The Best German Universities for International Students

Last updated on 

Germany is, after the UK, the second most popular destination for international university students wishing to study in Europe. In AY 2025-2026 there are nearly 2.9 million young people enrolled at German universities and colleges in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Approximately half a million of them come from abroad, that is, a ca. 17% share. Students in Germany can choose from more than 300 public and 100 private universities and colleges and over fifteen thousand study courses. Low tuition fees, plenty of scholarships available to international students and good employment prospects in and outside of Europe for those who graduated from the top German universities make Germany a favourite choice among international students (see the guide: Study at a German University). Yet, good German universities are not hard to find as 49 out of the world’s top 1,500 universities for AY 2025-2026 are based in Germany.

Top Universities in Germany for AY 2025-2026 by QS World University Rankings

  1. Technische Universität München (TUM, world rank: 22, an improvement over the 28th place in the previous year) has been known for many years as the top German university by most standards. Founded in 1868, TUM is renowned for its world-class research and creative teaching and for strong support it provides to young scientists and researchers. But do not be misled by its name, this university offers not only courses in engineering but also in medicine, natural & life sciences, and economy. Chemistry, physics and engineering & technology are the university’s highest ranked disciplines. TUM has eleven faculties offering 180 study courses, ca. 52,000 students (some 45% of them are foreigners) and six corporate research centres. The university owns 35 patents and 165 inventions. Sixteen former graduates are Nobel Prize laureates. Because of its many achievements in the fields of science and engineering, TUM is a joint research partner of Germany’s top engineering giants including Siemens, BMW and Audi.
  2. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU, world rank: 58 versus 59 a year ago) founded in 1472 is generally recognized as one of the leading academic and research institutions in Europe. The university achieves the highest rankings in the fields of philosophy, physics & astronomy and pharmacology. It is the second largest university in Germany with about 54,600 students (17% are foreigners) who study at 18 faculties in 150 study programmes and it gave the world 16 Nobel Prize winners. LMU has 130 libraries with 6.5 million library volumes. Half a million patients a year are treated in the LMU’s own medical centre.
  3. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (Uni Heidelberg, world rank: 80, up four spots from the position no. 84 last year) founded in 1386 is the oldest German University. It is famous for its strong research and international focus. Life sciences & medicine, natural sciences and archeology are the university’s best rated disciplines. The Heidelberg University has around 32,200 students, 5,000 researchers and scientists and is associated with 33 former Nobel Prize winners. There are twelve faculties, 160 academic disciplines to choose from and 17 research centres. A high percentage of degrees are offered in English and, therefore, ca. 20% of the students are foreigners.
  4. Freie Universität Berlin (FU, world rank: 88 versus 97 a year ago) was founded in 1948 by scholars and students as an Oxford-model campus and was supported through donations from the US during the cold war. FU is famous for its research in the field of humanities and social sciences but also in the area of natural and life sciences. The highest ranked disciplines include political sciences, followed by history, linguistics and communication sciences. FU has around 39,300 students (ca 21% foreigners) and five of its alumni are Nobel Prize laureates. The university maintains one of the greatest botanical gardens in Germany.
  5. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT, world rank: 98, a small upgrade from the place 102 a year ago) was founded in 2009 by merging two older institutions, namely the University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Centre. KIT has eleven faculties that offer 43 study courses. The institute is strongly focused on engineering and natural sciences and is very supportive of young entrepreneurs interested in starting their own business. As a result, engineering & technology and natural sciences are the highest rated disciplines at this university. KIT has nearly 22,800 students (ca 18% are international students) and over 6,000 researchers whereas six Nobel Prize laureates are affiliated with KIT. Furthermore, the institution holds 133 inventions and receives more than two million Euros annually from license fees.
  6. Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH, world rank: 105, a downgrade from no. 99 last year) founded in 1870 is the second largest technical university in Germany. The university achieves the highest rankings in the fields of mechanical engineering and engineering & technology. There are almost 45,000 students (nearly 18% of them are foreigners) enrolled in 150 study programmes at nine faculties. RWTH also provides over 900 research training programmes. Through its graduates, the university maintains close links with German industrial corporations as one in five board members in major German industrial firms graduated from RWTH. Moreover, five Nobel Prize winners are associated with this university.
