Why American Students Are Flocking to Germany

@dietz199 offers good advice, I agree with most of what he says. I have a little I could add.

At undergrad level, German unis are essentially diploma mills, similar to US state schools in some respects or, say, the Sorbonne. It can be hard to get contact with profs, classes can be very large, and grading tends to be by exam with little opportunity to write. THere is little or no handholding. It works for students who are focused and have clear goals, i.e. it is not for liberal arts exploration or “finding yourself”. They do not have a parallel super-elite system like in France or the UK, but have relatively open admissions.

I studied in Freiburg in 78-79 and was not particularly impressed with the facilities, but they were more than adequate. The emphasis is on economies of scale. Students tended to study there for a long time at a leisurely pace, way beyond 3 years, but that may have changed. The city was so attractive and safe that I would recommend it.

They are a really a good deal financially, I would just worry about quality in your chosen field.