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[advice]

Hello,

I would like to ask for advice. Which good German universities are located in comparatively cheap cities?

I mean "cheap" as for the cost of buying real estate. My good friends are thinking in a few years to send a child to study to Germany and they are thinking to buy some inexpensive property there.

They think that they can buy some apartment (studio or 1-bedroom) and lease it until their child goes there and then the child will live in that apartment.

Now they can afford this, who knows what will be in a few years?

They thought about Karlsruhe but it is too expensive. They do not want to rent. They want to invest and at the same time avoid spending on rent in the future.

In the USA, very good universities are often located in affordable towns. I would be able to advise them about the USA but I have no idea about Germany.

They are also thinking about Austria.

Please, share your ideas.

[dagi]

Check out the website of the DAAD, which has general information about universities and studying in Germany.
http://www.study-in-germany.de/ is another website with information. If your friends speak German they should visit the homepage of German weekly newspaper "die Zeit" who provides a university ranking once a year.
In Germany there are no "top notch" universities that can be compared with those in the States. Most universities are "top notch" in just a few fields, it all depends on what subject you want to study.
For instance if you want to study law the university of Konstanz might be good but not if you want to study psychology (just an example). Some of the smaller universties have a very good reputation, but they might not offer all fields of study.
So if you friends for instance buy a flat in Karlsruhe and then the child wants to study a subject that is not offered there, the appartment won't be very usefull.

[harry the hobbit]

German universities are very poor. Large classes with demotivated students and staff. Why would anyone who had a choice choose a German uni?