  7. Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin, world rank: 130 versus 126 in the previous year) founded in 1810 was built on the educational concept of the liberal Prussian educational reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt. It is one of Europe’s most prestigious universities in the field of arts and humanities. Thus, arts & humanities and philosophy & history belong to the highest ranked disciplines at this university. HU Berlin has 36,100 students (15% come from abroad) and 29 of its former graduates are Nobel Prize laureates while altogether 57 Nobel Prize laureates are or were associated with this university. The HU Berlin is made up of nine faculties and two independent institutes. The university operates six scientific institutions and maintains one of the largest libraries in Germany with 6.5 million volumes.
  8. Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin, world rank: 145, up two spots from the rank 147 last year) founded in 1879 is best known for its excellent engineering programmes as well as for mathematics, statistics and operations research. Therefore, unsurprisingly, engineering & technology and mathematics are the highest rated disciplines. TU Berlin comprises seven faculties offering over 100 study courses. It has ca 32,500 students, while as many as 29% of them are foreign nationals. Eight of its former graduates have won the Nobel Prize.
  9. Universität Hamburg (UHH, world rank: 193, down from 191 last year) founded in 1919 is with nearly 43,000 students (ca 14% are foreign nationals) the largest university in northern Germany. Eight faculties offer around 170 study programmes. UHH is best known for its programmes in arts and humanities but also offers courses in engineering, mathematics, economics and law. The highest ranked disciplines at UHH are physics & astronomy and natural sciences. Five of its former students are Nobel Prize laureates.
  10. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (UFR, world rank: 201, an improvement by eleven places from 212 a year ago) founded in 1457 has a long tradition of teaching natural and social sciences and humanities but today it is also highly ranked in life sciences & medicine. More than 24,400 students are enrolled at its 11 faculties while 18% of them come from abroad. 23 Nobel Prize winners have studied or worked at this university. Uni Freiburg is thought to operate the best career centre in Germany.
  11. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Uni Bonn, world rank: 207, up from 227 in the previous year) founded in 1818 offers more than 90 study programmes from a wide spectrum of fields, ranging from mathematics to oriental studies. At the moment, mathematics, physics & astronomy and economics are its highest ranked disciplines. Uni Bonn has ca 32.000 students (17% of those are international students) and eleven Nobel Prize winners are alumni of Uni Bonn.
  12. Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (University of Tübingen, world rank: 215 versus 222 last year) founded in 1477 is one of Germany’s most prestigious universities in the area of natural sciences, medicine and humanities. The highest ranked disciplines are theology and philosophy of religion. This institution is linked to 11 Nobel Prize laureates. There are nearly 28.700 students (about 14% are foreign) enrolled at seven faculties and ca 60 study programmes. The University of Tübingen operates 17 hospitals and maintains 45 departmental libraries with more than 6.3 million books.
  13. Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden or TUD, world rank: 218, an improvement over the no. 234 last year) founded in 1828 is with around 29,000 students (approximately 18% are foreigners) and 17 faculties (offering 124 study courses) is the largest university in the federal state of Saxony. TU Dresden has the best reputation in the fields of photo optics, electrical engineering & engine construction and computer science.
  14. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU, world rank: 232, down from the position no. 224 a year ago) founded in 1742 is with ca. 41,000 students (16% are foreigners) in four faculties among the ten largest universities in Germany and the second largest university in the state of Bavaria. As a research university, FAU is highly ranked in the fields of technology, engineering and computer science. In total, it offers 275 degree programmes. The university is affiliated with six Nobel Prize laureates.
  15. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (GAU, world rank: 243 versus 252 in the previous year) was founded by the King George II of Great Britain in 1734. The university’s highest ranking fields are development studies and natural sciences. GAU has around 28,000 students (15% are from abroad) in thirteen faculties. Forty-seven former students later became Nobel Prize laureates. The university maintains one of the largest libraries for study and research in Europe.
