17 Universities in Germany Without IELTS (2027 Intake)

IELTS alternative: an official letter from your university confirming English as the language of instruction, provided your degree is not older than three years at the time of application; otherwise TOEFL iBT 88, IELTS 6.5, or Cambridge.

The three-year freshness rule here is stricter than most universities on this list — if you graduated more than three years ago, this exemption will not apply and you will need a formal test score. Stuttgart is Germany’s automotive and engineering hub, home to Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, so its engineering-adjacent master’s programs like WASTE often have strong industry links for internships and thesis placements alongside the academic content. Stuttgart is also a Baden-Württemberg city, so the €1,500/semester non-EU tuition fee applies here too, but the strong local job market can make part-time work or a paid thesis project easier to find than in smaller university towns, which can meaningfully help your budget over a two-year master’s. Public transport across the wider Stuttgart region is well developed, so living slightly outside the city centre to save on rent is a realistic option most students take.