A German intensive course costs between €240 and €620 per month. Class sizes range from 6 to 20 students. Some schools are telc exam centers. Others offer the Goethe-Zertifikat. A few have BAMF approval for integration courses. These differences shape your learning speed, exam options, and visa eligibility.
This guide covers every factor you need to compare — with real prices, an accreditation decoder, a format comparison, and a step-by-step checklist.
The wrong school can cost you months. A class with 20 students gives you less speaking time than one with 8. A school without telc certification cannot host your exam on-site. A course with only 16 hours per week may not meet the 18-hour visa requirement.
Here is a concrete example. DeutschAkademie Stuttgart charges €260/month for 18 hours per week in groups of 7-12. interDaF Leipzig charges €240/month for 16 hours per week, but with 14-18 students per class. The monthly price is similar. The learning experience is not.
Choosing well means matching the school to your goal. Are you preparing for a university exam? You need a TestDaF or DSH preparation course. Do you need a visa? Your course must meet the 18-hour weekly minimum. Are you working part-time? An evening course fits your schedule better.
Accreditations tell you what a school can do — and what it cannot. Not every language school can host exams. Not every school is approved for visa-eligible courses.
telc stands for “The European Language Certificates.” A telc exam center can host telc exams on its own premises. You study and take the exam in the same building.
Schools with telc certification include GLS Berlin, Goethe-Institut Munich, did deutsch-institut Hamburg, TANDEM Cologne, Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund, IIK Düsseldorf, interDaF Leipzig, and KS++ Essen. That covers most of the schools listed on our search page.
Why it matters: If a school is not a telc center, you must travel to a different location for the exam. This adds stress and logistics on exam day.
TestDaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache) is the main university admission exam. A TestDaF center can host the exam and usually offers dedicated preparation courses.
GLS Berlin, Goethe-Institut Munich, Goethe-Institut Frankfurt, did deutsch-institut Hamburg, TANDEM Cologne, Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund, IIK Düsseldorf, interDaF Leipzig, and KS++ Essen are all TestDaF centers. For a deep dive into the exam itself, read our TestDaF Complete Guide.
Why it matters: TestDaF preparation at a certified center means your teachers know the exact exam format. They have access to official practice materials. They know what the examiners look for.
The Goethe-Institut is Germany’s official cultural institute. A “Goethe-Zertifikat Partner” can administer Goethe exams (A1-C2). These certificates are recognized worldwide.
In our database, Goethe-Institut Munich and Goethe-Institut Frankfurt hold this status.
Why it matters: The Goethe-Zertifikat is the gold standard for German language proof. Some embassies and employers specifically request it.
BAMF is the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge). BAMF-approved schools can run integration courses funded by the German government. IIK Düsseldorf holds this approval.
Why it matters: If you qualify for a government-funded integration course, only BAMF-approved schools can offer it. This can save you thousands of euros.
AZAV (Akkreditierungs- und Zulassungsverordnung Arbeitsförderung) means the school is certified for employment-related education funding. GLS Berlin and KS++ Essen hold this certification.
Why it matters: If the Arbeitsagentur (employment agency) funds your course, the school needs AZAV certification.
| School | City | telc | TestDaF | Goethe | BAMF | AZAV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Sprachenzentrum | Berlin | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Goethe-Institut | Munich | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Goethe-Institut | Frankfurt | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| did deutsch-institut | Hamburg | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| TANDEM | Cologne | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Perfekt Deutsch | Dortmund | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| IIK | Düsseldorf | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| interDaF | Leipzig | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| KS++ Sprachschule | Essen | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| DeutschAkademie | Stuttgart | No | No | No | No | No |
Key takeaway: Most established schools hold at least telc and TestDaF certification. If your school has neither, ask why.
Schools offer different course formats. Each one suits a different situation. The format you choose affects your learning speed, visa eligibility, and daily schedule.