  16. Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt, world rank: 253, down from 241 a year ago) founded in 1877 is a technology focused university that has a high proportion of foreign students (19%, while in electrical engineering it is 75%) and is especially popular among students from Eastern Europe. Altogether, there are more than 24,300 students enrolled in about 100 courses of studies. Computer science is the highest rated discipline followed by engineering & technology. Four former graduates are Nobel Prize laureates.
  17. Universität zu Köln (University of Cologne, world rank: 272, an upgrade over 285 a year ago) established in 1388 is one of the oldest and largest German universities offering degrees in a broad range of subjects. The highest rankings are achieved in the fields of archeology which also has a very good reputation internationally and in business administration, economics and law. Over 45,000 students (14% are foreign) are enrolled at its six faculties in about 100 study programmes. Five of its former alumni or professors have won the Nobel Prize.
  18. Universität Stuttgart (Uni Stuttgart, world rank: 310 versus 314 last year) founded in 1829 has a strong focus on technology and engineering. The university is renowned for programmes in automotive & aerospace engineering and automated industrial manufacturing. Hence, it achieves the best rankings in the fields of mechanical and aeronautical engineering and in engineering & technology. Uni Stuttgart has ca 21,000 students enrolled at 10 faculties whereas 21% of them are foreign nationals. Five Nobel Prize laureates (four in physics and one in chemistry) are associated with Uni Stuttgart.
  19. Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (Goethe University, world rank: 316, down ten spots from 306 in the previous year) founded in 1914 is one of the largest universities in Germany. More than 43,000 students (ca 16% are foreign nationals) are enrolled at its 16 faculties. The Goethe University is renowned for its past achievements in medicine and natural sciences. Today’s main focus is on history, law and economics whereas, paradoxically, alongside philosophy and archeology, biology and life sciences & medicine are the highest rated study disciplines. Nineteen Nobel Prize laureates have been associated with this university.
  20. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (WWU, world rank: 350, an improvement over 367 last year) founded in 1780 is one of Germany’s leading research universities, offering a wide range of study subjects (ca 280 courses) at 15 departments (faculties). Having over 42,500 students (around 8% of them from abroad) makes it one of the largest German universities. It is highly ranked in the fields of medicine, chemistry, mathematics and business studies. WWU is affiliated with three former Nobel Prize winners.
  21. Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB, world rank: 395, down from 396 in the previous year) founded in 1962 is with around 40,000 students (16% of foreigners) enrolled at 21 faculties one of Germany’s largest universities. This research focused university offers 184 study programmes and is probably best known for its philosophy and natural science courses.
  22. Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU, world rank: 416, up from 428 last year) founded in 1402 is a research-focused university with ca 25,500 students (9% are international) in ten faculties with study programmes ranging from theology and law to biology, physics and economics, numbering altogether 255 degree programmes. The highest rated discipline is pharmacy & pharmacology. The University of Würzburg is affiliated with 14 Nobel Prize laureates in the fields of physics, chemistry and medicine.
  23. Universität Mannheim (UMA, world rank: 416, an upgrade from the position 487 a year ago) founded in 1967 is considered to be the most prestigious business school in Germany. Besides business administration and economics, it is also highly ranked for social and political sciences and psychology. There are nearly 12,000 students (14% are foreign) at five faculties that make up the UMA.
  24. Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH, world rank: 433, down from 426 in the previous year) is a science and technology-focused university founded in 1831. There are ca 25,400 students (14% of which are foreigners) enrolled at nine faculties offering 38 fields of study. Material sciences are the university’s highest ranked discipline. Uni Hannover is affiliated with three Nobel Prize laureates in the fields of chemistry and physics.
  25. Universität Konstanz (world rank: 440, an improvement over 466 last year) founded in 1966 is comprised of the faculty of humanities, the faculty of sciences and the faculty of law, economics & politics. Its best ranking study programmes are politics and arts & humanities. Nearly 10,000 students, including a 14% share of foreign students from 100 countries, are enrolled in more than 100 study programmes.
  26. Universität Bayreuth (world rank: 448, a big improvement over 527 last year) founded in 1975 is a modern public university widely known for offering a range of interdisciplinary courses. It is highest ranked for geography courses but its courses in economics and law are also among the best rated in Germany. The University of Bayreuth is organized into seven faculties and has around 12,000 students (nearly 14% of them are foreign).
