Costs for distance learning: what you need to know

Are you thinking about obtaining an academic degree and would like to calculate the costs of your distance learning course? On this page you can find out how much you are likely to spend and how the tuition fees are made up. You can find more information in our article "Costs for distance learning: How much does it cost?".

Costs for distance learning at a state institution

The costs for distance learning at a state institution are significantly lower than at private universities. In some cases, individual degrees can be obtained for around 1,000 euros. For a distance learning course with the aim of Bachelor Business Administration around 2,000 euros are required at state institutions. Shortened postgraduate courses for people with previous knowledge or existing degrees generally cost less than undergraduate courses leading to a first academic degree.

The cost advantage motivates some prospective students to enrol at a distance learning university. However, this choice is not necessarily the better one. The high drop-out and failure rates are particularly negative. While only 10 to 30 percent of students at a state distance-learning university (depending on the course) receive the desired degree, the figure at private institutions such as Allensbach University is between 85 and 96 percent.

Costs for distance learning at a private institution

Private educational institutions charge higher tuition fees than state universities - for many reasons. On the one hand, they are in constant competition, which necessitates expenditure on marketing and acquisition. In addition, they have to do without state subsidies for the most part and are dependent on tuition fees, donations and foundation income. State universities are mainly financed by state funds - only a fraction of the budget is covered by their own income. In addition, state institutions, insofar as they employ civil servants, only estimate a portion of the actual personnel costs. Pension costs, which should actually account for around 40 percent of salaries, are usually not included in the balance sheets of state universities.

The average cost of a distance learning course at a private university is between 300 and 500 euros per month. This results in total costs of 11,000 to 15,000 euros. The actual costs depend on the university, the chosen course of study and the desired degree (e.g. Master or MBA). Depending on the university, semesters can be extended free of charge or for a fee.

When calculating the costs of a distance learning course at a private university, it should also be taken into account that the expenses are almost entirely tax-deductible. As most distance learning students have a job and therefore an earned income, they can easily claim the costs against tax. In this way, students receive up to 50 percent of the tuition fees paid back.

Further costs of distance learning

Most private distance learning universities make their course content available on the Internet. Only a few students still request their learning materials by post. The educational institutions charge a flat rate of 5 to 10 euros for this service. You also need to budget for the cost of textbooks, a powerful printer with ink cartridges and a reasonably modern computer.

It should also be noted that some universities charge examination fees separately. These must be paid once and can amount to up to 1,000 euros. At some universities, academic supervision is limited in time (e.g. to 12 or 24 months). If supervision is required beyond this period, this must be paid for separately.