Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin vs IU International University of Applied Sciences vs Steinbeis University - Schools of Next Practices vs Forward College vs CODE University of Applied Sciences

Side-by-side comparison from 150 verified student reviews. Scan one row at a time — winners are highlighted

Quick verdict
Higher overall rating: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (5.00)
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin: wins 1/2 categories
IU International University of Applied Sciences: wins 0/2 categories
Steinbeis University - Schools of Next Practices: wins 0/2 categories
Forward College: wins 0/2 categories
CODE University of Applied Sciences: wins 0/2 categories
Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology: wins 1/2 categories
Berlin International College: wins 0/2 categories
Comparing
Best programme: School of Business/Management
Best programme: MBA
Best programme: Business
Paris, France
4.90
Read more reviews
16 reviews
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Best programme: Politics and International Relations
Best programme: Music Production and Sound Engineering
Category ratings
Facilities
5.00
3.69
4.25
4.47
5.00
4.75
Not rated
Location
5.00
3.87
3.75
5.00
5.00
4.25
Not rated
Professors
5.00
4.43
4.25
5.00
5.00
3.88
Not rated
Internationality
4.00
4.44
4.50
4.75
5.00
5.00
Not rated
Student life
4.00
3.62
3.75
4.73
3.00
4.75
Win
Not rated
Value
5.00
4.32
3.75
4.63
5.00
4.13
Not rated
Accommodation
5.00
Win
3.11
2.75
4.33
1.00
2.25
Not rated
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • +Interactive classes and critical thinking opportunities
  • +Diverse and intellectually stimulating academic environment
  • +Personal growth and confidence building
  • +Flexible online study for work-life balance
  • +Modern, intuitive digital platform for easy access
  • +Relevant, high-quality educational content
  • +Excellent program structure and well-prepared faculty
  • +Practical, industry-focused learning with interactive opportunities
  • +Flexible study options and a supportive, inclusive environment
  • +Engaging learning environment with interactive methods
  • +Diverse and international student community
  • +Unique multi-city European study experience

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  • +Hands-on learning and practical experience
  • +Access to professional gear and facilities
  • +Supportive and collaborative environment

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Cons
  • -Outdated facilities and poor maintenance.
  • -Administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Lack of engaging teaching and outdated curriculum.
  • -Slow and unresponsive administrative processes, including grade processing and student support.
  • -Poor staff attitude and lack of accountability for errors in student records and applications.
  • -Inadequate support and guidance for online students.
  • -Administrative and management issues, including poor communication and lack of support.
  • -Limited professional development opportunities and weak industry connections.
  • -Perceived low quality of the learning experience relative to cost.
  • -Administrative & management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment are a concern.
  • -Lack of transparency and communication is prevalent.

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  • -Administrative and management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment are a recurring problem.
  • -Lack of clear communication and support is a major concern.

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Rating summary
What students say

This institution receives exceptionally high marks across the board. Its strongest areas are facilities, professors, location, and accommodation, all achieving a perfect score. Student life and internationality are also well-regarded, though slightly lower at a 4. Overall, the university presents a very strong offering with excellent value.

This institution garners notable praise in several key areas, with **Internationality** and **Professors** receiving particularly high scores. The **Value** proposition is also well-regarded. Conversely, **Accomodation** stands out as the lowest-rated aspect. Other aspects like Facilities, Location, and Student Life fall within a more moderate range of positive feedback.

This university receives its highest marks in Internationality, scoring a strong 4.5. Facilities and Professors are also highly rated at 4.25. Location and Student Life are solid performers, both receiving 3.75. However, Accomodation stands out as a weaker area with a score of 2.75. Overall, the university presents a mixed but generally positive picture, with particular strengths in its global reach and academic resources.

This university garners excellent reviews, particularly excelling in its **professors and location**, both achieving perfect scores. Student life and internationality also stand out with scores above 4.7. Areas with slightly lower, though still strong, ratings include **facilities and accommodation**. Overall, the university presents a well-rounded positive student experience with high marks across most aspects.

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This institution achieves outstanding scores in several key areas, notably Internationality (5.0) and Facilities and Student Life, both at an impressive 4.75. However, Accomodation presents a significant challenge, receiving the lowest rating at 2.25. Professors and Value also received solid, above-average scores.

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Reviews summary
Highlights

With one review and an average rating of 5/5, this university receives overwhelmingly positive feedback. The single review highlights a transformative academic and personal experience, praising the intellectually stimulating environment and interactive classes that encourage critical thinking and confidence.

~95% of reviews are positive, praising flexibility, modern platforms, and accessible materials. A small percentage (~5%) mention issues with grading delays and slow administrative support.