You attend class every weekday morning, usually from 9:00 to 13:00. Some schools add afternoon sessions. This is the fastest path from A1 to B2 — you can reach B2 in about 8-10 months.
Example: GLS Berlin offers 24 hours/week at €420/month. interDaF Leipzig offers 30 hours/week at €520/month.
Best for: Full-time students, people on a language visa, anyone who wants fast progress.
Visa note: For a language course visa (Sprachkursvisum), your course must have at least 18 hours per week. Most intensive courses meet this requirement. Read the full visa guide for details.
Fewer hours per week, usually four mornings or three full days. Slower progress, but more time for self-study, homework, or exploring the city.
Example: Goethe-Institut Munich offers 16 hours/week at €280/month. DeutschAkademie Stuttgart offers 18 hours/week at €260/month.
Best for: People who want a balanced schedule, or those with part-time commitments.
Visa warning: A 16-hour-per-week course may not qualify for a language visa. Check the visa requirements before you book.
Classes are usually two evenings per week, from 18:00 to 20:30 or 21:00. One level takes about 3-4 months instead of 4-6 weeks.
Example: DeutschAkademie Stuttgart offers 8 hours/week at €220/month. IIK Düsseldorf offers 8 hours/week at €290/month.
Best for: People who work or study full-time during the day.
Visa note: Evening courses do not meet the 18-hour minimum for language visas.
Saturday classes, sometimes Saturday and Sunday. Slow progress, but works for people with full weekday schedules.
Example: DeutschAkademie Stuttgart offers a C2 weekend course with 6 hours/week at €260/month.
Best for: Working professionals who cannot attend weekday or evening classes.
| Format | Hours/week | Monthly cost range | Time to B2 | Visa eligible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superintensive | 24-30 | €420-620 | 6-8 months | Yes |
| Intensive | 20-24 | €340-480 | 8-10 months | Yes |
| Standard | 16-18 | €240-320 | 10-14 months | Check hours |
| Evening | 6-8 | €220-290 | 18-24 months | No |
| Weekend | 4-6 | €260 | 24-30 months | No |
Class size is one of the strongest predictors of learning speed. In a group of 8, each student speaks roughly 5-6 minutes per hour. In a group of 20, that drops to about 2 minutes.
Here is what the schools in our database offer:
| School | City | Min class size | Max class size |
|---|---|---|---|
| did deutsch-institut | Hamburg | 6 | 15 |
| DeutschAkademie | Stuttgart | 7 | 12 |
| GLS Sprachenzentrum | Berlin | 8 | 14 |
| TANDEM | Cologne | 8 | 15 |
| Goethe-Institut | Munich | 8 | 16 |
| Goethe-Institut | Frankfurt | 8 | 16 |
| KS++ Sprachschule | Essen | 8 | 20 |
| IIK | Düsseldorf | 10 | 18 |
| Perfekt Deutsch | Dortmund | 10 | 20 |
| interDaF | Leipzig | 14 | 18 |
DeutschAkademie Stuttgart caps groups at 12 students. That gives you more speaking time, more direct feedback, and more interaction with the teacher. Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund allows up to 20 students. The monthly fee may be lower, but you share the teacher’s attention with twice as many people.
Prices vary based on city, school reputation, course intensity, and level. Here is a real comparison of monthly fees from verified schools.
| School | City | Standard | Intensive | Superintensive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| interDaF | Leipzig | €240 | €400 | €520 |
| DeutschAkademie | Stuttgart | €260 | €340 | — |
| TANDEM | Cologne | €260 | €360 | — |
| did deutsch-institut | Hamburg | €260 | €420 | €500 |
| IIK | Düsseldorf | €280 | €440 | — |
| Goethe-Institut | Munich | €280 | €360 | — |
| Goethe-Institut | Frankfurt | €320 | €440 | €620 |
| GLS Sprachenzentrum | Berlin | €350 | €420 | €560 |
Cheapest intensive course: DeutschAkademie Stuttgart at €340/month for 24 hours/week.
