Mainz is an appealing city to live, work and study in. That means that there is a great demand for rooms in apartments, personal rental apartments, and spots in student residence halls, particularly at the start of the semester.

Our tip: Start looking for an accommodation early!

  • Student residence halls
    Affordable living with perfect connections to the university – student residence halls are very popular among our student body. You need an enrollment certificate to move in, but you can apply for a coveted spot in a student residence hall half a year or even an entire year in advance. 
  • (Free) housing exchanges
    There are many online housing exchange platforms that make it easier to find vacant rooms or apartments. Some of these platforms are designed specifically for students.
  • Campus notice boards
    Many housing vacancies are also posted on notice boards around campus, including
    • at the central canteen (Zentralmensa)
    • in the Philosophicum (Jakob-Welder-Weg 18)
    • in the ReWi-Haus (Jakob Welder-Weg 9),
  • Newspaper advertisements
    Many people in Mainz advertise vacant rooms or apartments in newspapers. One such newspaper is the Allgemeine Zeitung Mainz, which advertises vacant rooms on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can also post a request there yourself.

At JGU, your first degree is tuition-free. Nevertheless, you will have costs during your studies: Semester fees, work materials and books, rent and living expenses – here you can find out what costs you will incur and which financing options and funding opportunities you can take advantage of.

To be enrolled at JGU, you must pay a fee each semester. This semester fee does not go to the university, but rather it funds the semester ticket and comprises contributions for the Studierendenwerk (reduced costs for room and board), for tasks of the student body representative committee, for the University Sports courses, and for the AStA’s special financial aid available to students in need. This semester fee is not to be confused with tuition fees, which are only charged when the (prospective) student is 60 years or older.

For the summer semester 2026:

  • Mainz campus: €349.10
  • Germersheim campus: €371.80
  • Trier Medical Campus (Medizincampus): €360.80
  • Fee for late re-registration: €25

For the winter semester 2025/26

  • Mainz campus: €343.80
  • Germersheim campus: €356.80
  • Trier Medical Campus (Medizincampus): €360.80
  • Fee for late re-registration: €25

Aside from the semester fee, further study-related costs may apply. These can include:

  • Materials (books, art supplies, etc.)
  • Excursions and events
  • Technology (hardware, software, etc.)
  • Study abroad


These costs vary according to degree program. Please contact the responsible academic advisory office if you have any questions.

You should have sufficient financial resources to live in the Rhine-Main region.
Rent and ancillary costs of living, the price of groceries and other expenses tend to be higher than in other regions of Germany. The monthly rent for a suitable room near the university runs between €320 and €450.
The feedback from the regularly conducted student survey in Germany can serve as an indication of the costs you can expect.

For 2021, students pursuing their first degree who do not have children and do not live with their parents incurred average costs of €842 per month (including rent, food, clothing, study materials, health insurance, communication, mobility, and leisure/cultural/athletic activities).

As a student, taking out statutory health insurance is compulsory, with only a few exceptions. This means you must either take out health insurance with a statutory health insurance provider, which you will have to pay for, or be exempted from this obligation by a statutory health insurance provider. You can find more information on our web page on health insurance.

First degree courses – and from the winter semester 2025/26 also second degree courses – are generally free of charge.
If you start or continue a degree course after the age of 60 tuition fees of €700 per semester are charged.

You can find more information on our web page on tuition fees.

In general, our continuing education degree programs and certain courses offered by the Center for Lifelong Learning are subject to tuition fees.

Under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), you can receive state support as a student under certain conditions. Those eligible receive half the funding as a grant and half as an interest-free loan.

You can find further information on requirements and how to apply on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as well as the Office for Educational Support at JGU.

You can also contact the Division of Social Affairs of the Gneral Students’ Committee (AStA) for a free initial BAföG consultation.

The Studierendenwerk’s housing allowance could be an option for you if you are not (or are no longer) entitled to BAföG support.

Many students earn their own living. The high degree of flexibility in most degree programs makes it easier to earn money while you study. It is also an opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and insight into potential career fields.

In some cases, it may be necessary to take an academic leave of absence to earn money for your studies.

You will find many job offers on the job portal of the JGU Career Service and the web pages of the JGU Human Resources Department.

The Career Service can help you with your application and provide general career advice.

Please note: The number of hours you work does not affect your student status. However, it may affect your social security, health, unemployment, and long-term care insurance.

Important information on student assistants, working student status and mini jobs can be found on the website of the German Federal Employment Agency. The federal government has compiled special regulations for international students.

Scholarships – such as the Deutschlandstipendium – are (monthly) grants for students who meet certain requirements.

These differ between the foundations and other providers of the numerous scholarships in Germany.

Scholarships are available for

  • particularly talented and/or socially and civically involved students with very good (school) grades
  • specific target groups (e.g. those with a vocational qualification)
  • students of certain subjects (e.g. teaching education)
  • for specific purposes, occasions or periods (e.g. stays abroad)

You can find an overview on our webpage on scholarships.

You may also be eligible for a student loan.
Many banks and credit institutions offer students loans with special conditions for the duration of their studies.

