Germany enjoys a remarkable reputation for its higher education sector: There are more than 400 universities, and many of them score high in international rankings, among the top universities in the world. The two hot spots of academic excellence are Munich (with Ludwig Maximilians University, LMU, and the Technical University of Munich, TUM) and Berlin (with the HU, the FU and the TU). But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many more world-class institutions in other corners of the country.
Featured universities:
Constructor University
Bremen, Germany
19 study programmes
MetFilm School Berlin
Berlin, Germany
8 study programmes
Top ranked universities in Germany
| University | QS Ranking 2024 | THE Ranking 2024 | ARWU Ranking 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical University of Munich (TUM) | 37 | 30 | 59 |
| Ludwig Maximilians University Munich | 54 | 38 | 59 |
| Heidelberg University | 87 | 47 | 55 |
| Freie Universität Berlin | 98 | 102 | – |
| RWTH Aachen University | 106 | 90 | 201 |
| Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) | 119 | 140 | 301 |
| Humboldt University Berlin | 120 | 87 | – |
| Technische Universität Berlin | 154 | 136 | 201 |
| University of Freiburg | 192 | 128 | 101 |
| Universität Hamburg | 205 | 136 | 201 |
| University of Tübingen | 213 | 95 | 151 |
| FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg | 229 | 193 | 201 |
| University of Göttingen | 232 | 111 | 151 |
| University of Bonn | 239 | 91 | 67 |
| Technische Universität Dresden | 246 | 161 | 201 |
| TU Darmstadt | 246 | 251 | 401 |
| University of Cologne | 268 | 160 | 151 |
| Goethe University Frankfurt | 302 | 201 | 151 |
| University of Stuttgart | 312 | 251 | 301 |
| Ruhr University Bochum | 375 | 251 | 301 |
| University of Münster | 384 | 193 | 201 |
| Justus Liebig University | 396 | 351 | 601 |
| University of Würzburg | 440 | 175 | 201 |
| University of Mannheim | 454 | 187 | – |
| University of Potsdam | 460 | 201 | 401 |
| Friedrich Schiller University Jena | 461 | 201 | 401 |
| Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz | 464 | 251 | 201 |
| University of Konstanz | 478 | 251 | 501 |
| Leipzig University | 479 | – | 201 |
| Leibniz Universität Hannover | 481 | 351 | 501 |
| University of Bayreuth | 509 | 351 | 501 |
| University of Bremen | 514 | 301 | 601 |
| Kiel University | 530 | 301 | 201 |
| Ulm University | 542 | 193 | 401 |
| Saarland University | 600 | – | 501 |
| Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg | 611 | – | 601 |
| University of Hohenheim | 651 | 251 | – |
| University of Regensburg | 741 | – | 401 |
| Technische Universität Braunschweig | 751 | 501 | 701 |
| University of Marburg | 761 | 401 | 401 |
| University of Rostock | 761 | – | 501 |
| University of Duisburg-Essen | 771 | – | 301 |
| Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf | 801 | 251 | 301 |
| TU Dortmund University | 851 | 401 | – |
| Bielefeld University | 951 | – | 701 |
| University of Siegen | 1001 | 601 | – |
| TU Bergakademie Freiberg | 1401 | – | – |
| Hamburg University of Technology | 1401 | 501 | – |
| RPTU | 1401 | 601 | – |
| Constructor University | – | 401 | – |
| Ilmenau University of Technology | – | 1001 | – |
| Leuphana University Lüneburg | – | 501 | – |
| University of Greifswald | – | 401 | – |
| University of Magdeburg | – | 601 | – |
| University of Passau | – | 401 | – |
| University of Wuppertal | – | 501 | 801 |
| Hannover Medical School | – | – | 401 |
| Universität zu Lübeck | – | – | 601 |
| University of Kassel | – | – | 801 |
| University of Oldenburg | – | – | 801 |
Explained: How do the university rankings work?
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
Study in Germany 
For many international students, Germany is the ideal country to study abroad: World-leading universities, many English-language study options especially at the postgraduate level, and no tuition fees at public universities. For these reasons and more, every year around 100,000 students from around the world choose to come to Germany for their university education.
Read more about studying in Germany
Find the right study programme for yourself:
Bachelors degrees in Germany
Masters degrees in Germany
PhD programmes in Germany
Relevant links
- Studying abroad in Germany: Basic information for international students
- Study programmes in Germany
- Visit the website of the QS World University Rankings
- Visit the website of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- Visit the website of the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities
