Studying in Bavaria, Germany
Hof
A small Upper Franconian city on the Saale, close to the Czech and Saxon borders, with a university of applied sciences that looks to India.
Hof has about 46,600 residents, a pedestrian old town that was rebuilt after a fire in 1823, a large landscape park on a hill, a lake you can swim in, and the Fichtel Mountains and Franconian Forest a short ride away. Hof University of Applied Sciences has around 3,800 students, more than a fifth of them from abroad, and an India Office of its own. Think of Hof as a place for people who want a quiet town, low costs and a campus where everyone knows the International Office by name. It is not a big-city student scene: the nearest large cities are Nuremberg, Leipzig and Dresden, and you will want to plan trips there. Rooms on campus are cheap by German standards, tuition for regular Bachelor's and Master's programmes is zero, and the semester fee includes a bus and train ticket between the sites.
- Population
- 46,624 (31 Dec 2025)
- Hof University
- founded 1994, about 3,800 students, more than 20% from abroad, partners at more than 130 universities
- Semester fee
- about 145 EUR per semester, including a bus and train ticket in Hof and between Hof, Münchberg and Selb
- Blocked account for a student visa
- 11,904 EUR per year (992 EUR per month)
Part 1
Living in Hof
A border town that was rebuilt in the 19th century
On 4 September 1823 a fire destroyed about nine of every ten buildings in Hof. That is why the old town looks like a tidy 19th-century town and not like a medieval one. The city was sacked in the Hussite Wars and again by Swedish troops in 1640, passed to Prussia in 1791 and was sold by Napoleon to the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810.
From 1945 to 1990 Hof sat right next to the border between East and West Germany, and in 1989 East Germans arrived at its railway station. Today the Czech border is a short drive away and the old border is mostly a topic for museums. Textiles, logistics and finance are the industries the city names today.
What you are choosing is a small city. You can walk across the centre in ten minutes, the pedestrian zone has the shops, cafes and the town hall, and the surrounding hills are close enough to reach by bus or bike. If you want clubs, big concerts and a multi-ethnic food scene every night, plan weekends in Nuremberg, Bayreuth, Leipzig or Dresden.
What to see and do, mostly free
The city lists eight main sights. These are the ones a student will actually use.
A citizens' park of about 70 hectares in the English landscape style, with a labyrinth, pavilions and small towers, a Jugendstil building with a beer garden, and a 6 km easy geology trail. Free and open at any time. The botanical garden inside is open daily 8:00-20:00 from April to October.
A lake south of the town for swimming, walking and sports in summer.
The city's ice rink. The 2026 season opens on 31 October with the first ice disco on 6 November.
A small zoo on the Theresienstein hill.
About 600 m from the Theresienstein park. Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.
The folk festival at the end of July and start of August.
Weekends and day trips
Hof is the hinge between two nature parks, and three neighbouring regions are within an hour or so.
Hiking around the Waldstein (877 m) with the lookout rocks Schüssel and Bärenfang, winter sports at the Ochsenkopf and the Luisenburg rock labyrinth and open-air stage.
Porcelain factory outlets and what the city calls Europe's largest special porcelain museum. Selb is also a Hof University site, for design and mobility.
Hiking, the Rosenberg fortress in Kronach and the Höllental valley. Kronach is also a Hof University campus.
A city of about 64,900 people in the Vogtland, known for Plauener Spitze lace, with a lace museum, an art gallery and the brick Elster Viaduct. The Vogtlandbahn runs regional trains from Plauen to Hof.
The nearest university city, home of the University of Bayreuth with about 12,500 students and a large Africa-studies programme.
What it costs to live here
- Semester fee (includes transport ticket)
- about 145 EUR per semestersource
- Room (rent, utilities, broadcast fee, internet)
- 350-550 EUR a monthsource
- Health insurance (statutory, student)
- about 120 EUR a monthsource
- Food
- about 180 EUR a monthsource
- Personal expenses and phone
- about 150 EUR and 20 EUR a monthsource
- Residence permit fee (non-EU students, one time)
- 100 EURsource
- Blocked account for a student visa
- 11,904 EUR per yearsource
Hof University estimates 820-1,020 EUR a month in total. Regular Bachelor's and Master's programmes charge no tuition. The Graduate School programmes (MBA and professional Master's) do charge tuition, so check the fee structure of the programme you apply for.
Getting around and jobs
Hof has a main station, a city bus network run by Stadtwerke Hof, and a campus card that works on public transport in Hof and Münchberg, including DB trains but not Agilis trains. The semester ticket also covers the route to Selb. Münchberg is about 20 km from Hof. For Nuremberg, Leipzig or Dresden you take regional or long-distance trains from Hof Hbf.
