Study in Göttingen

Göttingen, located in the centre of Germany, has 134,000 residents of whom 30,000 are students. The city is international and multicultural: one sixth of our students come to southern Lower Saxony from more than 130 countries.

Why study in Göttingen

• The universities in Göttingen, including the HAWK, cooperate on many projects together. This gives students access to modern, practice-based facilities and interdisciplinary teaching.
• There are many small and medium-sized companies in Göttingen and the surrounding area, some of which have partnerships with the HAWK. Students can thus easily establish contacts with the business world.
• Local companies are happy to support students in the form of scholarships, e.g. the Deutschlandstipendium. The HAWK awards the highest number of Deutschlandstipendium scholarships in relation to the number of students.
• Göttingen State and University Library is one of the largest libraries in Germany and offers an outstanding range of literature and media.
• Göttingen is a bicycle-friendly city with many cycle paths leading through the countryside as well as fast cycle routes.

Göttingen’s nightlife takes place in its pubs, bars and clubs. The traditional brewery cellar; the trendy cocktail bar; the party location with electronic music, rock, indie, pop hits or even live gigs by international music stars: there’s a lot on offer here.

And of course student parties, which take place in the various faculties and student residences, are also popular.

The city is surrounded by numerous recreational areas. The Kiessee lake on the southern outskirts of Göttingen is a lovely place to go for a walk, to jog, try your hand at boating, play frisbee or have a picnic.

The botanical gardens are located in the heart of the city. On an area spanning around 5 hectares, you will find a great variety of plants and many delightful corners.

The historic city walls, known as “Der Wall”, surround the entire old town – an ideal jogging route. Not far from here are numerous parks with old trees, including Cheltenhampark and Schillerwiesen.

Whether you cycle along the Leine, Weser or Werra cycle paths, you will discover numerous sights nearby. The surrounding area, including the Solling, Harz and Kaufunger Wald mountain ranges, the Eichsfeld region and the “Grünes Band” (Green Belt) nature reserve, is perfect for hiking trips.

Best-known events

Göttingen offers a wealth of cultural events, three theatres and several museums. The best-known national events include:

• Göttinger Literaturherbst, one of the five largest literature festivals in the German-speaking world, with renowned authors and 25,000 visitors every year.
• International Händel-Festspiele, the world’s oldest festival for early music with international artists and 22,000 visitors every year.

Film and theatre

The Deutsches Theater, the Junges Theater and the student-run Theater im OP as well as the independent theatre, Boat People Projekt, offer a wide range of performances for every taste.

The city is home to the renowned Göttinger Symphonieorchester, which has been in existence for 160 years and enjoys an excellent reputation.

Event locations

A number of other venues, including the Stadthalle, one of the most state-of-the-art multifunctional halls in Europe, the Lokhalle and the Apex, offer music concerts and cabaret in a variety of styles.

Discounted tickets for students are available for all events.

Surrounding sights

The World Heritage Sites in the Harz Mountains, the Herkules statue in Kassel or unique museums such as Europe’s largest classic car museum, the PS-Speicher in Einbeck, are waiting for you to explore them.

Göttingen not only has a wide range of sports on offer at clubs and at the university. You will also find numerous fitness studios here, including at the university.

As a spectator at sporting events, you will definitely get your money’s worth. Göttingen has two teams in the 1st Bundesliga; in basketball, BG 74; and in dance, the Tanzsportteam Göttingen. Many sporting events such as the nationally renowned Tour d’Energie cycling event or the Göttingen old town run round off the programme.

Once a year, the HAWK offers students who love heights the tree climbing championships.

In contrast to major cities such as Frankfurt, Berlin or Hamburg, your “cold” rent (not including heating costs) in Göttingen will be half that of Frankfurt, Berlin or Hamburg. There are numerous halls of residence and private housing options that are affordable and scattered throughout the city.

1. City centre
The city centre is known for its historic buildings. Here you will find a wide range of shops, restaurants, cafés, pubs and clubs.

2. Oststadt
Oststadt has plenty of green areas and Wilhelminian-style villas.

3. Südstadt
Due to its proximity to the city centre, Südstadt is ideal for a quick detour to a bar or pub on foot in the evening.

The sparse presence of industry makes Geismar a quiet residential area with many detached houses. You will find the Engineering Sciences campus on the “Zietenterrassen”, a former Bundeswehr site.

5. Nordstadt
Nordstadt has many student flat shares and halls of residence. The district is close to the Faculty of Resource Management and the HAWK health campus.

6. Weende
Weende is a quiet, family-friendly neighbourhood in the north-east of Göttingen with many detached houses and lots of greenery.

7. Nikolausberg
Nikolausberg is located on a hill to the north-west of Göttingen and offers an excellent view of the city. There are many hiking trails and nature here.

8. Weststadt
Weststadt has residential buildings from the 1960s and 70s and is a district in which many different cultures live together.

9. Grone
Grone has good local amenities, an outdoor nature swimming pool, small allotment gardens and affordable rents.

Rent index 2023

Frankfurt, Berlin or Hamburg: Students in these large cities generally pay twice as much in cold rent as in Göttingen. But cold rents in Göttingen are as individual as the neighbourhoods themselves. Nordstadt and Weende are among the most expensive districts at €12.26/m², while Grone is among the cheapest at €9.50/m².

Map of Göttingen

Bicycle

Bicycles have right of way in Göttingen. Although local public transport is well developed and the city is very easy to reach by train and car, the main means of transport in the city is the bicycle. Many cycle paths and fast cycle routes make it easier to get around.

Public transport

The Deutschlandsemesterticket makes public transport very affordable for students, not only in Lower Saxony, but throughout Germany.