English-Taught Programmes in Germany for Nepali Students: Numbers, Entry Routes and English Tests

Germany has 2,383 degree programmes taught mainly in English, according to the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) statistics for winter semester 2025/26. That sounds like plenty. Split the figure by level, though, and you see why the English route works well after a bachelor's degree and much less well straight after Class 12.

Where the English-taught programmes are

The HRK figures come from the Hochschulkompass as of 1 September 2025. In winter semester 2018/19 the English share was 7.2%, so the offer has grown, and most of the growth has been at master's level.

For a Nepali applicant the reading is simple. With a bachelor's degree, nearly one master's programme in five is open to you without any German. With only a Class 12 certificate, your choice is narrow, and there is an extra hurdle.

The Class 12 hurdle for English-taught bachelor's degrees

The DAAD admission database treats a Nepali Class 12 certificate on its own as access to a Studienkolleg, a preparatory year, rather than to a bachelor's programme. Direct admission to a related subject becomes possible once you have successfully completed a full year of university study. DAAD also notes that most Studienkollegs teach in German.

So an English-taught bachelor's usually means one of two plans: finish a first year of a bachelor's in Nepal, or learn German well enough for a Studienkolleg. Our Studienkolleg guide covers the second plan in detail.

Your college's English letter may not be enough

Many Nepali colleges issue a letter confirming that teaching was in English. Do not count on it. The application information for the MEng Electrical Engineering at Technische Hochschule Augsburg says it cannot accept medium-of-instruction certificates and asks for a test result instead, at CEFR B2 or above:

• IELTS: 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in each band;
• TOEFL: at least 80, and only the test-date score, not MyBest;
• PTE Academic: 65 to 75 overall, with at least 59 in each section;
• Cambridge: B2 First at grade C or better, or C1 Advanced.

The same document says results should generally be less than two years old. Other universities set different bars. Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences asks for English at B2 for its English-taught degrees and publishes its own list of accepted certificates. Until you have seen a score on the programme's own page, treat the number you heard from a friend as a rumour.

Check the language label twice

A programme can be full of international students and still be partly German. RWTH Aachen's M.Sc. Computer Science, for example, lists German and English as its languages of instruction and asks for proof of both at enrolment. When you search, filter for programmes whose main language is English, then confirm the wording on the university's page. The DAAD International Programmes database and our programme finder, which has a teaching-language filter, are good places to build a first list.

Do you still need German?

For admission, usually not: Rhine-Waal states that German proof is not required for its English-taught programmes. For the visa, the Kathmandu Embassy's study visa checklist lists a German certificate only "if necessary". Daily life is another matter. Flat viewings, many part-time jobs and letters from the foreigners office come in German, and even A2 makes the first months easier. Our guide on learning German before you move shows how to fit a course into your application timeline, and the language requirements guide explains when German becomes compulsory.

Fees and deadlines follow the same rules

The teaching language does not change what you pay. State universities generally charge no tuition for bachelor's and most master's programmes, with exceptions such as Baden-Wuerttemberg and TUM; our free tuition guide lists them. The TH Augsburg MEng above, for example, charges no tuition and a semester fee of EUR 181.95.

Deadlines are set by each programme and are often earlier than the 15 July date many people quote. TH Augsburg's Electrical Engineering master's takes applications for summer semester 2027 from 1 December 2026 to 16 January 2027, and for the winter semester from 2 May to 15 June. Applicants with a Nepali degree also need a VPD from uni-assist before applying there, which takes 4 to 6 weeks; the uni-assist guide explains how to time it.