Be realistic about work. Non-EU students may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year without a work permit, and student assistant jobs at the university can go beyond that if you tell the Immigration Office. Hof University advises covering at least the first semester without a job, and many jobs in a town this size need fluent German.
Part 2
Student life in Hof
Where you can study
Hof University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Hof) ↗
Founded in 1994 and run by the State of Bavaria, with about 3,800 students, more than 20% of them from abroad and from more than 50 countries. It has four departments (Business, Engineering and Applied Design, Computer Science, Health and Society) and a Graduate School for working professionals. The main campus is at Alfons-Goppel-Platz 1 in Hof, with the library, the Einstein1 start-up centre and the Am Eichelberg dorm. Münchberg (about 20 km away) holds all textile programmes and Communication Design. Kronach holds Health and Society, Selb teaches design and mobility, and Bamberg hosts nursing programmes. It lists programmes in German and English, and its international focus is India. English-taught programmes need IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 90 and most also ask for German level A1. Applicants from China, India and Vietnam must hold an APS certificate.
International office ↗A Bavarian state school that trains civil servants for administration, dual-study style, with its Hof department at Wirthstraße 51. It enrolled 465 new students in 2026 across administration and administrative informatics. It prepares people already employed by a Bavarian public authority, so it is not a general route for international applicants. It shares its sports hall with Hof University students.
Student unions, services and groups
Hof University International Office ↗
Exchange and degree-student support, 130+ partner universities and an India Office with its own staff. Open Monday to Thursday 13:00-14:00 and Friday 9:00-10:00 in Building A, room A 016.
Student clubs at Hof University ↗
The official list of 15 groups, including the International Student Network (orientation weeks, social events and a language cafe), the Student Representation (SV) that sits in the senate and department councils, StudiEvents (freshers' party, pub crawls) and the Unikino campus cinema on Wednesdays.
Studierendenwerk Oberfranken ↗
The student services organisation: dorms, the Mensa in Hof and Münchberg, social, psychological and legal counselling, and BAföG advice. It opened a new residence in Hof on 16 September 2026 (An der Schützenstraße).
Volleyball, football, table tennis, floorball, badminton, basketball, dodgeball, CrossFit, step aerobics and Zumba, plus a dual sports hall, tennis and beach volleyball courts and bowling alleys. A transponder for the hall costs 20 EUR. Register once with your university e-mail.
A volunteer-run student cafe in downtown Hof on Karolinenstraße, run by Kulturdrang e.V., with weekly cultural events. Open in the evenings from Wednesday to Saturday.
A non-denominational Christian student group with theme nights, discussion groups and retreats.
The Formula Student team that builds a racing car for international competitions.
A student investment club that teaches stock-market basics.
Campus life and study culture
Hof University is small, so classes are small and the International Office is a ten-minute walk away on the same campus. The main campus has a library with 24-hour access for students, free sports facilities, and labs and research institutes. Building hours are Monday to Thursday 07:00-18:00 and Friday 07:00-15:00. The student counselling service sits in Building A, room A 116, and takes walk-ins in the mornings.
Enrolled international students in Bachelor's and Master's programmes get free preparatory German courses in the orientation programme, and free German and other language courses during the semester through the Language Center. Graduate School students are excluded from the preparatory course.
The offices that handle your arrival, the campus card, health insurance and city registration are listed in the university's Moodle guide, which comes with your admission letter. Without health insurance details on file you cannot be enrolled and no campus card can be made, so contact a statutory insurer before the semester starts.
Housing: dorms first, and apply early
- Am Saalepark, Hof city centre (227 rooms, flats for 3-4 or single apartments)
- about 347-376 EUR a month, deposit 470 EURsource
- Am Eichelberg, on the Hof campus (100 rooms built in 2018)
- about 408 EUR a month, deposit 570 EURsource
- Haus Waldstein, Münchberg (38 rooms)
- 315 EUR a month, deposit 290 EURsource
- Private shared flat, single room
- 380-450 EUR a month, energy and internet usually extrasource
- Private furnished single apartment
- 450-600 EUR or more, plus energysource
The Housing Office helps students who are not yet in Germany to find a first room in Hof or Münchberg. Rooms are given out first come, first served, the waiting list is long, and an offer covers at most two semesters. Contracts start on 1 March or 1 September, and you must accept or reject an offer within 24 hours.
Food, sport and evenings
Hof is a quiet town, so most of your week happens on and around campus.
At Wirthstraße 51, open Monday to Thursday 07:00-14:15 and Friday until 13:45, with warm lunch from 11:00. The Münchberg campus has its own cafeteria and Mensa.
