Before accepting a university offer in Germany, Pakistani and Indian students should investigate the teaching, employment prospects and total cost. Here is how to compare two offers before putting family savings at risk.

A young Indian man went to Germany hoping that a master’s degree would help him expand his business and build an international career. Two years later, he was delivering parcels for an Amazon subcontractor.

Chirag Esrani’s experience appeared in a Deutsche Welle documentary about Indian students in Germany. He told DW that his degree cost about €25,000, but the education had not met his expectations.

His family had helped finance the journey. He said he had borrowed the equivalent of around €18,000.

I kept thinking about what happens before a student reaches Germany. A family receives an admission offer, discusses the expense and begins arranging money. Somewhere in that process, somebody should ask a difficult question.

What evidence do we have that this particular degree is worth the money?

That question deserves more attention than another advertisement promising a European education.

An admission letter is not an investment assessment

Getting admitted to a German university can feel like an achievement. For a family in Karachi or Mumbai, it may represent years of planning.

The letter arrives with a programme name, a starting date and instructions for payment. The university website shows classrooms and smiling international students.

But an admission letter tells you that an institution has offered you a place. It does not tell you whether the degree will improve your employment prospects.

Nor does it prove that the teaching will match what you expected.

Germany has respected public universities and legitimate private institutions. Some private programmes may suit students who need flexible schedules or specialised courses.

The problem is not the word private. The problem is committing substantial money without examining what you are buying.

If you already have an offer, I suggest comparing it with at least one alternative before signing anything.

1. Compare the exact degree, not the university’s reputation

Two institutions may offer a master’s degree in international management. The programmes can be quite different.

One may emphasise research and analytical work. Another may offer practical projects, evening classes or remote teaching.

Read the complete curriculum. Look at compulsory modules, elective subjects and the thesis requirements.

Then ask who teaches the courses. Are the lecturers permanent faculty members, visiting academics or industry professionals?

A university ranking cannot answer all these questions.

Germany’s DAAD My GUIDE helps students discover programmes and assess their academic eligibility. Use it to identify alternatives rather than relying on the options an agent recommends.

For questions about institutional recognition and programme accreditation, see my earlier guide, How Pakistani Students Can Find Recognised German Universities and Avoid Fake Admission Agents.

Recognition is an essential first step. It is not the end of your investigation.

2. Find out what classroom teaching really means

Chirag told DW that his university experience differed from what he had imagined. He described teaching that sometimes took place online and classes that were cancelled.

IU International University, the institution he attended, told DW that it reviews academic quality and had replaced some initially remote teaching with classroom instruction.

The documentary gives us the student’s complaint and the university’s response. It does not establish that every IU programme has the same teaching arrangements.

For prospective students, there is a simple lesson.

Ask the university to confirm in writing how your particular programme will operate.

How many hours of teaching will take place on campus each week? Which activities take place online? Where will examinations be held?

If the institution uses the word hybrid, ask exactly what it means.

An online lecture may be perfectly suitable for some students. But someone paying thousands of euros for a campus experience should know how much time they will actually spend in classrooms.

Keep the written answer.

3. Calculate the full cost before borrowing

A master’s degree costing €25,000 is already a large commitment. Tuition, however, is only part of the expense.

A student also needs accommodation and health insurance. Travel, initial deposits and university contributions can add more.

Germany’s official Make it in Germany portal gives €11,904 as the standard blocked-account funding benchmark for a student in 2026.

That money is intended to demonstrate support for living expenses. It is not an additional fee paid to the university.

Consider a hypothetical student with these expenses:

Expense	Amount
Total tuition for a two-year programme	€25,000
Living expenses over 24 months, assuming €992 monthly	€23,808
Additional travel, setup and other expenses	€2,000
Illustrative two-year total	€50,808

The €2,000 allowance is merely an illustration. Actual expenses may be much higher, particularly in expensive cities.

Living expenses may also exceed the visa funding benchmark. Do not confuse the amount required for financial proof with the amount needed to live comfortably.

Now consider what happens if a family borrows much of the tuition. Interest and repayment obligations increase the risk.

If the student cannot obtain professional employment immediately after graduation, who will make the loan payments?

I would want a clear answer before borrowing.

4. Ask the university to prove its employment claims

Universities sometimes advertise international career opportunities or relationships with major companies.

A company logo on a website does not mean that its employer will recruit every graduate.

Ask the university for employment data from the exact programme you intend to join.

How many students graduated in the last three years? How many obtained qualified jobs within six or twelve months? How many work in Germany?

Find out whether the figures include international graduates and how the institution collected them.

A useful university should be able to explain its methodology, even if it cannot provide every figure you request.

If no programme-specific evidence is available, treat the employment outcome as unknown. Do not substitute a university-wide marketing figure.

Remember that Germany’s labour shortages vary by occupation. Demand for nursing professionals tells us little about opportunities for someone graduating in general management.

A master’s degree does not create a job vacancy.

5. Look at the German-language requirements of actual employers

Students often choose English-taught courses because their German is limited.

That can make academic study possible. It does not remove language expectations from the labour market.

Search current job advertisements for the positions you hope to hold after graduation.

Read the required qualifications carefully. Notice whether employers ask for German at B1, B2, C1 or another level.

