Private Universities in Berlin: Medicine, Law, Tech and Elite Business Schools in Germany’s Capital

Which private universities are based in Berlin?

Over 20 private universities have their headquarters in Berlin. The spectrum ranges from research-focused medical schools to international business schools and a music academy with just 82 students.

• Medical School Berlin (MSB): Around 3,170 students, 15 programmes. Berlin’s only private university offering Human Medicine (Staatsexamen, €93,000). Also psychology, social work, physician assistant, sexology and medical controlling. Tuition: up to €93,000.
• BSP Business and Law School: 21 programmes, around 1,940 students. Germany’s only private university with a law Staatsexamen (€50,400). Also business, psychology, fashion, sport and digital management. Tuition: €14,160–50,400.
• HMKW – Media University: 18 programmes, around 1,780 students. Media, communication, design, journalism and business psychology. Full-time and dual. Tuition: up to €31,500.
• bbw Hochschule: 12 programmes, around 690 students. Business, engineering and logistics. Some English-taught. Tuition: €13,500–19,080.
• German University of Health and Sports (DHGS): 9 programmes, around 2,700 students. Sport science, health and psychology – many as distance learning. Tuition: up to €22,680.
• Berlin International University (BI): 8 programmes, around 520 students. Fully English-taught: Architecture, Interior Design, Business, Graphic Design, Data Science. Tuition: €21,480–35,760.
• IB University of Health and Social Sciences: 7 programmes. Health, therapy and education. Tuition: €10,080–24,570.
• Mediadesign University (MDH): 6 programmes. Design, Digital Film/VFX, Game Design, Fashion Management. Tuition: up to €32,970.
• Akkon University of Human Sciences: 6 programmes, around 1,470 students. Nursing, social work (including dual), international disaster relief. Tuition: €0–20,118.
• ESCP Business School: 5 programmes. Elite business school with campuses in 6 countries. Bachelor in Management (€15,300), Executive MBA (€75,000). English-taught.
• German International University (GIU): 5 programmes. English-taught engineering and management. German-Egyptian cooperation. Tuition: €11,145–26,005.
• Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU): 5 programmes. Psychology, clinical psychology, psychotherapy. Austrian university’s Berlin branch. Tuition: up to €35,100.
• ESMT Berlin: 4 programmes, around 860 students. Berlin’s most prestigious business school. Master in Management, Analytics & AI, Executive MBA (€59,500). English-taught.
• Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (PHB): 4 programmes. Specialised in psychology and psychotherapy. Tuition: €11,930–29,880.
• Hertie School: 4 programmes. Governance and public policy. Master of Public Policy, International Affairs, Data Science for Public Policy. English-taught. Tuition: €34,500.
• Touro University Berlin: 4 programmes. American university: Business, Psychology, Holocaust Communication. English-taught. Tuition: €3,120–45,200.
• CODE University: 3 programmes, around 460 students. Peer-learning model: Software Engineering, Product Management, Interaction Design. English-taught, project-based. Tuition: €41,400 (Income Share Agreement available).
• VICTORIA International University: 3 programmes. Dual International Management (€0), Management distance learning (€16,056).
• University of Social Work and Pedagogy (HSAP): 3 programmes. Dual social work (€0), childhood education (€9,900).
• Quadriga University Berlin: 2 programmes. Part-time Master: Communication & Leadership. Tuition: €19,000–23,500.
• International Psychoanalytic University (IPU): 2 programmes. Psychoanalytically oriented: Psychology PLUS (€26,400) and Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy (€22,700).
• Bard College Berlin: 2 programmes. American liberal arts college. English-taught. Tuition: €67,576–127,662.
• Barenboim-Said Akademie: 1 programme. Music academy with full scholarship – tuition-free.

What can you study at private universities in Berlin?

Berlin’s private universities cover nearly every field. The strongest areas are psychology (over 50 programmes across all providers), business and management, media and design, and health sciences. Some programmes – private medicine, law Staatsexamen, Analytics & AI at ESMT – are unique to Berlin.

• Psychology and psychotherapy: Berlin’s strongest field. Four specialised universities (PHB, IPU, SFU, MSB) plus programmes at BSP, HMKW, IB and DHGS. Includes accredited psychotherapy Master programmes. Mostly German-taught, but Touro offers Psychology in English (€39,500).
• Medicine and health: MSB offers Berlin’s only private Human Medicine degree (€93,000). Also Physician Assistant, physiotherapy, nursing and health management at DHGS, IB, Akkon and MSB.
• Business, management and MBA: Available at almost every Berlin university. Ranges from BSP (€14,160) and ESCP (€15,300) to ESMT Executive MBA (€59,500) and ESCP Executive MBA (€75,000). CODE offers Business Management & Entrepreneurship (€41,400).
• IT, data science and engineering: CODE (Software Engineering), ESMT (Analytics & AI), GIU (Media/Information Engineering), MDH (Game Design). Plus IU, SRH and Fresenius via campus providers.
• Law: BSP is the only private university in Germany offering a law Staatsexamen (€50,400). A unique programme.
• Media, design and art: HMKW (journalism, communication design), MDH (film/VFX, game design, fashion), CODE (Interaction Design), BI (Graphic Design, Architecture). Barenboim-Said offers music – tuition-free.
• Social work and education: HSAP (dual social work, €0), Akkon (nursing, disaster relief), MSB (social work, special education). Hertie School and Bard College for public policy and liberal arts.

