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Saarland has exactly one private university headquartered in the state: the German University of Prevention and Health Management (DHfPG) in Saarbrücken. It is the only private university in Germany that focuses entirely on sport, fitness and health prevention – with a dual distance-learning model and study centres in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
This overview shows you which programmes the DHfPG offers, what they cost – and what your options are in Saarland beyond the DHfPG: distance learning, dual study with local employers and private universities in neighbouring states. Saarland has no traditional campuses of supra-regional private universities. Note that DHfPG programmes are taught in German – English-taught alternatives are listed further below.
- All private universities at a glance
- Which private university is based in Saarland?
- What can you study at the DHfPG?
- What does it cost to study at the DHfPG?
- Studying privately in Saarland: alternatives beyond the DHfPG
- Saarbrücken as a study location
- Funding and scholarships
- Are the degrees recognised? Accreditation and transferability
- Studying in English in Saarland
- Frequently asked questions about private universities in Saarland
All private universities at a glance
We have a total of 1 private universities listed in our database.
- Saarbrücken, Saarland
- 8000 Students
- Health Management, Sports, Nutritional Sciences, Computer Science
- Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science
- 12 Degree programs in the directory
Which private university is based in Saarland?
Just one – but with a profile unique in Germany. The DHfPG in Saarbrücken concentrates entirely on sport, fitness and health prevention. Other fields – general business, psychology, IT, media, social work – are not part of the DHfPG programme and can only be studied privately in Saarland through distance learning or dual programmes from other providers.
The DHfPG is state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt) and accredited to FIBAA standards. Bachelor's and master's degrees are legally equivalent to those from the University of Saarland or HTW Saar. The university is one of Germany's largest private institutions for the sport and health industry, supplying fitness studios, sports clubs, rehabilitation centres and corporate health management with qualified professionals.
What can you study at the DHfPG?
The programme range is focused: sport, fitness, health and nutrition as bachelor's and master's degrees. Each bachelor programme exists in two variants – as a dual programme with an employer who pays the tuition fees, or as a self-paying option.
Sport, fitness and movement
The DHfPG's core area. Fitness Economics, Sport Economics and Fitness Training form the bachelor backbone – each as a dual programme with an employer from the fitness industry. Newly added: Sport and Movement Therapy, bridging into rehabilitation. Sport and Health Management combines the economic side of running fitness studios with health-prevention know-how.
Health, prevention and nutrition
At master's level, the focus is on Prevention and Health Management – a fast-growing field in corporate health promotion, health insurance and rehabilitation clinics. Nutrition Counselling is aimed at practitioners who want to offer qualified counselling services in hotels, sports clubs or private practice.
Special programme: Sport and Health Informatics
A niche only the DHfPG offers in this form: Sport and Health Informatics connects IT skills with health expertise – relevant for wearables, fitness apps, telerehabilitation and digital health applications.
What the DHfPG does not cover: general business, business psychology, IT (except in the health intersection), media, law, education, social work, engineering or natural sciences. If you want to study something other than sport or health privately in Saarland, see the alternatives section below.
What does it cost to study at the DHfPG?
The price range goes from tuition-free to €15,120 – depending on the programme and study model. The table below shows how the costs break down:
| Price bracket | Programmes | Study model |
|---|---|---|
| €0 (employer pays) | Fitness Training, Fitness Economics, Sport Economics, Sport and Health Management, Sport and Movement Therapy | Dual: contract with a partner company (fitness studio, rehabilitation clinic, sports club, wellness hotel) – company covers all tuition fees |
| from €10,560 | Master's degree (Prevention and Health Management, Sports Economics, Fitness Economics, Sports and Exercise Therapy), MBA (Sports/Health Management) | Part-time study, online lectures plus intensive seminars |
| from €15,120 | Self-funded Bachelor's degree (Fitness Economics, Sports Economics, Sports/Health Management...) | Bachelor's degree without a practical partner as a purely distance learning course. |
For comparison: the University of Saarland and HTW Saar are public institutions, charging only a semester fee of around €280. International cost comparison: the DHfPG total of €10,560 to €15,120 is significantly less than comparable institutions in the UK (£25,000 to £50,000 per year) or the US ($30,000 to $70,000 per year). For dual programmes, students typically also receive a salary of €800 to €1,500 per month from the employer, making the dual model cost-positive overall.