The Federal Office of Administration offers a student loan.

The student loan test of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) provides an overview of other financing options.

Want to use local public transportation in and around Mainz at no extra cost?
The digital regional transit ticket – more commonly known as the semester ticket – makes it possible!
As a JGU student, you will receive it after enrolling via the “JGU-Ausweise” app, where all your university IDs are stored.

In conjunction with an identity card or foreign passport, the semester ticket allows you to take local public transportation for the entire semester.
This includes city buses and trams within Mainz and Wiesbaden (MVG)
as well as trains, trams, and buses in the Rhine-Main transport association (RMV), the Rhein-Nahe local transport association (RNN), and the trains running between Bacharach and Koblenz Central Station. You can also purchase a supplementary ticket for the neighboring Rhine-Neckar transport association (VRN).

You can find more information on our webpage on the digital semester ticket.

Recharge your batteries between lectures by pursuing your personal interests, practicing your hobbies, getting involved in important issues, and learning something new! Enrollment at JGU offers more than just studying for your degree.

Read on for an overview of opportunities.

The Studierendenwerk Mainz operates several canteens and cafeterias with a large selection of dishes, reduced meal prices for students, and the convenient option to tap your phone to pay. They can be found at the following locations on campus:

  • Central canteen (Zentralmensa) and Mensaria (Staudingerweg 15)
  • Canteen in the Georg Forster building (Jakob-Welder-Weg 12)
  • Canteen in the Law and Economics building (Jakob-Welder-Weg 9)
  • insgrüne coffee bar in the Philosophicum (Jakob-Welder-Weg 18)

You can also find vending machines, mobile canteens like the Mensablitz delivery truck, and other food trucks stationed around the campus.

Other dining options on or near campus:

  • Baron (Alte Mensa, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 3-9):
    From breakfast and coffee to various lunch options to homemade pizza and Flammkuchen fresh from the stone oven.
  • Diwan (next to the “Muschel” building, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 25):
    Numerous Middle Eastern specialties like falafel, lahmacun and kebabs as well as pizza, all at student-friendly prices and with a cup of tea.
  • KHG canteen (Catholic University Chaplaincy, across from the university, Saarstraße 20):
    Two daily lunch specials at student-friendly prices.
  • Bali Bistro (Studihaus, Staudingerweg 20):
    Restaurant and bar offering Asian specialties as well as burgers and bowls.
  • Werner’s bakery (Jakob-Welder-Weg 1):
    Selection of sandwiches, breads, pastries and coffee beverages.

As a JGU student, you can take advantage of a University Sports program that offers over 70 different sports and courses, whether you’re a beginner or a pro – and most are free of charge!

From traditional individual and team sports to martial arts and dance to fitness and health programs to modern trend sports – there are plenty of opportunities to balance out the “mental gymnastics” of your studies with physical exercise.

Plus, the student sports committee organizes other leisure activities, events and university athletic competitions.

You have many opportunities to practice the arts or enjoy cultural programming on campus.

Music

The Collegium Musicum offers all JGU members with singing or instrumental music experience the opportunity to pursue their passion for music as part of the university choir or orchestra.

In addition, the choral and orchestral academies provide the chance for you to refine your musical talents.

Theater

Various student organizations regularly put on plays and musicals on campus.
The Department of Film, Theater, Media and Culture Studies provides an overview.

Fine arts & extracurricular courses

The creativity of JGU’s students and staff can be seen in many places on and off campus.

Here are a few examples:

The Campus Mainz association offers JGU students regular extracurricular courses, organized by students for students and highlighting various topics in the arts, creativity, finance, world languages and movement.

JGU’s Mainz Academy of Fine Arts hosts an annual tour of art students’ creations.

At the Schule des Sehens (School of Sight – Jakob-Welder-Weg 18), visitors regularly have the chance to attend interdisciplinary and intermedial exhibitions, performances, readings and projects right in the middle of the campus.

Are you interested in discussing your interests and passions, pursuing your hobbies, or getting involved in charitable causes in a group setting?

At JGU, there are plenty of student clubs and groups with shared interests, ideas, and goals!

The spectrum ranges from joint leisure activities to socio-political initiatives.

Recognized university clubs receive (financial) support from AStA to pursue their objectives.

Want to take part in a university club or found your own? The AStA offers an overview of existing clubs and groups and can even help you create your own.

Do you want to relax in nature between classes, take a walk through a green space with friends during your lunch break, or get a breath of fresh air before your next exam?
JGU’s gardens are the perfect place to do so!

The JGU Botanic Garden (Anselm-Franz-von-Bentzel-Weg) serves more than just a scientific purpose. It also offers JGU members and the general public a place to relax in a natural habitat. Guided tours, exhibitions, and special events invite visitors to broaden their knowledge about plant diversity right on campus.

The JGU campus garden (Staudingerweg, across from the central canteen) serves as a central meeting point for students with open green spaces and public seating open to anyone, whether you just want to enjoy a drink outside or organize a table tennis tournament.
The campus garden group maintains the garden.