  27. Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz (Uni Mainz, world rank: 452 versus 501 last year) founded in 1477 is with ca 31,000 students (14% come from abroad) among the top ten largest universities in Germany. Uni Mainz is highly regarded for its achievements in natural sciences. Physics, chemistry and pharmacy & pharmacology are currently the highest ranked study programmes.
  28. Universität Potsdam (world rank 477 versus 474 last year) is one of the youngest major German universities. It was established in 1991 by merging several smaller educational institutions. It is the largest university in the federal state of Brandenburg with nearly 20,000 students (foreigners make up 14%). The faculty of philosophy and the faculty of mathematics & science are the most popular among its students. Strong emphasis is placed on teacher training. Computer science is the university’s highest rated study programme. The Potsdam University offers more than 100 degree courses, many of them taught in English and French.
  29. Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF, world rank: 487, a major downgrade from the rank no. 380 in the previous year) is a technical university specialized in mining and metallurgy. Established in 1765, it is the oldest existing mining university in the world. Since it is highly specialized, it is relatively small, with only about 4,400 students enrolled in 13 study programmes. Ca. 40% of its students are foreigners. TUBAF ranks no. 27 worldwide in mineral & mining engineering.
  30. Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (JLU, world rank: 496, a downgrade from no. 445 in the previous year) was founded in 1607 and was later named after one of its famous scholars from the 19th century Justus von Liebig, an inventor of modern agricultural fertilizers. Though a public university itself, it operates the only private university hospital in Germany. JLU has almost 25,000 students (13% international) enrolled at 11 faculties while English language and linguistics are its best rated study courses. There are five Nobel Prize laureates among the university’s former professors.
  31. Universität Bremen (world rank: 530, an upgrade from 592 in the previous year) founded in 1971 has 18,400 students from more than 120 countries studying a variety of subjects, ranging from engineering, physics and mathematics to microbiology and political sciences. The share of international students is 18%. The highest rated discipline is earth & marine sciences.
  32. Universität Leipzig (Uni Leipzig, world rank: 535, down from the place 527 a year ago) founded in 1409 is the second oldest university in Germany when measured by years of uninterrupted operation (Uni Köln and Uni Würzburg, though older, were closed and reopen). Among its alumni and professors belong 20 Nobel Prize winners as well as the former prime minister of Germany Angela Merkel. More than 31,000 students (11% of them are foreigners) are enrolled at 14 faculties offering 190 study courses. Uni Leipzig is ranked second in Germany by the number of scientific online publications. Linguistics is the university’s highest ranked discipline.
  33. Universität Ulm (Uni Ulm, world rank: 546, up from 554 a year ago) founded in 1967 is organized into four faculties, focusing on four major fields, namely the medical science, engineering & computer science, natural sciences and mathematics & economics, altogether offering around 60 degree programmes. Medicine and life sciences are the university’s highest ranking disciplines. The Ulm University has around 10,000 students, ca. 13% of them are foreigners.
  34. Universität Jena (Uni Jena, world rank: 575, down from the position 526 in the previous year) founded in 1558 is associated with some of the most influential physicists and philosophers of the time. Biological sciences are currently the highest ranked discipline at Uni Jena. There are about 16,500 students in ten schools, incl. 14% of international students. Six of the former alumni have won the Nobel Prize.
  35. Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU, world rank: 618 versus 611-620 last year) founded in 1665 has around 25,000 students (8% international) enrolled at eight faculties and offers 190 study courses. The university’s highest ranked discipline is archaeology. CAU is associated with twelve Nobel Prize laureates in the fields of biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and literature.
  36. Universität des Saarlandes Saarbrücken (Saar-Uni or UdS, world rank: 635, down from the place 601-610 in the previous year) was founded in 1948 with support of the French government. This modern university offers many interdisciplinary courses along traditional ones taught at six faculties in German and in French. Computer science, romance studies and life sciences are among the highest rated courses. Out of its nearly 16,300 students, 18% come from abroad.
  37. Technische Universität Dortmund (TU Dortmund, world rank: 673, a huge upgrade from the position no. 801-850 in the previous year) founded in 1968 is highly regarded in the areas of chemical engineering, electrical engineering and physics. The university has more than 30,000 students enrolled at 17 faculties while 13% of them come from foreign countries.
