Top Universities in Germany 2015/16

Top Universities in Germany 2015/16

Sabrina Collier

Updated January 16, 2020 Updated January 16

**This article is based on the QS World University Rankings® 2015/16 results. Click here to find out the top universities in Germany in 2018. 

The results of the QS World University Rankings® 2015/16 are in, and with 43 German universities featured among the world’s best, Germany remains a very attractive place to study, offering high quality education at affordable costs.

Two of the top five universities in Germany are located in München (Munich) in Bavaria, while capital city Berlin also claims three highly ranked institutions.  Read on to discover more of the top German universities in this year’s rankings…

1. Technische Universität München

Ranked 60th in the world this year, TU München is a research university which offers a wide range of courses in engineering, natural sciences, life and medical sciences and economics.

2. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Ranked 66th in the world and located in the city of Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg is Germany’s oldest university and, although no longer ranked first in Germany, it remains a highly respected institution.

3. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Ranked 75th in the world, this research university has consistently been considered one of the most prestigious in Europe. It joins TU München to make the city of Munich a world-leading higher education hub.

4. Kit, Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie 

Ranked 93rd in the world, KIT has climbed an impressive 34 places in the ranking this year. It’s based in the city of Karlsruhe in south-west Germany.

5. Freie Universität Berlin

Ranked 119th the world, FU Berlin is internationally known for its research in the humanities and social sciences, along with natural and life sciences. It’s currently the highest-ranked university in the popular German capital.

6. Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin

Ranked joint 126th in the world, alongside the US’s University Of Maryland, College Park and the Netherlands’ Erasmus University Rotterdam, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin is another of the capital’s leading institutions.

7. Universität Freiburg

Ranked joint 133rd in the world alongside the University of Pittsburgh in the US, Universität Freiburg is a well-respected research university with a long tradition of teaching the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

8. Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen 

Ranked 145th in the world, RWTH Aachen University is a technology-focused research university in Aachen, Germany’s westernmost city. RWTH Aachen is a founding member of the IDEA League, a strategic union of four prominent universities of technology in Europe.

9. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Ranked 168th in the world, the University of Göttingen is a public research university in the city of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. Founded in 1734 by the British King George II, it has played a central role in the development of the city and surrounding region.

10. Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Ranked joint 173rd in the world alongside New Zealand’s University of Otago, Universität Tübingen is a prestigious research university which has strongly influenced the university town of Tübingen, where around a third of the population is comprised of students.

The remaining top 20… 

11. Technische Universität Berlin – ranked 178th in the world. 

12. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn– ranked 210th in the world.

13. Universität Hamburg – ranked joint 219th in the world.

14. Technische Universität Dresden – ranked 227th in the world.

15. Universität Frankfurt Am Main – ranked joint 243rd in the world.

16. Technische Universität Darmstadt – ranked 246th in the world.

17. Universität Stuttgart – ranked 251st in the world.

18. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster– ranked joint 256th in the world.

19. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg – ranked 292nd in the world.

20. Universität Konstanz – ranked joint 319th in the world.

And the rest…

21. Universität Köln – ranked joint 331st in the world.

22. Universität Ulm – ranked joint 338th in the world.

23. Universität Bremen – ranked joint 351st in the world.

24. Leibniz Universität Hannover – ranked 366th in the world.

25. Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz – ranked 375th in the world.

26. Universität Jena – ranked joint 381st in the world. 

27. Universität Leipzig – ranked joint 384th in the world. 

28. Universität Mannheim – ranked joint 394th in the world. 

29. Christian-Albrechts-Universität Zu Kiel – ranked 401-410 in the world.

30. Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – ranked 401-410 in the world.

31. Ruhr-Universität Bochum – ranked 421-430 in the world.

32. Universität Bayreuth – ranked 451-460 in the world.

33. Universität Regensburg – ranked 461-470 in the world.

34. Philipps-Universität Marburg – ranked 491-500 in the world. 

35. Technische Universität Dortmund – ranked 491-500 in the world. 

36. Universität Bielefeld – ranked 501-550 in the world.

37. Technische Universität Braunschweig – ranked 501-550 in the world.

38. Universität Des Saarlandes – ranked 501-550 in the world.

39. Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg – ranked 551-600 in the world.

40. Universität Duisburg-Essen – ranked 551-600 in the world. 

41. Universität Düsseldorf – ranked 551-600 in the world. 

42. Universität Rostock – ranked 551-600 in the world. 

43. Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen – ranked 601-650 in the world.

This article was originally published in September 2015 . It was last updated in January 2020

Written by

The former Assistant Editor of TopUniversities.com, Sabrina wrote and edited articles to guide students from around the world on a wide range of topics. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University and grew up in Staffordshire, UK. 

Related Articles

Most Shared

Most Read

English