Studying in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Konstanz

A university town on Lake Constance where the Swiss border runs between the streets

17 English-taught programmes open for applications in Konstanz

Next deadline: 15 Jan 2027. Every entry links to its official source.

Konstanz sits at the western end of Upper Lake Constance, and the border with Switzerland runs along its southern edge, so the neighbouring Swiss town of Kreuzlingen is a short walk away. The old town was not bombed in the Second World War, which is why the medieval streets, the Minster and the harbour are still there. Two higher-education institutions share the city: the University of Konstanz, with more than 9,100 students, and HTWG Konstanz, a university of applied sciences on the Rhine. You study with the lake in sight, you can swim, row or sail after class, and the Alps are on the horizon. The price of that is a tight housing market, so the first job is finding a room.

Population: 86,691 (31 December 2025)
State: Baden-Württemberg, on the Swiss border
Students at the University of Konstanz: More than 9,100, including 1,380 from over 90 countries
Nearest airports: Friedrichshafen about 30 km (via the ferry), Zürich-Kloten about 75 km, Stuttgart about 115 km
Climate: About 834 mm of rain and about 1,824 hours of sunshine a year; cold, sometimes snowy winters
Semester contribution: €209 at the University of Konstanz; €207.50 at HTWG
Student rooms from Seezeit: €320 to €520 a month including utilities, depending on the hall
Proof of funds for non-EU students: At least €992 a month

Part 1

Living in Konstanz

A city split by a border and a river

The Rhine leaves Lake Constance in the middle of Konstanz. South of it lies the historic old town with the harbour, the station and the shops. North of it, on the Bodanrück peninsula, are most of the housing districts, industry and the university. The Swiss border follows the southern and south-western edge of the city, and on the other side is Kreuzlingen. HTWG describes the border as something you can simply walk across, and says people in Konstanz deal with their neighbours in Kreuzlingen every day.

The town has been important for a long time. The Council of Constance met here from 1414 to 1418 and elected Pope Martin V, and Jan Hus was burned at the stake during it in 1415. Konstanz became part of Baden in 1806. In the Second World War it was not bombed, largely because it lies next to Switzerland, which is why so much of the old centre survives.

A Swiss customs sign on a post in an open green space in Konstanz, with a red sculpture and a small ferris wheel in the distance — The border with Kreuzlingen runs through parkland and streets, with no fence in most places.

What to see and do

Konstanz is compact, and the old town and harbour are close to HTWG.

Konstanz Minster ↗
The cathedral of Konstanz, in the old town. Its spire shows in the photos taken from the Rhine and from the hills.
Harbour, Imperia and the Konzil building ↗
The nine-metre Imperia statue stands at the harbour. The Konzil building there is where the conclave of the Council of Constance took place.
Rheintorturm and Schnetztor ↗
Two remains of the medieval city wall. The Rheintorturm stands on the Rhine bank next to the old Rhine bridge.
Rosgarten Museum and Jan Hus Museum ↗
Two museums listed among the city's sights; the Jan Hus Museum is about the reformer burned during the Council of Constance.
Mainau island ↗
The Flower Island, with a park, a castle, a palm house and a rose garden. It has belonged to the city of Konstanz since 1971.
Seenachtfest and the flea market ↗
On the second weekend of August the lake festival takes place together with Kreuzlingen. On the second weekend of June a large cross-border flea market runs along the Rhine bank.

Old town and lake

The Rheintorturm, a stone tower with a steep red roof, beside the Rhine with the Münster spire and a Swiss flag in the background — The Rheintorturm on the Rhine, with the Münster spire behind.

The tall west tower of Konstanz Minster in warm evening light against a blue sky — The tower of Konstanz Minster.

Red roofs and a white church tower in Konstanz with the lake behind and the snowy Alpstein mountains on the horizon — Konstanz with the Alpstein mountains of Switzerland on the horizon.

Lake, mountains and weekends

The lake is the main leisure ground. Ferries and catamarans connect Konstanz with Meersburg and Friedrichshafen,. The Mainau island, the Swiss shore and the Alpstein mountains are all in view on a clear day. HTWG tells new students that on weekends they can hike in the Alps or make short trips to Switzerland, Austria or Liechtenstein.

Winters are cold and sometimes snowy, but the lake stays in the picture. At the end of December sport divers and swimmers in wetsuits swim 1.5 km from the Gondelhafen in water of around 5 degrees, according to the German Wikipedia article on Konstanz.

Calm blue-green water of Lake Constance seen from a shore under a leafy branch, with sailing boats and a wooded headland — Lake Constance seen from the island of Mainau.

Getting around

Konstanz is small enough to cycle everywhere. Public transport is built around the lake and the border.

Student ticket (Studi-Ticket) ↗
From Stadtwerke Konstanz. Valid on city buses as far as Landschlacht in Switzerland, and on the ferry to Meersburg. Validate your student card every semester.
VHB student ticket ↗
Covers local buses and second-class trains to towns around Konstanz, including Allensbach, Radolfzell, Singen, Engen and Stockach. It is personal and needs the student ticket and a student ID.
Bicycles ↗
The city has 195 km of bike paths, and the konrad rental system has 150 bikes at 15 stations, available around the clock.
Trains to Switzerland and Germany ↗
The Seehas regional train links Konstanz with Radolfzell, Singen and Engen. A Swiss SBB InterRegio train also runs from the station to Zürich and Luzern, and from Singen there are Intercity trains to Stuttgart and Zürich.
Late-night buses ↗
Run between Wednesday and Saturday night. The student ticket is not valid on them.