  38. Universität Regensburg (Uni Regensburg, world rank: 691, an improvement over 741-750 in the previous year) was established in 1962 and currently has 19,400 students (8% of them are foreign nationals) enrolled at twelve faculties. Uni Regensburg is highly regarded for its courses in chemistry and natural sciences. The most prominent academic associated with the university is the previous pope Benedict XVI.
  39. Technische Universität Hamburg (TUHH, world rank: 696, not ranked a year ago) established in 1978 is one of Germany’s youngest technical universities. There are ca 7,400 students at TUHH pursuing about 35 different degree programmes at eight schools of study. International students account for 22% of the total number.
  40. Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig, world rank: 711-720 vs 751-760 last year) founded in 1745 is the oldest technical university and also one of the highest-ranked technical universities in Germany. TU Braunschweig has almost 16,000 students (15% of them are foreigners) enrolled at six faculties. The highest ranked field is mechanical engineering.
  41. Universität Hohenheim (Uni Hohenheim, world rank: 711-720, a downgrade from the position 601-610 a year ago) located in Stuttgart was established in 1818 after a massive famine as an agricultural and natural sciences university. In line with its original mission, the highest ranked study field today is agricultural bioeconomy. Nearly 9,000 students are currently enrolled at the Hohenheim University while foreigners make up 14% of this number.
  42. Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU, world rank: 751-760, down from 671-680 last year) was founded in 1817 through a merger of two older universities and it carries the name of the famous German protestant reformer. There are around 19,000 students in nine faculties, including 9% of foreign students. The main study areas include theology, law, economics, medicine, philosophy and natural sciences. MLU is in Germany particularly well known for its agriculture and forestry courses. Four Nobel Prize laureates have been associated with this institution.
  43. Philipps-Universität Marburg (Uni Marburg, world rank: 771-780 vs 801-850 a year ago) founded in 1527 by protestants has long been a humanities-focused university (i.e., philosophy, theology) although today it does not have any religious affiliation. The university has ca. 21,000 students while 14% of them come from abroad. Its highest ranked courses include pharmacy & pharmacology as well as life sciences & medicine. Like many other universities in Germany, Uni Marburg operates its own hospital. Eleven of its alumni or professors won Nobel Prize.
  44. Universität Duisburg-Essen (Uni DUE, world rank: 801-850, unchanged over the last year) founded in 1654 is with ca 37,000 students (including a 15% share of foreigners) and eleven faculties which offer ca 300 study courses one of the ten largest universities in Germany. The highest ranked disciplines include mathematics and life sciences & medicine.
  45. Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf (HHU, world rank: 851-900, unchanged over the previous year) founded in 1965 is comprised of the faculty of medicine, the faculty of arts & humanities, the faculty of mathematics & natural sciences, the faculty of economics and the faculty of law. Ca. 11% of its 36,000 students come from abroad. Pharmacy & pharmacology and medicine are the highest ranked study disciplines of HHU.
  46. Universität Rostock (Uni Rostock, world rank: 851-900, down from 801-850 last year) founded in 1419 is the third oldest university in Germany. Uni Rostock has nearly 13,000 students (11% of them are international) in ten faculties and five of its former alumni have won the Nobel Prize, i.e. three of them in physics and two in medicine. Physics & astronomy is currently the most prestigious study course at the University of Rostock.
  47. Universität Bielefeld (Uni Bielefeld, world rank: 1,001-1,200, unchanged over the previous year) founded in 1969 is a modern university with focus on interdisciplinary research. The university is comprised of 14 faculties offering 90 degree courses. While it is probably best known for its highly ranked faculty of sociology, it also scores well in mathematics. There are about 25,000 students and 7% of them are foreigners.
  48. Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU, world rank: 1,201-1,400, unchanged over the previous year) is a result of a merger of the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (founded in 1970) and the University of Koblenz and Landau (founded in 1990) that happened on January 1st, 2023. At the moment about 17,000 students are enrolled at 12 faculties of the RPTU.
  49. Universität Siegen (Uni Siegen, world rank: 1,201-1,400, down from 1,001-1,200 a year ago) was established in 1972 as a successor to Universität-Gesamthochschule Siegen to become a research-focused public university. Currently there are nearly 15,000 students (while about 12% come from foreign countries) at five faculties, studying in more than 50 degree programmes.

