This is a list of the universities in Germany. The list also includes German Technische Universitäten (TUs) (Technical Universities), 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.
The list does not, however, cover the German Fachhochschulen (Universities 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.
Most universities follow the Humboldtian model of higher education. In general, public German universities do not charge tuition fees. At many universities this usually also applies to foreign students, though regulations for non-EU foreign citizens differ regionally. Universities may charge small semester fees for administrative costs. Some universities include the Deutschlandticket at a discounted price in the semester fees.
List +List of German state-recognized universitiesUniversityLocationStateTypeFounding dateNumber of studentsRight to award doctoratesStatus in the German Universities Excellence Initiative (as of 2026)Humboldt Ranking 2023THE World University Ranking 2026NoteAffiliated Nobel Prize WinnersRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenpublic187047,000yesregarded as a university of excellence2992technical university11Augsburg UniversityAugsburgpublic197020,000yes59n/aUniversity of BambergBambergpublic197212,000yes41n/aUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthpublic197513,000yes21301-350Bard College BerlinBerlinprivate1999400non/an/aBerlin University of the ArtsBerlinpublic16963,500yes108n/aCharitéBerlinpublic17108,000yesregarded as a university of excellencen/a91medical school, co-owned by FU and HU Berlin8ESCP Business SchoolBerlin, Parisprivate181910,000 (including other campuses)yes (in France)n/an/abusiness schoolEuropean School of Management and TechnologyBerlinprivate20021,000non/an/abusiness schoolFree University of BerlinBerlinpublic194833,000yesregarded as a university of excellence111315German International UniversityBerlinprivate2019900non/an/aHertie SchoolBerlinprivate2003900yes24n/aschool of governanceHumboldt University of BerlinBerlinpublic181036,000yesregarded as a university of excellence28957International Psychoanalytic University BerlinBerlinprivate2009600yes74n/amedical schoolBerlin University of PsychologyBerlinprivate20131,200non/an/amedical schoolTU BerlinBerlinpublic187935,000yesregarded as a university of excellence8160technical university9Bielefeld UniversityBielefeldpublic196925,000yes27n/aRuhr University BochumBochumpublic196243,000yes23251-300University of BonnBonnpublic181838,000yesregarded as a university of excellence179212TU BraunschweigBraunschweigpublic174520,000yes38601-700technical universityConstructor UniversityBremenprivate20012,000yes12501-600University of BremenBremenpublic197119,000yes35301-350TU ChemnitzChemnitzpublic18369,000yes60n/atechnical universityTU ClausthalClausthal-Zellerfeldpublic17753,000yes71n/atechnical universityTU BrandenburgCottbuspublic20137,000yesn/an/atechnical universityTU DarmstadtDarmstadtpublic187725,000yes25251-300technical university1TU DortmundDortmundpublic196834,000yes50501-600technical universityDresden International UniversityDresdenprivate20032,000non/an/aTU DresdenDresdenpublic182830,000yesregarded as a university of excellence31174technical university2Herinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfpublic196535,000yes44251-300Catholic University of Eichstätt-IngolstadtEichstätt, Ingolstadtecclesiastical 19805,000yes72n/atheological facultyUniversity of ErfurtErfurtpublic1392, 19946,000yes63n/aUniversity of Erlangen-NürnbergErlangen, Nurembergpublic174339,000yes26201-2504University of Duisburg-EssenDuisburg, Essenpublic200342,000yes36301-350University of FlensburgFlensburgpublic19466,000limited66n/aFrankfurt School of Finance & ManagementFrankfurt (Main)private19573,000yes76n/abusiness schoolGoethe University FrankfurtFrankfurt (Main)public191446,000yes22201-25019Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and TheologyFrankfurt (Main)ecclesiastical 1926400yesn/an/atheological facultyEuropean University ViadrinaFrankfurt (Oder)public19915,000yes53n/aFreiberg University of Mining and TechnologyFreibergpublic17654,000yes371001-1200technical universityUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgpublic145724,000yes1013819Freiburg University of EducationFreiburgpublic19625,000limitedn/an/auniversity of educationTheological University of FriedensauMöckernecclesiastical 1899300limited127n/atheological facultyZeppelin UniversityFriedrichshafenprivate2003800yesn/an/aUniversity of Theology FuldaFuldaecclesiastical 174310yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of GiessenGiessenpublic160725,000yes34351-400University of GöttingenGöttingenpublic173728,000yes912245University of GreifswaldGreifswaldpublic145610,000yes57401-500University of HagenHagenpublic197472,000yes85801-1000Martin-Luther-University Halle-WittenbergHalle, Wittenbergpublic150219,000yes33n/a8Bucerius Law SchoolHamburgprivate2000700yes127n/alaw schoolHafenCity University HamburgHamburgpublic20062,500yes89n/aHelmut Schmidt UniversityHamburgpublic19732,500yes87n/amilitary university, part of the German Armed ForcesKühne Logistics UniversityHamburgprivate2010400yes78n/abusiness schoolTU HamburgHamburgpublic19787,500yes32501-600technical universityUniversity of HamburgHamburgpublic191942,000yesregarded