general proof of German is enough, such as a course taught in German. For enrolment, instrumental Bachelor's students need B1 by the end of the first semester and B2 (or TestDaF 3) by the end of the second; instrumental Master's students need B1 to enrol and B2 by the end of the first semester; vocal students need B2 to enrol, or B1 with B2 by the end of the first semester. Music Journalism requires very good German.
HfM offers about 24 degree programmes in German: 10 Bachelor's and 14 Master's programmes, including school music teaching. The count is from a third-party study portal, as HfM publishes no total; the Soloist/Concert Examination and the supplementary programmes are not counted.
About University of Music Karlsruhe
The University of Music Karlsruhe (Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe) is a public university of music in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Its roots go back to a music school founded in 1812; it became a state university of music in 1971 and has been based in Schloss Gottesaue since 1989. Alongside instrumental and vocal performance, conducting, composition and school music teaching, it offers music informatics, musicology and music journalism through its own institutes.
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