In the academic year 2025-2026, 49 of the best German universities made it to the list of top 1,500 universities in the world by QS University Rankings. These results are very similar to those for AY 2024-2025 when 48 German universities ranked among the best 1,500 in the world. The only major difference is the Technische Universität Hamburg (TUHH) which was not rated last year. The QS World University Rankings for 2026 are, just like in 2025, based on a review of the world’s leading 1,500 universities. All of the top 49 German universities included in the latest review are public universities. Visit topuniversities.com for rankings by study subject and for methodology or further details. Alternatively, if you are also interested in knowing how students and professors in Germany view their universities check out the CHE ranking.

Top German Universities FAQs

What is the no. 1 university in Germany?

Die Technische Universität München (the Technical University of Munich in English) has been the no. 1 ranked university in Germany for many years now. For the academic year 2025-2026, it is ranked no. 22 in the world by QS World University Rankings.

What are the top 5 universities in Germany?

For the academic year 2025-2026, the top 5 German universities according to the QS World University Rankings are the Technical University of Munich (world rank 22), followed by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (WR 58), the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (WR 80), the Free University of Berlin (WR 88) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (WR 98).

What is the no. 1 German university for engineering studies?

The Technical University of Munich was in 2025 the no. 1 German university for engineering by QS World University Rankings. In fact, in the subject ‘engineering & technology’ it ranks no. 19 in the world, the highest rank of all German universities. In ‘electrical & electronic engineering’ it is at no. 23 worldwide but, surprisingly, in ‘mechanical engineering’ it is at no. 25, the second best German university after the RWTH Aachen University at no. 23.

What is the highest ranked German university for life sciences?

The Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, better known as the University of Heidelberg, was in 2025 the highest ranked German university in ‘medicine and life sciences’ at no. 33 in the world by QS World University Rankings.

What is the best German university for natural sciences?

The Technical University of Munich was in 2025 the best ranked German university for natural sciences at no. 18 in the world by QS World University Rankings. It was no. 22 in ‘chemistry’ and no. 23 in ‘physics & astronomy’ worldwide, the highest positions of all German universities. However, in ‘mathematics’ it was at no. 62, the second best after the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn at no. 57.

What are German universities best known for?

German universities are best known for combining academic studies with scientific research and thus producing first class scientists who guarantee them a steady income stream from patents and innovations. Moreover, the so-called technical universities are well known for their practical focus as they are closely linked to the German industry.

Which study programme at German universities is best?

German universities are internationally best known for their engineering study programmes. German engineering degrees are highly respected and recognized across the whole world.

Which degrees from German universities are the most valuable in Germany?

The university degrees that guarantee you the best chances in the German labour market include diplomas in medicine & life sciences (e.g., biotechnology and, particularly, nursing), law, various fields of mechanical and electrical engineering & technology (e.g., nanotechnology), IT & computer science and mathematics.

Do the top public universities in Germany charge tuition fees to foreigners?

Most of them don’t, but some do. The public universities in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg charge tuition fees of ca 1,500 euros per semester to non-EU students. The highest ranked among them include the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (world rank 80 for AY 2025-26), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (WR 98), the University of Freiburg (WR 201), the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (WR 215), the University of Stuttgart (WR 310), the University of Mannheim (WR 416), the University of Konstanz (WR 440), the University of Ulm (WR 546) and the University of Hohenheim (WR 711-720).

Which German university has most international students?

The Technical University of Munich, which also happens to be the highest ranked university in Germany, has most international students among all German universities. In the academic year 2025-2026, approximately 45% of its 52 thousand students, that is, more than 23 thousand students are foreigners.