A volunteer-run cafe with weekly cultural events, open evenings Wednesday to Saturday.
Theater Hof and the Hofer Symphoniker ↗
The city's theatre and symphony orchestra, both linked from the city's new-citizens page.
The sports hall is open Monday to Thursday 6:00-22:00 and Friday 6:00-13:00. Booking opens on Sunday at 22:00 for the following week.
Your first weeks
- 1
Before you travel
Join a statutory German health insurer and make sure it informs Hof University of your status. Travel insurance is not accepted for enrolment. Check your Moodle guide for the housing application.
- 2
Week 1
Tell the Housing Office and your landlord your arrival time seven days ahead so you get your key. Register your address with the City of Hof Bürgeramt (Klosterstraße 1-3). Book the appointment online.
- 3
Week 1-2
Open a bank account and activate your blocked account. Then update your address in the Primuss portal and collect your campus card.
- 4
Within a few weeks
Request your residence permit appointment by e-mail to auslaenderbehoerde@stadt-hof.de. The fee for non-EU students is 100 EUR.
- 5
Orientation
Join the free preparatory German course and the International Student Network's orientation events.
Where you come from matters here
Pick your home country: food, faith, community groups and the consulate that serves you, checked 21 October 2026.
🇮🇳 Living in Hof as an Indian student
India is the university's main international focus, and Hof University runs an India Office with a liaison manager. Plan the APS certificate before anything else. The university lists no Indian student association in Hof, so for community and food look to Plauen or Bayreuth.
Hof University International Office and India Office ↗
Lists the India Office with its own staff, phone number and hours (Monday to Friday 10:00-17:30, India time).
The academic evaluation centre of the German Embassy in New Delhi. Its certificate is part of the paperwork for a German student visa and Hof University cannot admit you without it.
Consulate General of India, Munich ↗
Serves Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, with passport, visa and OCI services and registration for Indian nationals living in Bavaria.
🇳🇬 Living in Hof as a Nigerian student
The university lists no Nigerian group in Hof. The nearest place with strong African-studies life is Bayreuth.
Neue Jakobstraße 4, 10179 Berlin. Passports, document legalisation and emergency travel certificates. Appointments are free.
University of Bayreuth centre for modern and contemporary African and diaspora art, at Wölfelstraße 2. Listed hours are Wednesday to Sunday 1-5 pm, so check before you go.
Institute of African Studies, University of Bayreuth ↗
The umbrella for Africa and diaspora research and teaching, with a public engagement programme.
🇬🇭 Living in Hof as a Ghanaian student
The university lists no Ghanaian association in Hof. Bayreuth, the nearest university city, has the region's African-studies community.
Centre for modern and contemporary African and diaspora art at the University of Bayreuth, Wölfelstraße 2.
Institute of African Studies, University of Bayreuth ↗
Africa and diaspora research, teaching and public events.
🇨🇲 Living in Hof as a Cameroonian student
The university lists no Cameroonian association in Hof. The nearest African-studies community is in Bayreuth.
Centre for modern and contemporary African and diaspora art at the University of Bayreuth, Wölfelstraße 2.
Institute of African Studies, University of Bayreuth ↗
Africa and diaspora research, teaching and public events.
🇨🇳 Living in Hof as a Chinese student
The university lists no Chinese student group in Hof. Start with the APS certificate, which Hof University requires from applicants with a Chinese qualification, and use Munich for consular business.
APS China, German Embassy Beijing ↗
Service office founded in 2001, working with the embassy's cultural department and DAAD. It says an agency is not needed and it charges only its published fees.
Consulate General of the People's Republic of China, Munich ↗
Passport, notarisation and consular protection services.
English-taught programmes in Hof
Soonest open deadline first. Every entry links to its official source.
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (MSc)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- Applied Research in Computer Science (MSc)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- General Management (MBA)Hof University of Applied Sciences · Hofmaster30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- Digitalisation and Innovation (MBA)Hof University of Applied Sciences · Hofmaster30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- Operational Excellence (MBA and Eng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · Hofmaster30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- Textile Design (MA)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition30 Nov 2026Closing soon
- Global Management (MA)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition15 Jan 2027Open
- Sustainable Water Management and Engineering (MEng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition15 Jan 2027Open
- Software Engineering for Industrial Applications (MEng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · Hofmaster31 May 2027Open
- AI-Driven Supply Chain Management (MSc)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition31 May 2027Open
- Sustainable Textiles (MEng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofmasterNo tuition31 May 2027Open
- Environmental Engineering (BEng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofbachelorNo tuition15 Jul 2027Open
- Engineering Science (BEng)Hof University of Applied Sciences · HofbachelorNo tuition15 Jul 2027Open
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