Studying in Bamberg: Costs, Housing and Semester Fee

Studying in Bamberg is comparatively cheap when it comes to the semester fee, because the Otto-Friedrich-Universität lists only two items. What remains open are the living costs, for which there is only an estimate based on dormitory rents. This guide gives the university’s amounts, puts the discrepancy in the total into context and works out a monthly budget.

Key points at a glance

• Semester fee: 123.22 euros, made up of 70.00 euros for the Studierendenwerk and 53.22 euros for the semester ticket. The re-enrolment page is undated.
• The information sheet for 2026 gives the same amount of 123.22 euros and so confirms it.
• The semester ticket is compulsory, including during leave of absence (Beurlaubung). According to the information sheet, it is valid in the administrative district of Bamberg.
• The rent of 330 to 500 euros is an estimate based on dormitory rents. The information sheet is aimed at exchange students.
• The information sheet’s monthly total of 990 to 1,150 euros cannot be reproduced at the lower end.

What is the semester fee in Bamberg?

The re-enrolment page of the university lists two items and one total. It does not explicitly name the winter semester 2026/27. The page refers to the period for the summer semester 2027. The Studierendenwerk Würzburg gives the ticket price for Bamberg students as 53.22 euros from the winter semester 2026/27, and the university gives the same amount for the summer semester 2026. For the current semester, 123.22 euros is therefore the documented order of magnitude. Your re-enrolment portal shows the binding amount.

Source: University of Bamberg, re-enrolment (undated, retrieved October 2026). Assumption: spread over six months, 123.22 euros comes to about 20.54 euros per month. After the deadline, payment alone is no longer enough. The page then requires first contact with the student office (Studierendenkanzlei). It names no late-payment fee.

Which contradictions exist in the figures?

First, the page of the Studierendenwerk Würzburg describes the 53.22 euros as a payment in addition to the semester fee, while the university’s re-enrolment page includes it in the total of 123.22 euros. For your transfer, the university’s amount applies. Second, the information sheet gives a monthly total of 990 to 1,150 euros. Its individual items (food, leisure, clothing, communication, books, broadcasting fee and 34.13 euros for public transport without a semester ticket), together with rent and health insurance, come to 965.49 to 1,148.49 euros. The lower limit therefore differs from 990 euros by 24.51 euros, and the upper limit from 1,150 euros by 1.51 euros. The sheet gives no calculation; by its own statement, the total goes back to an estimate by the German Student Services Association (Deutsches Studierendenwerk) from 2025.

What does housing cost in Bamberg?

The information sheet of the International Office for 2026 gives rent as 330 to 500 euros per month and states that the value is estimated on the basis of dormitory rents. It carries no exact reference date. The university names the Studierendenwerk Würzburg as the largest provider on site, where electricity and water are usually included in the rent as a flat rate. The prices of individual houses are not verified.

The item “public transport without semester ticket” (34.13 euros) is left out here, because the ticket is included in the fee. Worked example (assumption): subtotal of 468.36 euros, plus rent of 330 or 500 euros, plus semester fee per month (20.54 euros), plus health insurance up to age 22 (142.96 euros), gives 961.86 to 1,131.86 euros per month. The broadcasting fee can be waived when receiving BAföG. See Broadcasting fee for students: exemption, dormitory and shared flat (in German).

Which health insurance applies to students in Bamberg?

The information sheet gives insurance costs of 133 to 146 euros only for students without cover from their home country. For those insured in Germany, the table applies. You are covered as a family member during training up to your 25th birthday, if your total income does not exceed 565 euros per month (2026), or 603 euros for a mini-job (§ 10 SGB V).

For comparison with the sheet’s range of 133 to 146 euros: according to the calculation of the GKV-Spitzenverband (as of 1 January 2026), an assessment base of 855 euros yields 87.38 euros for health insurance, 24.80 euros for the additional contribution at 2.9 percent and 30.78 euros for long-term care insurance. Together that is 142.96 euros, or 148.09 euros from age 23 without children (assessment base under § 236 SGB V).

If you are considering private cover, note the three-month deadline for exemption from the start of your obligation (§ 8 SGB V). Premiums in private health insurance (PKV) depend on age, health check and tariff, and can rise over the years. A personal assessment is offered by Academycon (in German).

Which funding and side-job limits apply?

For students living away from home who are under 25, the German Student Services Organisation lists a maximum of 855 euros per month (475 euros basic need plus 380 euros housing allowance), and 992 euros for those aged 25 to 29 (as of January 2026, DSW FAQ). The minimum wage is 13.90 euros in 2026 and 14.60 euros from 2027. The mini-job threshold rises from 603 to 633 euros (Minijob-Zentrale). Submit your applications early. See Applying for BAföG: application, deadlines and documents (in German). For the planned housing allowance of 440 euros from the summer semester 2027 (draft, not adopted), see BAföG Reform 2027: What Is Changing and When.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay the semester ticket if I am on leave of absence?

Yes. The university writes that every student must pay the semester ticket, including during leave of absence.

What applies to the summer semester 2027?

The transfer must be made between 11 January 2027 and 29 January 2027. The page names no deadline for the winter semester 2026/27.

Why does the total of the information sheet differ?

The sheet gives no calculation. Its individual items produce a lower figure at the bottom end, by 24.51 euros.

Where do I check the binding amount?

In your re-enrolment portal, where the amount and the payment details are shown.

What to do now

1. Note the payment window from 11 January 2027 to 29 January 2027 and compare the amount with 123.22 euros.
2. Ask the Studierendenwerk Würzburg about prices and waiting times for the Bamberg houses.
3. Calculate your budget with a reserve, because the rent is an estimate.
4. Clarify your insurance status and submit your BAföG application on time.

Related guides

• Studying in Würzburg: Semester Fee, Ticket and Housing 2026
• Studying in Nuremberg: Costs, Semester Fee and Housing 2026
• Affordable student housing: strategy, portals and costs
• Broadcasting fee for students: exemption, dormitory and shared flat (in German)
• Applying for BAföG: application, deadlines and documents (in German)

Sources: University of Bamberg, re-enrolment (undated, retrieved October 2026); University of Bamberg, semester ticket (undated, retrieved October 2026); Studierendenwerk Würzburg, semester ticket Bamberg (retrieved October 2026); University of Bamberg, information sheet on living expenses 2026 (no reference date); University of Bamberg, living in Bamberg, housing (undated); § 236 SGB V (as of October 2024); GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on calculation variables (as of 1 January 2026).

Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.