Around 75% of reviews are positive, praising structured modules, quality teaching, and a good learning environment. The remaining 25% express concerns about cost, instructor quality, and limited professional opportunities.

Students highly praise the interactive learning, international community, and opportunities for academic and personal growth. There are no negative reviews.

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University reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with ~88% of feedback being 4-5 stars. Students praise hands-on learning, creative freedom, and access to professional-grade equipment. There is virtually no negative feedback.

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Rating distribution
5★
100%
63%
25%
94%
0%
25%
0%
4★
0%
27%
50%
6%
0%
63%
0%
3★
0%
6%
0%
0%
100%
13%
0%
2★
0%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1★
0%
3%
25%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Most useful review
Most liked

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The best university in the world

My experience with IU is very wonderful and exceptional. The learning process is smooth and easy especially for online students and the exams are well tailored to test your knowledge on what you have been learning. It is quite great indeed.

Not worth the educational investment

As a professional learner and international student, I find it expensive with low quality of overall learning journey. The courses / subjects offer good insights but not all instructors / lecturers meet students learning needs. As compared to other universities, they don’t have alumni network, company partnerships or purposive professional activities for their students. It’s also difficult to navigate their study program because nobody responds timely (or worst you’ll be completely disregarded unless it’s about invoice or tuition payments) to inquiries or concerns in emails and all contact numbers in the emails are unreachable. It’s also common that wrong class schedules or no class schedules are communicated - making you miss classes unintentionally. With all the issues and concerns I’ve had from my admission to my thesis, I need to keep on chasing someone to be answered vaguely or be passed on somebody else. They have a systematic issue in managing student affairs and communications.

Great modern university approach

I am currently a 3rd year student at Forward College and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to other students. The interactive approach of Forward where questions, debate, and discussion were encouraged enhanced my learning so much and I feel like I genuinely enjoyed every class. Having the experience of living in 3 different cultures, surrounded by people from all over the world made this experience even more special and helped me develop and grow in so many ways. Another aspect I have loved are the professors. Speaking with friends at other university I am so grateful to have teachers that actually know us, are excited to teach and interact with us, and will always take the time to help you.

Fastest Growing Startup University In Germany

I have mixed feelings about my experience at Code University. On one hand, it's a privilege to study at one of Berlin’s most prestigious institutions tuition-free. The professors are knowledgeable, and the curriculum is practical and forward-thinking — it has definitely contributed to my growth as a student and aspiring entrepreneur. However, my journey here hasn’t been smooth. During my Orientation Semester, I struggled with shyness and social anxiety. I found it difficult to engage in class and to make friends. Unfortunately, instead of receiving support, I was mocked — not just by students (which I could handle), but also by some lecturers. That was deeply discouraging. With time, I worked on myself and broke out of my shell. I’m now more confident and driven, and I’m currently building what I believe will be one of the most impactful student-led projects to come out of CODE. Ironically, that seems to have caused some friction. I feel like certain individuals who underestimated me in the past are now uncomfortable with my progress and success. Rather than support me, it feels like they're trying to hold me back. To add to that, despite referring three international students to CODE — something I do as a side hustle — I haven’t received any acknowledgment or recognition. While many of my peers are featured on the university’s website, I’ve noticed that I’m not represented at all. So, would I recommend Code University? It depends. If you're resilient and can handle both the highs and lows without losing focus, then yes — the academic value is real. But emotionally and socially, it can be a tough environment, especially if you don’t fit into the dominant culture right away. That said, my story at CODE is still being written. Let’s see how it all turns out.

The Challenge

I'm a Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering graduate. My experience at Catalyst was generally positive. It had a culture of friendliness, kindness and helpfulness from the staff, professors and students. The classes are not the typical classes but are more so akin to workshops. You get introduced to a subject, technique or idea and you are very quickly thrown in the deep end to get your hands dirty in experimentation and practice, which I prefer. You get access to studios and a lot of fancy audio gear. One downside I experienced is the limited studio time. I loved working in the big studios but they increasingly over the years kept getting harder to book due to limited availability. What I found to be the most impactful experience was how challenging the projects were. There were no exams, fun fact. Instead of exams, we had big projects that spanned the entirety of each semester with hard milestone deadlines in between. Since these projects span the whole semester, you can begin to imagine the scale of work involved in completing them. The challenge in handling all the projects pushed me to achieve more than I could have imagined. I needed an environment like that. In conclusion, my time at Catalyst was great. Through all the hard work my skills increased exponentially in a short period of time. The staff and teachers are amazing and always ready to help.

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