What things cost

Seezeit hall of residence, shared flat or single room: €320 to €520 a month incl. utilitiessource
Canteen main dish at the HTWG Mensa (menu of 19 to 31 October): €2.20 to €4.40; side dishes €0.90source
Tuition for non-EU students, University of Konstanz: €1,709 per semester from summer semester 2026source
Tuition for non-EU students, HTWG: €1,500 per semester; some exemptionssource
Semester contribution: €209 (University) and €207.50 (HTWG)source
Minimum wage for jobs: €13.90 per hoursource

HTWG suggests budgeting about €1,000 to €1,200 a month for living costs, not counting tuition and semester fees.

Jobs and employers

The German Wikipedia article gives more than 3,300 companies with over 33,500 employees. Employers named for Konstanz include Siemens Logistics (air-freight and baggage logistics), Körber Supply Chain (parcel and mail logistics), the Südkurier newspaper, the Landratsamt, the Klinikum and the Stadtwerke, which run the buses, the ferries and the lake shipping. Tourism and congresses are a large part of the economy, and the German Wikipedia article notes that many Swiss firms have set up branches here because of the border.

Student jobs are listed on the Seezeit job board. Non-EU students are limited in how much they may work, which is covered in the student-life section below.

Part 2

Student life in Konstanz

Where you can study

Research university

University of Konstanz ↗

More than 9,100 students on a campus on the hill above the lake, with more than 100 study programmes in mathematics and natural sciences, humanities, and law, economics and politics. Some 1,380 students come from over 90 countries. There are 18 master's programmes taught in English, including Economics, Politics and Public Administration, Computer and Information Science, Social and Economic Data Science, Philosophy, Nanoscience and Life Science. Non-EU degree students pay tuition on top of the semester contribution.

International office ↗

University of applied sciences

HTWG Konstanz (University of Applied Sciences) ↗

Six departments: Architecture and Design; Civil Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Information Technology; Computer Science; Mechanical Engineering; and Business, Cultural and Legal Studies. The campus is on the Rhine in the Paradies district. Bachelor's programmes taught in English: Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Sustainable Engineering and Future Technologies, Electrical Engineering and Management, International Engineering and Management, and Smart Mobility Systems. Master's programmes in English: Applied AI Transformation Management and International Management Asia-Europe. English-taught programmes ask for English B2.

International office ↗

Student unions, services and groups

StuVe, the student union of the University of Konstanz ↗
The Studierendenvertretung with the AStA, the student parliament and the Fachschaften. Offers free legal advice, housing-search tips, a bike workshop, equipment lending, the Kulturticket and the Studiticket, and a directory of student groups. Its pages are in German.
Verfasste Studierendenschaft at HTWG: AStA and StuRa ↗
The student body of HTWG, with the Studierendenrat as its legislature and the AStA as its executive. The AStA runs parties, advice and the Kulturticket, and the Fachschaften represent each department. The AStA also runs Café Endlicht on campus.
Seezeit Studierendenwerk Bodensee ↗
The non-profit that serves about 25,000 students around Lake Constance: halls of residence (about 3,000 rooms), canteens and cafés, BAföG advice, childcare and free psychotherapeutic, social and international counselling.
Hochschulsport Konstanz ↗
The university sports programme, open through its own booking shop. Its areas are ball and fitness sports, mountain and snow sport, dance, martial arts and water sport, plus a fitness studio, the Uni-Liga and the Campus Run.
ESN Konstanz ↗
The Erasmus Student Network at the University of Konstanz. It looks after international students with events and trips, and holds weekly team meetings on Wednesday evenings.
University of Konstanz Buddy Programme ↗
Pairs new international students with local students who help with orientation and with practising German. Sign-up rounds are announced by the International Office.
HTWG Intercultural Center (IKZ) ↗
Runs a buddy programme pairing incoming students with upper-year students, tandem language partnerships, academic German classes for international students, career workshops and a Career Day each summer semester.
Hochschulrudern Konstanz ↗
The rowing team of the University, HTWG and the Bodensee campus, with about 50 members, training at Ruderverein Neptun three or four times a week. Beginners are pointed to the basic courses at Hochschulsport.
Kuttersegeln ↗
A student group that sails two historic wooden cutters in the evening from the harbour at Wallhausen, on Wednesdays from May. No experience needed; the first session is free and a semester costs about €75.
Nightline Konstanz ↗
A free, anonymous listening service run by students for students.
Student groups on the StuVe list ↗
Dozens of groups, among them the English-language UN Association, the English theatre group Masters of Mayhem, the Muslim student group, UNICEF, Café Mondial (language café for refugees), Refugee Law Clinic and Students for Future.

