Best universities in Germany 2026

German Universities

There are more than 450 government institutions in the country, about 30 of which are participants in the QS world ranking, which includes leading universities from all over the world.

German universities are divided into universities and higher schools.

Universities focus on theory and fundamental knowledge, and their priority is scientific activity. Higher education institutions pay special attention to practical formats so that students can learn relevant professional skills; students are prepared to work in specialized fields.

Ranking of German universities

The country has a higher education system that is based on two stages:

• Bachelor's degree — from three to three and a half years,
• Master's degree — from one to two years.

Not all directions of study involve obtaining both degrees, in some cases there is no bachelor's degree, there is only a full educational cycle. This format is relevant, for example, for health workers, teachers and lawyers. If a student wants to get a second higher education in Germany after graduation, they will need an additional year or two. The academic standards of the German higher education system are high, and graduates are well prepared for their future professional activities. Recently, a special emphasis in the German higher education system has been placed on the application of acquired knowledge in practice, which is why project work and internships in prestigious companies are so popular.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

Higher education in Germany is one of the most affordable in the world, because the state actively finances the educational sector and offers many grants, scholarships, forms of assistance and support. The cost of living in Germany is very affordable compared to the rest of Europe, and there are many benefits and scholarship programs for talented students, the most famous of which is DAAD. In addition, after completing their studies, foreigners are given the right to stay in the country.

Most German universities have student campuses — places in them can be obtained by both local residents and international students (they are usually provided automatically to first-year students). You can also rent a separate apartment: students often join together and rent one apartment for several people. Young people from all over the world go to Germany for higher education, where no one feels out of place in the multicultural German society.

Children in Germany have been studying in schools for 13 years, so their level of preparation for university education is often high., as teenagers have been studying specialized subjects for the last 2 years of school, studying them almost at the university level.

To enter a German university, you will need to know German at a high level — this is a prerequisite for foreign applicants. Teenagers and adults confirm their skills through passing language tests that assess their ability to communicate fluently in German, write texts and perceive foreign speech by ear.

If a foreign applicant initially has a low language level, then he can take preliminary German language courses. Preparatory education takes place on the basis of language schools and higher educational institutions. For certain specialties, applicants need to take entrance tests, for example, for medical and creative faculties.

Documents required by the applicant to apply to the visa application center are:

• A completed application form,
• An original passport,
• An invitation for an applicant from a German university or center,
• Photographs,
• Bank statements (the student's or his sponsor's account must have at least € 8000).

Sometimes you can add personal information to the mandatory list, for example, a letter of motivation, where the applicant will tell you why he wants to study in Germany, how European education is important to him for his future career.

After submitting all the documents, the foreign student will be invited to an offline interview, which is conducted in German.

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