List of universities in Germany

This is a list of the universities in Germany, of which there are about seventy. The list also includes German Technische Universitäten (universities of technology), which have official and full university status, but usually focus on engineering and the natural sciences rather than covering the whole spectrum of academic disciplines. Some twenty German universities rank among top 200 universities in world.^[1] Highest ranked universities in Germany include some research oriented universities for MS, MBA, medical and engineering.^[2]

The University of Freiburg features a modern library finished in December 2015.

Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is Germany's most ancient university and widely considered to be among the most prestigious.

The list does not, however, cover the German Fachhochschulen (University of Applied Sciences) or institutions that cover only certain disciplines such as business studies, fine arts, or engineering. Those do not have all of the responsibilities and limitations of universities, and most cannot award doctorate degrees on their own.

A private university is included in the list if it awards its own doctorate degree.

In general, public German universities do not charge tuition fees. At many universities this usually also applies to foreign students,^[3] though regulations for non-EU foreign citizens differ regionally.^[4] Universities may charge small fees for administrative costs.

Universities by date of establishment

The University of Greifswald is the smallest among the oldest universities of Germany.

This is a list of the ten oldest universities that have been in continuous operation since their founding in present-day Germany. The oldest university in the modern German-speaking world is the University of Vienna founded in 1365.

Some universities were established in the 14th or 15th centuries, but shut down for longer periods and later re-opened (e.g. the universities of Cologne, Erfurt, Ingolstadt, Mainz and Würzburg). These are not included in this list.

University	Year of establishment	Students	Location
Heidelberg University	1386	31,500	Heidelberg
Leipzig University	1409	29,500	Leipzig
University of Rostock	1419	14,000	Rostock
University of Greifswald	1456	12,000	Greifswald
University of Freiburg	1457	24,700	Freiburg
University of Munich	1472	50,918	Munich[5]
University of Tübingen	1477	28,700	Tübingen
University of Halle-Wittenberg	1502	18,500	Halle[6]
University of Marburg	1527	24,000	Marburg
University of Jena	1558	19,000	Jena

Universities alphabetically

A–D

• RWTH Aachen
• University of Augsburg
• University of Bamberg
• University of Bayreuth
• Hochschule Bremen
• Berlin University of the Arts
• Free University of Berlin
• Humboldt University of Berlin
• Medical School Berlin
• Technische Universität Berlin
• Bielefeld University
• Ruhr University Bochum
• University of Bonn
• Brandenburg University of Technology
• Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane
• Braunschweig University of Technology
• University of Bremen
• Constructor University
• Chemnitz University of Technology
• Clausthal University of Technology
• University of Cologne
• Darmstadt University of Technology
• TU Dortmund University
• Dresden University of Technology
• University of Duisburg-Essen
• University of Düsseldorf

• 
  Free University of Berlin
• 
  Humboldt University of Berlin
• 
  University of Cologne
• 
  Dresden University of Technology
• 
  Brandenburg University of Technology

E–H

• Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
• University of Erfurt
• University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
• University of Duisburg-Essen
• University of Flensburg
• Goethe University Frankfurt
• Viadrina University (Frankfurt an der Oder)
• Freiberg University of Mining and Technology
• Zeppelin University (Friedrichshafen)
• University of Freiburg
• University of Giessen
• University of Göttingen
• University of Greifswald
• University of Hagen (distance learning; open university)
• University of Halle-Wittenberg (also in Wittenberg)
• University of Hamburg
• HafenCity University Hamburg
• Hamburg University of Technology
• Helmut Schmidt University (University of the Bundeswehr, Hamburg)
• Hertie School of Governance (private institution with university status, awards PhD)
• Leibniz University Hannover
• Hannover Medical School
• University of Heidelberg
• University of Hildesheim
• University of Hohenheim

• 
  Goethe University Frankfurt
• 
  University of Freiburg
• 
  University of Göttingen
• 
  Leibniz University Hannover

I–N

• Technical University of Ilmenau
• University of Jena
• Kaiserslautern University of Technology
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Kassel
• University of Kiel
• University of Koblenz-Landau
• University of Konstanz
• Kühne Logistics University (private institution with university status, awards PhD)
• University of Leipzig
• University of Lübeck
• Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• University of Magdeburg
• University of Mainz
• University of Mannheim
• University of Marburg
• Technical University of Munich
• Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Bundeswehr University Munich
• Ukrainian Free University Munich (private university; awards PhD)
• University of Münster
• University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
• University of Technology Nuremberg