as a university of excellence2812510Leibniz University HannoverHanoverpublic183127,000yes11351-4009Hannover Medical SchoolHanoverpublic19654,000yes88n/aUniversity of Veterinary Medicine HannoverHanoverpublic17782,000yes68n/aCenter for Jewish Studies HeidelbergHeidelbergprivate1979100yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of HeidelbergHeidelbergpublic138630,000yesregarded as a university of excellence64929University of HildesheimHildesheimpublic19788,000yes84n/aTU IlmenauIlmenaupublic19534,500yes65n/atechnical universityUniversity of JenaJenapublic155817,000yes43201-2508RPTU University Kaiserslautern-LandauKaiserslautern, Landaupublic1970, 202317,000yes42501-600technical universityKarlsruhe Institute of TechnologyKarlsruhepublic200923,000yesregarded as a university of excellence3166technical university6Karlsruhe University of EducationKarlsruhepublic19624,000yesn/an/auniversity of educationUniversity of KasselKasselpublic197125,000yes61n/aKiel UniversityKielpublic166524,500yes46351-40012University of KoblenzKoblenzpublic1903, 202310,000yesn/an/aGerman Sport University CologneColognepublic19476,000yesn/an/asport universityCologne University of Catholic TheologyCologneecclesiastical 192585yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of CologneColognepublic138843,500yes1816412University of KonstanzKonstanzpublic196611,500yesregarded as a university of excellence (no longer from 2027)4251-300Medical University of LausitzLausitzpublic20240yesn/an/amedical schoolHHL Leipzig Graduate School of ManagementLeipzigprivate1898, 1992700yesn/an/abusiness schoolLeipzig UniversityLeipzigpublic140931,000yes40n/a10University of LübeckLübeckpublic19645,000yes51n/aLudwigsburg University of EducationLudwigsburgpublic19625,500limitedn/an/auniversity of educationLeuphana University of LüneburgLüneburgpublic194610,000yes82401-500Otto von Guericke University of MagdeburgMagdeburgpublic199314,000yes52601-800University of MainzMainzpublic147731,000yes30301-350University of MannheimMannheimpublic190712,000yes64201-250Marburg UniversityMarburgpublic152721,000yes39401-50011Munich School of PhilosophyMunichecclesiastical 1925500yesn/an/atheological facultyLMU MunichMunichpublic147253,000yesregarded as a university of excellence53450TU MunichMunichpublic186852,000yesregarded as a university of excellence727technical university19Münster University of Philosophy and TheologyMünsterecclesiastical 2004500yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of MünsterMünsterpublic178043,000yes161958University of the Bundeswehr MunichNeubibergpublic19733,500yes94n/amilitary university, part of the German Armed ForcesAugustana Divinity SchoolNeuendettelsauecclesiastical 1947600yesn/an/atheological facultyBrandenburg Medical School Theodor FontaneNeuruppinprivate20142,500yesn/an/amedical schoolUniversity of Technology NurembergNurembergpublic202120yesn/an/atechnical universityOberusel Theological UniversityOberuselecclesiastical 1949200yesn/an/atheological facultyEBS University for Business and LawOestrich-Winkelprivate19712000yesn/an/alaw schoolUniversity of OldenburgOldenburgpublic197315,000yes49n/aUniversity of OsnabrückOsnabrückpublic162913,500yes79n/aPaderborn Faculty of TheologyPaderbornecclesiastical 1614400yes127n/atheological facultyUniversity of PaderbornPaderbornpublic197220,000yes62601-800University of PassauPassaupublic197812,000yes58601-800University of PotsdamPotsdampublic199121,000yes14201-250University of RegensburgRegensburgpublic196221,000yes20401-500University of RostockRostockpublic141914,000yes73n/aSaarland UniversitySaarbrückenpublic194817,000yes47501-600University of Education Schwäbisch GmündSchwäbisch Gmündpublic19623,000limitedn/an/auniversity of educationUniversity of SiegenSiegenpublic197217,000yes55501-600German University of Administrative Sciences SpeyerSpeyerpublic1947500yes127n/auniversity of administrative scienceStuttgart Free UniversityStuttgartprivate1946600yesn/an/aUniversity of StuttgartStuttgartpublic182923,000yes13251-300University of HohenheimHohenheimpublic18189,000yes48n/aTrier Faculty of TheologyTrierecclesiastical 1950150yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of TrierTrierpublic197015,000yes56n/aUniversity of TübingenTübingenpublic147728,000yesregarded as a university of excellence159811University of UlmUlmpublic196710,000yes45251-300Vinzenz Pallotti UniversityVallendarecclesiastical 1946400yesn/an/atheological facultyWHU – Otto Beisheim School of ManagementVallendarprivate19842,000yesn/an/abusiness schoolUniversity of VechtaVechtapublic19956,000yes75n/aBauhaus-University WeimarWeimarpublic18604,000yes67n/aWeingarten University of EducationWeingartenpublic19623,500limitedn/an/aCharlotte Fresenius UniversityWiesbadenprivate20211,000non/an/amedical schoolWitten/Herdecke UniversityWittenpublic19823,000yes80n/aUniversity of WuppertalWuppertalpublic197223,000yes54601-800Theological University WuppertalWuppertalecclesiastical 1974200yesn/an/atheological facultyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgpublic140228,000yes1917914
See also Charles University in Prague (Karls-Universität) – The first German-speaking 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
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) Times Higher Education German University rankings