Studying privately in Saarland: alternatives beyond the DHfPG
If you don't want to study sport or health, you have three realistic paths: dual study with a local employer, distance learning, or commuting to neighbouring states. Saarland has no traditional campuses of supra-regional private universities.
Dual study with employers in Saarbrücken
IU International University offers dual study with partner companies in Saarland – lectures run online via the virtual campus, while the practical part takes place at a local employer. Tuition fees are usually covered by the partner company. Focus areas: business, marketing, human resources, IT, business informatics, social work, health management. For applicants who want to stay in Saarland and work at a regional company, this is the closest equivalent to the DHfPG model – but for non-sport fields. IU offers many programmes in English, which makes it the strongest option for international students staying in Saarland.
Pure distance learning
Distance universities are a central option for anyone living in Saarland who doesn't want to commute. The most relevant providers with English-taught content are limited – most German Fernhochschulen teach exclusively in German.
- IU International University: Broadest English-taught distance-learning portfolio in Germany – business, IT, data science, marketing, psychology. Bachelor and master available. From €13,975 total.
- Hochschule Fresenius: Has over 20 English-taught programmes in business, IT, health sciences and chemistry – mostly campus-based in Cologne, Frankfurt and other locations, with limited distance learning.
- German-only Fernhochschulen: AKAD, Wilhelm Büchner, DIPLOMA and APOLLON have extensive distance-learning portfolios but teach almost exclusively in German. Not viable if you require English-taught programmes.
Neighbouring states: commuting to a campus university
From Saarland, several private university locations are within day-commute distance:
- Hesse with Frankfurt (1.5 hours by train): Largest selection in commuting distance – Hochschule Fresenius, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (English-taught MBA, master in finance), EBS Oestrich-Winkel (English-taught master programmes), Provadis. Strong English-taught programme offer, especially in finance and management.
- Rhineland-Palatinate with Mainz and Vallendar (1.5–2 hours): WHU Otto Beisheim School in Vallendar – Germany's leading private business school with internationally ranked MBA and master in management programmes, taught in English.
- Baden-Württemberg with Heidelberg and Stuttgart (2–3 hours): SRH University Heidelberg with English-taught bachelor and master programmes.
Saarbrücken as a study location
Saarbrücken is the capital of Saarland and, with around 181,000 inhabitants, the only major city in the region. It sits directly on the French border – Forbach is ten minutes away, Luxembourg one hour. This location shapes the city: French is part of daily life, and many students commute between DACH and France.
Living costs are low: shared apartment rooms cost €250 to €350 per month – significantly less than Cologne, Frankfurt or Munich. The job market is shaped by automotive suppliers (Ford, Bosch, ZF), IT companies (SAP, CISPA – Helmholtz Centre for Information Security), public administration and a growing health-care sector. Student life is mainly centred around the University of Saarland (in the Saarbrücken-Dudweiler district) – a compact mix of canteens, bars and cultural venues.
DHfPG students don't necessarily live in Saarbrücken: on-site phases take place at study centres across DACH – including Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Vienna and Zurich. If you don't want to move to Saarland, you can complete a DHfPG programme from another DACH location.
Funding and scholarships
- BAföG: Available at the DHfPG for German citizens and EU residents. Maximum: €992 per month (2024/25). Covers living costs, not tuition. For dual programmes often not relevant, since the partner employer pays a salary.
- Dual model (€0 tuition): In dual DHfPG bachelor programmes the partner company covers all tuition. Students also receive a monthly salary from the employer – usually €800 to €1,500, depending on industry and region. The dual model is therefore often cost-positive overall.