• 
  University of Karlsruhe
• 
  Leipzig University
• 
  University of Mannheim
• 
  LMU Munich
• 
  University of Kaiserslautern

O–Z

• Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
• University of Oldenburg
• University of Osnabrück
• University of Paderborn
• University of Passau
• University of Potsdam
• University of Regensburg
• University of Rostock
• Saarland University
• University of Siegen
• German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer
• University of Stuttgart
• University of Trier
• University of Tübingen
• University of Ulm
• University of Halle-Wittenberg (also in Halle)
• University of Vechta
• University of Weimar
• Witten/Herdecke University
• University of Wuppertal
• University of Würzburg

• 
  University of Rostock
• 
  University of Tübingen
• 
  Bauhaus University, Weimar
• 
  Campus of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg in Halle

Universities by geographic region

North

• University of Bremen
• Constructor University
• University of Flensburg
• University of Göttingen
• University of Greifswald
• University of Hamburg
• Helmut Schmidt University (University of the Bundeswehr, Hamburg)
• Leibniz University Hannover
• University of Hildesheim
• University of Kiel
• University of Lübeck
• University of Lüneburg
• University of Oldenburg
• University of Osnabrück
• University of Rostock
• University of Vechta

West

• Bielefeld University
• Ruhr University Bochum
• University of Bonn
• University of Cologne
• TU Dortmund University
• University of Duisburg-Essen
• University of Düsseldorf
• Goethe University Frankfurt
• University of Giessen
• University of Hagen (distance learning; open university)
• University of Kassel
• University of Koblenz
• University of Mainz
• University of Marburg
• University of Münster
• University of Paderborn
• Saarland University
• University of Trier
• University of Siegen
• German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer
• Witten/Herdecke University
• University of Wuppertal
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

East

• Berlin University of the Arts
• Dresden University of Technology
• Free University of Berlin
• Humboldt University of Berlin
• Hertie School of Governance
• Medical School Berlin
• Technische Universität Berlin
• Technical University of Ilmenau
• University of Erfurt
• University of Halle-Wittenberg
• University of Jena
• University of Leipzig
• University of Magdeburg
• University of Potsdam
• University of Weimar
• Viadrina University (Frankfurt an der Oder)

South

• University of Augsburg
• University of Bamberg
• University of Bayreuth
• Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
• University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
• University of Technology Nuremberg
• University of Freiburg
• Zeppelin University (Friedrichshafen)
• University of Heidelberg
• University of Hohenheim
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Konstanz
• University of Mannheim
• Bundeswehr University of Munich
• University of Munich
• Ukrainian Free University Munich
• University of Passau
• University of Regensburg
• University of Stuttgart
• University of Tübingen
• University of Ulm
• University of Würzburg

Universities of technology by location

Further information: Technische Universität

• RWTH Aachen University
• Technische Universität Berlin
• Brandenburg University of Technology
• Braunschweig University of Technology
• Chemnitz University of Technology
• Clausthal University of Technology
• TU Dortmund University
• Darmstadt University of Technology
• Dresden University of Technology
• Freiberg University of Mining and Technology
• Hamburg University of Technology
• Leibniz University Hannover
• Ilmenau University of Technology
• Kaiserslautern University of Technology
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Technical University of Munich
• University of Stuttgart

• 
  TU Berlin
• 
  RWTH Aachen
• 
  Chemnitz University of Technology

See also

• Charles University in Prague (Karls-Universität) – The first German university
• Education in Germany
• Franco-German University – An organization of universities across France and Germany
• German Academic Exchange Service
• German Universities Excellence Initiative
• List of oldest universities in continuous operation
• Open access in Germany
• TU9 – An association of 9 German universities of technology
• U15 – An association of 15 German research-intensive universities
• UAS7 – An association of 7 German Universities of Applied Sciences

References

1. Universities in Germany Archived 9 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine
2. Top Universities for MS, MBA, Medical and Engineering Archived 20 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
3. Strasser, Franz (3 June 2015). "How US students get a university degree for free in Germany". BBC News. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
4. Sabrina Collier (14 December 2016). "Tuition Fees Reintroduced at Some German Universities". QS TopUniversities. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
5. Originally in Ingolstadt; relocated to Munich in 1826
6. Founded in Wittenberg 1502, closed in 1813; in 1817 merged with the University of Halle, founded in 1694.

External links

• Association of North German Universities (Verbund Norddeutscher Universitäten)
• Complete list of German universities – Higher Education Compass (Hochschulkompass)
• German Universities – Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)
• Universities in Germany For PhD — Ranking, Fees, and Scope in 2025
• Times Higher Education German University rankings