Health Insurance Funds for Students 2026: All Funds, Costs and Rules

Health insurance funds for students differ in 2026 only through their additional contribution. Across the 71 funds open to students it ranges from 2.18 % to 4.39 %, against an average of 2.9 %. Mandatory student cover therefore costs 136.80 to 155.69 € a month including care insurance (under 23 or with a child). The formula is the same everywhere: a basis of 855 € times the rate.

How is the contribution calculated for students at all health insurance funds?

Statutory student health insurance (KVdS, Krankenversicherung der Studierenden) has no freely selectable tariffs. The contribution follows one formula and depends only on the additional contribution of your fund and the care insurance rate (§ 236 SGB V).

1. Basis: 855.00 € per month, whether or not you receive BAföG.
2. Base contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €.
3. Additional contribution: the fund’s rate times 855.00 €. At 2.18 % that is 18.64 €, at 4.39 % it is 37.53 €. One percentage point equals 8.55 € a month.
4. Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
5. Total: base contribution plus additional contribution plus care contribution.

The nationwide average additional contribution is 2.9 % in 2026. The guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the rates are distributed.

Why is the benefit catalogue largely the same at all health insurance funds for students?

Most benefits are set by law for every statutory fund: medical treatment, hospital care, medicines, prevention and vaccinations follow from Book V of the Social Code (SGB V) and the guidelines of the Federal Joint Committee (§ 11 ff. SGB V). As a student you therefore receive the same core benefits at any statutory fund.

Differences arise at the margins: funds may offer additional benefits through their statutes (§ 11 para. 6 SGB V), such as bonus programmes, prevention subsidies or optional tariffs. These offers are voluntary, change over time and vary from fund to fund. The fund guides linked in the table below report what each fund states on its own pages, without ranking.

What applies to health insurance funds for students from 25 and from 30?

Family insurance through your parents ends on your 25th birthday (§ 10 SGB V). You then stay compulsorily insured as a student and pay the contribution under the formula above. From 23, the care insurance surcharge for people without children applies. Details are in Krankenversicherung als Student über 25 (in German) and Familienversicherung im Studium (in German).

Compulsory student insurance ends with the semester in which you turn 30 (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). After that the voluntary minimum contribution applies. Across the open funds it ranges from 268.68 € to 297.81 € a month (without children). Extensions and special cases are covered in Studieren mit 30 (in German) and Krankenversicherung über 30: Verlängerung (in German).

Which health insurance funds for students are open? All funds at a glance

The table lists all 71 funds that accept students according to the fund list of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband, as of 24 October 2026): 34 nationwide, 37 regional. It is sorted alphabetically, not by price, and contains no ranking. Amounts are monthly and include health and care insurance. Where a fund guide exists, the fund name links to it.

The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate stated by the fund itself is binding. Whether a regional fund accepts you depends on where you live or study. The amounts are our own calculations under § 236 SGB V using the 2026 reference values.

Which health insurance funds are open only to employees of a company?

According to the GKV-Spitzenverband, the following 21 funds are closed and open only to employees of the company concerned. They are not an option for students without a link to that company, so we give no amounts here.

• BKK B. Braun Aesculap
• BKK Deutsche Bank
• BKK evm
• BKK EWE
• BKK Groz-Beckert
• BKK MAHLE
• BKK Miele
• BKK MTU
• BKK PwC
• BKK Rieker.RICOSTA.Weisser
• BKK Salzgitter
• BKK Würth
• BMW BKK
• EY BKK
• Karl Mayer BKK
• Koenig & Bauer BKK
• Krones BKK
• Mercedes-Benz BKK
• Merck BKK
• Südzucker BKK
• SVLFG (Landwirtschaftliche Krankenkasse)

Frequently asked questions about health insurance funds for students

Do I have to be insured with a statutory fund as a student?

As a rule yes: enrolled students up to 30 are compulsorily insured in the KVdS (§ 5 para. 1 no. 9 SGB V). Exemptions and special cases, for example for privately insured students, are covered in Krankenversicherung für Studenten (in German).

Do the benefits differ between funds?

The core benefits are set by law and apply at every statutory fund. Differences concern voluntary statutory extras such as bonus programmes.

Why do students pay different amounts at different funds?

Only the additional contribution is set by each fund. On a basis of 855 €, each percentage point adds 8.55 € a month. All other components are the same for every fund.

Can I change my health insurance fund at any time?

After a commitment period of twelve months you can give notice by the end of the second calendar month after the month of notice (§ 175 SGB V). If your fund raises its additional contribution, you have a special right of termination. The process is described in Krankenkasse wechseln als Student (in German).

Until when does student health insurance apply?

Until the end of the semester in which you turn 30. After that you need voluntary cover if you have no other health insurance.

What applies to working students?

With up to 20 hours a week you generally remain in the KVdS. More is in Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel (in German).

Sources

• GKV-Spitzenverband, fund list with additional contributions, as of 24 October 2026
• GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on reference values 2026
• § 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance
• § 10 SGB V, family insurance
• § 175 SGB V, exercise of choice rights
• § 236 SGB V, assessment of contributions

If you want to size up your own situation, you can use the Academycon online check.

Related guides

• Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen und was Studierende zahlen (in German)
• Krankenkasse wechseln als Student: Fristen, Ablauf und Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German)
• Studieren mit 30: Chancen, Finanzierung und Alltag (in German)
• Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel, Rentenversicherung und Semesterferien (in German)
• Familienversicherung im Studium (in German)

Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Additional contributions per GKV-Spitzenverband, as of 24 October 2026.