Campus life and study culture

The two campuses are quite different. The University sits on a hill outside the centre, with a canteen that looks out over the lake and a rooftop vegetable garden run by a student group. HTWG is on the Rhine bank in Paradies, close to the old town, with a sandy beach bar open on sunny days from April to October and a student-run café, Café Endlicht.

At HTWG the Intercultural Center runs a warm-up event for first-semester students, and the University offers orientation programmes: GO-Konstanz (four weeks in March and September, with a German course), OriPro shortly before the semester, and a one-week OriPro for master's students in October. HTWG recommends learning German alongside an English-taught programme and offers courses for it.

HTWG Konstanz buildings on the bank of the Rhine, with moored boats in front and the Münster spire among trees on the left — The HTWG campus on the Rhine, a short walk from the old town.

The wood-and-glass beach bar building of HTWG Konstanz standing on a sand area with palm trees and benches — The HTWG beach bar, with sand underfoot.

Finding a room

Housing is the hard part of Konstanz. The city itself calls its housing market tight (see its housing programme page in the sources), and the University says rooms are scarce and Seezeit assigns them by lottery because demand is so high. HTWG suggests applying to several providers at once and starting early.

Seezeit halls of residence ↗
Thirteen halls with about 3,000 rooms. Applications have no deadline and rooms are allocated by lottery. Rents include utilities: Jungerhalde €320 to €335, Jan-Hus-Haus €335 to €381, Europahaus €355 to €380, Petershauser Bahnhof €370 to €520, Sonnenbühl West I €420, Paradies €435. Deposit is €850.
Albertus Magnus Haus and Thomas Blarer Haus ↗
Private student residences with 348 and 174 single rooms. HTWG does not run its own dormitories and lists these two next to Seezeit.
Housing advice from the University ↗
The International Office recommends arriving early and viewing a room in person before you pay anything, and warns against landlords who ask for payment by Western Union, MoneyGram or to a foreign account.
Living outside Konstanz ↗
With the student ticket you can commute from Allensbach, Radolfzell, Singen, Meersburg or Stockach, where rents are generally cheaper.
Wohnen für Hilfe ↗
Seezeit's scheme where students reduce their rent by helping a landlord with everyday tasks. At the University, about one hour of help counts as one square metre of rent off.

Food, sport and evenings

Seezeit runs the canteens at both campuses plus cafés such as the CampusCafé and BibCafé. A student main dish at the HTWG Mensa cost between €2.20 and €4.40 on the menu for 19 to 31 October, with vegetarian and vegan dishes among them.

Hochschulsport has water sports and mountain sports as its focus, given the location, and the Uni-Liga and Campus Run for competition. Student groups add rowing, sailing and a lot more. Summer evenings are spent on the lake shore and at the beach bars, and Café Endlicht is the AStA's place at HTWG.

A Konstanz car ferry on the lake with the pale university buildings and a tall tower on the wooded hillside behind it — The University of Konstanz sits on the hill above the lake, seen here from the water.

Your first weeks

1
Before you arrive
Sort out where you will sleep for the first weeks. Apply to Seezeit and to the private residences, and keep a plan B. Non-EU students must show at least €992 a month in funds.
2
On arrival
Book an appointment at the Bürgerbüro of the city of Konstanz to register your address; visits are by appointment only. You need a confirmation from your landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). HTWG tells new students to register within one week of arrival.
3
Residence permit
The Ausländerbehörde of the Landratsamt Konstanz, at Max-Stromeyer-Straße 166/168, 78467 Konstanz, handles residence permits, by appointment only. The International Office forwards your details during orientation and the office then contacts you. If you entered on a national visa, apply to convert it before it expires.
4
First semester
Join orientation (GO-Konstanz or OriPro at the University, the warm-up event at HTWG), meet your buddy, and validate your student ticket each semester.
5
Money
Check the tuition and semester contribution for your institution. Non-EU students can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year if their permit allows. Jobs at the university or Seezeit as a student assistant do not count against that limit.

Working while you study

The rules below are the University of Konstanz's summary for non-EU students; check your own permit.

Day limit ↗
Non-EU students may work up to 140 days or 280 half-days (four hours each) a year, if the visa or permit does not forbid work. Voluntary internships count; mandatory internships do not.
Minijob and working student ↗
Earnings up to €603 a month are generally free of taxes and health and pension contributions. Working students at the University can work up to 20 hours a week.
Seezeit job board ↗
Student jobs in Konstanz are posted on the Seezeit board.
Health insurance ↗
Students up to age 30 who take paid work in Germany need German statutory health insurance; the European card is not enough.

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 Konstanz as an Indian student

No Indian consulate or Indian association with its own site is listed for Konstanz. The Consulate General of India in Munich covers Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and the embassy runs a portal for Indian students.

Consulate General of India, Munich ↗
Its consular jurisdiction is Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Registration of Indian nationals and appointment booking are on its site.
Indian Students in Germany portal ↗
Run by the Embassy of India in Berlin: information for new students, a directory of student associations, welcome events and accommodation listings. Some parts need a login.

English-taught programmes in Konstanz

Soonest open deadline first. Every entry links to its official source.

University of Konstanz HTWG Konstanz - University of Applied Sciences

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