- Deutschlandstipendium: €300 per month, merit-based, income-independent. The DHfPG participates. Open to international students.
- DAAD scholarships: The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships specifically for international students, including for private universities. Application via daad.de.
- KfW student loan: Up to €650 per month at around 2 percent interest. Available to EU citizens and certain residence-permit holders.
Are the degrees recognised? Accreditation and transferability
The DHfPG is state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt). Its bachelor's and master's degrees are legally equivalent to those from the University of Saarland or HTW Saar. Programme accreditation is handled by FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation), institutional recognition by the Saarland Ministry for Science.
A transfer to a public university is possible under the Bologna framework – ECTS credits are recognised provided the curriculum aligns. International recognition of German bachelor's and master's degrees is secured via the Bologna system. For regulated professions such as physiotherapy or dietetics, additional country-specific recognition procedures may apply in your destination country.
Studying in English in Saarland
The DHfPG itself does not offer English-taught programmes – its courses are in German (B2/C1 level required). For English-taught study at private universities while staying in or commuting from Saarland, the realistic options are:
- IU dual study or distance learning: IU International University has the broadest English-taught bachelor and master selection in Germany (business, IT, data science, marketing, psychology). The dual model places you at a Saarland-based employer while lectures run online.
- Frankfurt School and EBS in commuting distance: Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (English-taught master, MBA), Hochschule Fresenius (over 20 English-taught programmes), EBS Oestrich-Winkel (international master programmes). Frankfurt is 1.5 hours by train.
- Visa and blocked account: Non-EU students need a student visa (apply at the German embassy before travel) and a blocked account of at least €11,904 per year. Health insurance is mandatory (around €110 per month).
- Language requirements: English-taught programmes typically require IELTS 6.5+, TOEFL 90+ or Cambridge C1. For German-taught programmes (DHfPG): TestDaF (TDN 4) or DSH-2.
- Application timing: Apply at least six to nine months before semester start. Visa processing alone can take 8 to 12 weeks.
Frequently asked questions about private universities in Saarland
Not necessarily a fitness studio – but a company in the sport, fitness or health sector. This can be a fitness studio, a sports club, a rehabilitation clinic, a health insurance company, a corporate health-promotion department or a wellness hotel. Application: you apply directly online at the DHfPG and search for a partner company in parallel – the DHfPG matches you through its partner network. You can only start studying once you have a contract with a partner company. No employer means no dual study at the DHfPG.
The DHfPG itself teaches only in German. For English-taught programmes the strongest option is IU International University – either as a dual programme with a Saarland-based employer or as pure distance learning. IU has the broadest English-taught portfolio in Germany. Alternatively, commuting to Frankfurt opens up the Frankfurt School, Hochschule Fresenius and EBS Oestrich-Winkel – 1.5 hours by train. AKAD, Wilhelm Büchner and DIPLOMA teach almost exclusively in German despite their English-language presence.
No. The DHfPG is headquartered in Saarbrücken, but on-site phases take place at study centres across DACH – Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich and other locations. Online lectures run independently of location. When you enrol, you choose the study centre where you'll attend intensive seminars – usually close to your home or workplace. Moving to Saarbrücken is not required for a DHfPG programme.
Yes. The DHfPG is state-recognised, its programmes are FIBAA-accredited and Bologna-compliant. Bachelor's and master's degrees are legally equivalent to those from public German universities. International recognition is secured via the Bologna framework – ECTS credits are accepted across European universities. For regulated professions such as physiotherapy or dietetics, additional country-specific recognition procedures may apply.
Non-EU students must prove sufficient funds through a blocked account (Sperrkonto) of at least €11,904 per year (2024/25). Health insurance is mandatory at around €110 per month. Tuition for the DHfPG: €0 in dual programmes (employer pays), €10,560 to €15,120 for self-paying bachelor and master programmes. Funding options for international students include the Deutschlandstipendium (€300/month, open to internationals), DAAD scholarships, and the dual model where the partner company covers tuition entirely.
About the Author Marcus Schütz
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