What is not available: Classical engineering (mechanical, electrical, civil) is very limited – only GIU offers engineering programmes. Architecture is available only at Berlin International. Natural sciences, teacher training and dentistry are not offered privately in Berlin. For dentistry, consider Brandenburg (MHB) or Hamburg.

What does it cost to study at a private university in Berlin?

Tuition at Berlin’s private universities ranges from €0 (Barenboim-Said full scholarship, dual programmes) to €127,662 (Bard College). Most programmes fall between €14,000 and €35,000.

• €0 (free or dual): Barenboim-Said Akademie (full scholarship). VICTORIA (dual International Management). HSAP (dual social work). Akkon (dual social work).
• €3,120–13,500: Touro (Holocaust Communication €3,120). IB University (therapy sciences €10,080). GIU Engineering (from €11,145). DHGS distance learning (from €11,610). bbw (from €13,500).
• €14,160–25,000: BSP, HMKW, PHB, IB, MSB – the bulk of Berlin’s full-time programmes. Psychology, business, media, social work, health.
• €25,000–45,000: BI (up to €35,760), MDH (up to €32,970), SFU (up to €35,100), CODE (€41,400), Touro Business (€45,200). Specialised programmes with small cohorts.
• Above €50,000 (elite and medicine): BSP law Staatsexamen (€50,400). ESCP (International Management €51,500, Executive MBA €75,000). ESMT Executive MBA (€59,500). Bard College (€67,576–127,662). MSB Human Medicine (€93,000).

For comparison: Berlin’s three public universities (FU, HU, TU) charge only a semester fee of around €315 – including a public transport ticket for the entire Berlin-Brandenburg region.

What is Berlin like for international students?

Berlin (population 3.7 million) is one of Europe’s most popular student cities. Around 200,000 students study here – roughly 20% of them international.

• Cost of living: Higher than most German cities but far cheaper than London, Paris or Amsterdam. Expect €500–700/month for a room in a shared flat, €750+ for a studio. Student halls from around €300 (long waiting lists). Outer districts (Marzahn, Spandau) are significantly cheaper.
• Job market: Berlin’s strongest advantage. Europe’s largest startup ecosystem, major tech companies (Google, Amazon, Zalando, SAP), creative industries, government sector. Working student positions are plentiful – many in English.
• English-friendliness: Berlin is Germany’s most English-friendly city. You can navigate daily life, work and socialise largely in English – especially in the tech and startup sectors. However, German proficiency opens more doors, particularly outside the tech bubble.
• Student life: Unmatched in Germany. World-class cultural scene, nightlife, international community. Berlin is the most cosmopolitan city in Germany.
• Transport: Excellent public transport (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses, trams). Semester ticket covers the entire Berlin-Brandenburg area. Bike-friendly.
• Visa and entry requirements: EU/EEA citizens can enrol freely. Non-EU students need a student visa – apply at the German embassy in your home country before arrival. You will need a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with at least €11,904/year (2024/25) to prove financial means. Health insurance is mandatory – public student insurance costs around €110/month. Most private universities have international offices that assist with visa letters and enrolment paperwork.
• Alternative – Potsdam: 25–40 minutes from Berlin by S-Bahn, with seven private universities and 20–30% lower rents. Many students live in Potsdam and commute to Berlin for work and social life.

How can you fund your studies in Berlin?

• ESMT/ESCP/Hertie scholarships: Elite institutions offer merit-based and need-based scholarships. ESMT offers up to 30% tuition waivers. Hertie School has a financial aid programme. ESCP offers scholarships for the Bachelor in Management.
• CODE Income Share Agreement: Study now, pay later – tuition is deducted from your salary after graduation. Available for all CODE programmes.
• Dual study (€0): VICTORIA, HSAP, Akkon and HMKW offer employer-funded dual programmes.
• Deutschlandstipendium: €300/month, merit-based, income-independent. Open to international students. Most Berlin universities participate.
• BAföG (German student aid): Available at all accredited private universities. EU citizens and some non-EU residents are eligible. Covers living costs, not tuition. Maximum: €992/month.
• DAAD scholarships: The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships for international students, particularly for Master programmes.
• KfW student loan: Up to €650/month at around 2% interest. Available to students enrolled at a German institution under 45.

Frequently asked questions about private universities in Berlin