Do not assume that every company requires fluent German. Some internationally oriented jobs use English.

The important point is to investigate the employers you hope to join, rather than accept a general promise that Germany has jobs for international graduates.

If most relevant vacancies require German skills you do not possess, add language learning to your plan before departure.

6. Speak to graduates who are no longer selling the programme

Universities frequently introduce applicants to student ambassadors. That can be useful, but I would also look for graduates independently.

LinkedIn is one place to start. Search the exact university, programme and graduation year.

Try to speak with at least three people who completed the course. Ideally, include someone who graduated recently and someone who finished more than a year ago.

Ask what they studied and how many applications they submitted before finding employment.

Did they receive the teaching they expected? Was the university helpful when they needed career advice?

What would they do differently if they were applying again?

One unhappy graduate cannot prove that a programme is poor. One successful graduate cannot prove that everybody will succeed.

Listen for repeated experiences. Then compare them with the university’s documented claims.

7. Investigate the city as carefully as the university

DW also followed Matthew Paulochan, another Indian student in Berlin.

He described difficulties recovering money from housing intermediaries. He eventually shared an apartment with other Indian students, paying a high collective rent.

Housing is not a minor concern that can be settled after admission.

A university in an expensive city may offer lower tuition but leave students facing higher living costs. Another institution may charge more but be located somewhere affordable.

Neither arrangement is automatically better.

Ask about student residences and waiting lists. Compare actual room advertisements rather than relying only on the average rent for the city.

Check public transport costs and the journey to campus.

My separate guide, Finding Student Accommodation in Germany from Pakistan, explains rental deposits, housing fraud and address registration.

8. Do not build your budget around finding a job immediately

A student may imagine working part-time and paying most expenses from wages.

That is risky.

Germany permits many non-EU students to work up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, with alternative arrangements and exceptions. Permission to work does not mean an employer will hire you.

Finding a job may take time, especially if you speak little German.

Then there are examinations and assignments. A demanding job can leave a student too tired to concentrate on the degree the family has paid for.

Chirag described exactly that difficulty in the DW documentary. Delivery work consumed time he wanted to spend studying and searching for employment in his field.

Part-time earnings should be treated as possible support, not as guaranteed income.

Prepare a budget that works even if employment takes longer than expected.

9. Check the refund terms before paying an agent or university

A consultant may genuinely help with applications. The service has value when the adviser is competent and transparent.

But ask what the consultant will receive from you and whether the institution also pays a commission.

Obtain the official university invoice and payment instructions directly from the institution.

Then read the refund policy.

What happens if the student visa is refused? What happens if a student withdraws before classes begin? Which fees are non-refundable?

Do not assume a visa refusal automatically entitles you to a full refund.

Germany’s application service uni-assist states that it does not cooperate with commercial student placement agencies.

Anyone claiming special access through uni-assist should therefore face careful questioning.

A promise made verbally is difficult to enforce. Ask for written terms before transferring money.

10. Compare two offers on one sheet of paper

I would make a simple comparison table before accepting either offer.

What to compare	University A	University B
Exact degree and institution	Verify	Verify
Recognition and accreditation	Check records	Check records
Total tuition and refund terms	Obtain documents	Obtain documents
Campus versus online teaching	Confirm in writing	Confirm in writing
Estimated total living costs	Calculate	Calculate
Graduate employment evidence	Request data	Request data
German required by target employers	Check vacancies	Check vacancies
Housing options	Research	Research
Former student experiences	Interview graduates	Interview graduates

The table does not need an elaborate scoring system.

Some questions demand a clear answer. If you cannot establish who awards the degree, or the university will not explain its fees, resolve the uncertainty before proceeding.

For the remaining issues, consider what matters to your career.

A programme costing more may be worthwhile if it provides teaching and opportunities that justify the difference. A lower-cost programme can be the better choice when academic quality is comparable and the financial risk is smaller.

You must reach that judgment using evidence, not a sales presentation.

What about finding work after graduation?

Germany allows eligible international graduates of German higher education institutions to obtain residence permission for up to 18 months to seek qualified employment.

That is valuable time. It is not a guarantee that a suitable job will appear.

Graduates may have other lawful residence options depending on their circumstances. But an education loan continues to exist even when a residence permit expires.

Before selecting a degree, ask whether you would still consider the investment reasonable if finding professional employment took longer than expected.

I would also examine whether the qualification has value back home.

A degree that makes sense only if you immediately settle in Germany carries a different financial risk from one that improves your prospects in several countries.

Before the family pays

The DW documentary did not persuade me that students should stop going to Germany.

It showed why admission alone is a poor basis for a major financial decision.

Chirag eventually graduated and found employment in a clothing store. He still hoped to work in the field he had studied.

Matthew found encouragement through work supporting older people and improving his German. Both remained hopeful about their futures.

Their experiences were different, and neither represents every international student.

But both stories brought me back to the same concern.

A Pakistani or Indian family may spend years saving for a child’s education. Some borrow money that will take much longer to repay.

Before sending that money abroad, I would want the student to investigate the degree, question the university and speak to people who have already completed it.

An admission letter can tell you where you have been accepted.

It cannot tell you whether you should go.