133 best German universities abroad

• Prestige

German universities are firmly established in the upper parts of the well-known international rankings QS, Times and ARWU - from year to year from 30 to 50 German higher education institutions appear here.

• Free training

You can study at public German universities for free (the only exception is Baden-Württemberg, where expats will have to pay $1670 per semester for tuition). Expenses are limited to rent and an administrative fee, which includes travel expenses, access to library and subscription resources, student societies and clubs. This is a unique opportunity to get a quality education for modest money.

• English-language Master's Degree

In order to enroll in a master's program, English is more useful than German. As for the bachelor's degree, at least 15% of programs here are also taught in English.

• A touch of the history and architecture of the Middle Ages and the Modern Age

Many old universities in Germany arose in the XIII-XVI century, and the buildings in which they are located are monuments of culture and architecture. The history of Europe was created here, and any student can become a part of this history.

• It is difficult to enter here

Even applicants to the preparatory year must demonstrate a high level of German language proficiency (at least B2). It is also not easy to enter the Studienkolleg: many manage to do it on the second or even the third attempt (admission is carried out in one or two streams, so you can re-apply in six months at best).

• The Germans are scrutinizing your documents

German universities look very carefully at how a student studied for a bachelor's degree when considering an application for participation in a master's program. Up to a third of applicants are rejected due to the fact that they do not get enough credits or if their program does not correspond to previous academic experience.

• Bureaucracy

The German bureaucracy is one of the most famous, alas, in the world, so overcoming bureaucratic obstacles will require nerves of steel: the pleasure of successfully overcoming the administrative barrier in the application and legalization of documents is comparable only to the complexity of the procedure.

• There are still not enough bachelor's programs in English

Despite globalization, English bachelor's programs are not even available in all universities yet. Hence the high competition and more stringent requirements.

Before entering, Russian graduates must study for a year at the Studienkolleg, a preparatory program for applicants from countries where the school has been studying for less than 12 years.

There are two types of preparatory colleges:

• Universitätskollegs offers universal training for applicants of any profile,
• Fachhochschulkollegs prepare for admission to universities of applied sciences.

However, it is not necessary to study at the Studienkolleg: you can master the program on your own and pass the final exams as an external student - this procedure is called externe Feststellungsprüfung. You can take the test both in Germany and at one of the many DAAD centers or Goethe Institutes around the world.

In Germany, there are two types of educational institutions: vocational colleges (they, in turn, are divided into Berufsakademien and Fachschulen) and higher educational institutions. The last group includes:

• universities (Universitäten);
• universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen);
• Technical universities (Technische Universität);
• schools of fine arts (Kunsthochschulen);
• music schools (Musikhochschulen);
• Medical universities (Medizinische Hochschulen);
• theological universities (Theologische Hochschulen);
• pedagogical universities (Pädagogische Hochschulen).

1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Traditionally, it occupies high places in international ratings. Of the 35 thousand students, 20% are expats. He is known for his research activities and brilliant teaching staff, as well as the excellent prospects of graduates in the labor market. Traditionally, the strongest positions here are occupied by law and theology, medicine, business and economics, social sciences and philosophy.

2. Heidelberg University (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg)

The oldest German university in terms of seniority and one of the oldest in Europe: it was founded by the bull of Pope Urban VI in 1386, since the middle of the XVI century, liberal arts have been taught here. A place associated with the names of great figures of science and culture - Hegel, Weber, Wegener. Today, it has the world's strongest school of German studies, as well as excellent physics and medical faculties.

3. University of Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)

Another artifact from the High Middle Ages was founded in Ingolstadt in 1472 by order of Duke Ludwig IX, and in the 19th century, another Ludwig (already king) moved the university to the capital Munich.  The brilliant history of the university is supported by the names of such great physicists as Planck and Heisenberg; The Faculty of Physics still enjoys indisputable authority. However, along with the exact sciences, they also pay tribute to the "mother of sciences" – philosophy.

4. University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)

It was discovered in the XV century, but true fame came to it in the XX century, when a powerful center of humanitarian thought arose here. This was the beginning of the story of at least two dozen Nobel Prizes. Today, the strongest areas of Freiburg are medical and pharmaceutical research, chemistry and biochemistry.

5. University of Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)

One of the first purely secular universities in the world was founded in 1737. In fact, there was a department of theology here – the only difference was that it did not have advantages in comparison with the others, as was practiced in other German educational institutions of that time.

Göttingen holds the world record for the number of Nobel laureates among researchers and teachers: as of 2023, there were 46. The strongest programs are related to biology and psychology.