Most expensive intensive course: Goethe-Institut Frankfurt at €440/month for 24 hours/week.
The spread: You pay €100/month more in Frankfurt than in Stuttgart for the same number of hours. Over a 6-month course, that adds up to €600.
The monthly tuition is not the full picture. Ask about these additional costs:
For a full breakdown, read our costs guide.
Where you study affects your living costs, your daily routine, and your exposure to German outside of class.
A shared apartment (WG-Zimmer) in Berlin costs around €500-700/month. In Leipzig or Dortmund, you can find rooms for €300-450. Munich is the most expensive at €600-900/month.
Example: If you study at interDaF Leipzig, you pay €240/month for your course and €350/month for a room. Total: around €590/month. At GLS Berlin, you pay €350/month for the course and €600/month for a room. Total: around €950/month. Same level, same number of hours, €360/month difference.
Check how long it takes to reach the school by public transport. Central locations save you commute time. GLS Berlin is in Prenzlauer Berg, a well-connected neighborhood. TANDEM Cologne is in the Südstadt, close to the main station. Goethe-Institut Munich is near Ostbahnhof.
If you plan to study at a German university after your language course, consider starting in the same city. You will already know the city, have a social network, and can attend university events. interDaF Leipzig, for example, is directly affiliated with Leipzig University.
Not all schools offer accommodation. Of the 10 schools in our database, 7 provide accommodation options. Here is what they typically offer.
You live with a German family. You speak German at home. Meals are sometimes included. This is the best option for language immersion.
GLS Berlin, Goethe-Institut Munich, did deutsch-institut Hamburg, TANDEM Cologne, and interDaF Leipzig all offer homestay placements.
Shared rooms or single rooms in a student building. You share kitchen and bathroom with other language students. More affordable than a private apartment.
GLS Berlin, DeutschAkademie Stuttgart, and interDaF Leipzig offer dormitory options.
Some schools help you find an apartment or have their own furnished units. This gives you the most independence, but costs more.
DeutschAkademie Stuttgart (no accommodation), IIK Düsseldorf, Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund, and KS++ Essen do not provide accommodation directly. However, most of them can point you to external housing services. If accommodation is a priority, filter for it on our school search page.
If you need a visa to study German in Germany, your school plays a direct role in the process. Not every school understands the requirements.
All 10 schools in our database offer visa support. But the quality varies. did deutsch-institut Hamburg and GLS Berlin have dedicated international offices with staff who handle visa letters daily. Smaller schools may take longer or produce letters that are missing required details.
Your course must include at least 18 teaching units per week to qualify for a language visa. One teaching unit is 45 minutes. So 18 units equal 13.5 clock hours. Most intensive courses meet this threshold. Standard courses with 16 hours/week may not qualify.
Before you book: Confirm with the school that they issue visa-compliant enrollment letters. For the full visa process, read our German Language Course Visa Guide.
Most schools now offer both options. GLS Berlin, Goethe-Institut Munich, did deutsch-institut Hamburg, and IIK Düsseldorf all run online courses.
did deutsch-institut Hamburg offers hybrid courses where you can switch between online and in-person attendance. This gives you flexibility if your plans change.
For a language course visa, you must attend an in-person course in Germany. Online courses do not qualify. If you plan to study online first and then switch to in-person, make sure the school allows this and that the enrollment letter covers the in-person phase.
Not every school delivers on its promises. Watch for these warning signs:
Some schools publish their exam pass rates. This is one of the most honest quality signals available.
KS++ Essen reports a 90% pass rate for DSH, TestDaF, and telc C1 exams across over 2,000 annual exam candidates. Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund has produced over 21,500 graduates since 2013.
If a school does not publish pass rates, ask for them. A school with a low pass rate is either not preparing students well or placing them in exams too early.
Follow these 10 steps before you enroll.
If you need a visa, your course must have at least 18 hours/week. Only in-person courses qualify. Read the full visa requirements.
Add up all costs: tuition, materials, exam fee, accommodation, living expenses, health insurance. A realistic monthly budget for an intensive course in a mid-size city is €800-1,200 including rent. In Munich or Berlin, expect €1,100-1,600. See our costs breakdown.
Does the school hold telc, TestDaF, or Goethe certification? If your goal requires a specific exam, choose a school that is an exam center for that exam.
Check the maximum class size, not the average. Groups of 7-12 are good. Above 16, your speaking practice drops significantly.
Match the course format to your life. Full-time student? Choose intensive. Working? Choose evening or weekend. Confirm the exact start dates — many schools have fixed start dates every 4-6 weeks.
If you need the school to help with housing, confirm this before you enroll. Ask for prices, availability, and minimum booking periods.
Check Google reviews. Look at the number of reviews, not just the rating. Perfekt Deutsch Dortmund has a 4.9 rating with 791 reviews. IIK Düsseldorf has a 4.3 with 516 reviews. Both are reliable signals. A 5.0 rating with only 3 reviews tells you nothing.
Some schools offer a free trial lesson or a trial day. Use it. You will learn more in one hour in a classroom than from reading 10 websites.
Before you pay, get written confirmation of: course dates, weekly hours, class size limit, cancellation policy, and what happens if the minimum group size is not reached.
At GLS Sprachenzentrum Berlin, a standard course (16-20 hours/week) costs €350/month. An intensive course (24 hours/week) costs €420/month. A superintensive course (30 hours/week) costs €560/month. Exam fees for telc or TestDaF are separate and cost €150-215.
For exam preparation, yes. A telc exam center hosts the exam on-site. Your teachers know the format. You practice in the same rooms where you take the real exam. If a school is not a telc center, you still get the language training, but you must find an external exam location.
Technically, yes. But there are costs and delays. Most schools have a cancellation policy that charges 40-50% of the remaining fees. You also lose time because schools start new levels on fixed dates. If you switch mid-level, the new school may place you at the beginning of that level again.
With an intensive course (20-24 hours/week), you need approximately 8-10 months to go from A1 to B2. Each level (A1, A2, B1, B2) takes about 2-2.5 months. Evening courses with 8 hours/week take roughly twice as long.
If you are from a non-EU country and your course is longer than 90 days, you typically need a language course visa (Sprachkursvisum) under § 16f AufenthG. The course must have at least 18 hours per week. You also need a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with €1,091/month. Full details are in our visa guide.
TestDaF is designed for university admission. It tests academic German at B2-C1 level. You need TDN 4 in all four sections for most universities. telc offers exams at every level (A1-C2). telc B2 is used for professional requirements, while telc C1 Hochschule is accepted by many universities as an alternative to TestDaF. Read our TestDaF Complete Guide for a detailed comparison.
No. For a German language course visa, you must attend an in-person course in Germany. Online courses are useful for preparation before you arrive, but they do not meet visa requirements.
Check four things: accreditations (telc, TestDaF, Goethe), class size (under 15 is good), Google review count and rating (look for 50+ reviews above 4.0), and whether they publish exam pass rates. KS++ Essen, for example, publishes a 90% pass rate across 2,000+ annual exam candidates.
Big cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg offer more school options and cultural activities. But living costs are higher. A room in Berlin costs €500-700/month. In Leipzig, you pay €300-450. The quality of language instruction does not depend on city size. interDaF Leipzig at Leipzig University offers the same academic rigor as schools in larger cities — at lower cost.
Reputable schools have cancellation policies that protect students. Goethe-Institut Munich, for example, offers free cancellation up to 21 days before the course starts. If a school cancels your course because the group is too small, they must offer you an alternative date or a full refund. Get this policy in writing before you pay.
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