Educads

326 Best Public Universities in Germany

Of the 326 Public universities in Germany, Technical University of Munich ranks highest at #22 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Next come Technische Universität München (QS World #22) and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (QS World #54). The universities on this list offer 2,904 matching courses between them.

326 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
73Ranked
UT Universität Trier logo
#73 in Germany Germany

Universität Trier

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#73 in Germany · by research impact
723,026 citations · h-index 298
74Ranked
TU Technische Universität Ilmenau logo
#74 in Germany Germany
#74 in Germany · by research impact
669,106 citations · h-index 222
77Ranked
UD Universität der Bundeswehr München logo
#77 in Germany Germany

Universität der Bundeswehr München

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#77 in Germany · by research impact
618,221 citations · h-index 237
78Ranked
DS Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln logo
#78 in Germany Germany
#78 in Germany · by research impact
483,631 citations · h-index 208
81Ranked
UK Universität Koblenz-Landau logo
#81 in Germany Germany

Universität Koblenz-Landau

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#81 in Germany · by research impact
447,502 citations · h-index 225
83Ranked
PH Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe logo
#83 in Germany Germany

Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#83 in Germany · by research impact
386,576 citations · h-index 209
89Ranked
FH Fachhochschule Hamburg logo
#89 in Germany Germany

Fachhochschule Hamburg

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#89 in Germany · by research impact
312,900 citations · h-index 217
90Ranked
HU Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) logo
#90 in Germany Germany
#90 in Germany · by research impact
312,900 citations · h-index 217
91Ranked
OU Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg logo
#91 in Germany Germany

Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#91 in Germany · by research impact
310,987 citations · h-index 204
93Ranked
FM Fachhochschule Münster logo
#93 in Germany Germany

Fachhochschule Münster

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#93 in Germany · by research impact
236,996 citations · h-index 183
94Ranked
UD Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg logo
#94 in Germany Germany

Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#94 in Germany · by research impact
217,159 citations · h-index 157
95Ranked
FF Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main logo
#95 in Germany Germany

Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#95 in Germany · by research impact
215,066 citations · h-index 212

How these universities are ranked

38 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #22 (Technical University of Munich) to #601 (Universität des Saarlandes); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. Heidelberg University has the largest research record in this group, with 44,319,490 citations and an h-index of 1,646. 124 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 326 public to 0 private institutions. By location, Bavaria (2), Baden-Württemberg (1) and North Rhine-Westphalia (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is Heidelberg University, founded in 1386. Technical University of Munich is the largest, with 52,000 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 1,570 bachelor's, 1,177 master's, 56 professional and 17 phd / doctorate. The most common subjects are Business & Management (619), Engineering (542), Computer Science & IT (266) and Social Sciences & Psychology (219). The usual length is 4 years and 1–2 years. 95% are full-time and 26 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (75% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (72% of courses with a stated intake). Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg offers the widest choice, with 138 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 5 of these universities. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is the least expensive at USD 600 a year and Heidelberg University the most at USD 3,000; the middle of the range is about USD 600. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public in Germany?

Technical University of Munich (QS World #22), Technische Universität München (QS World #22) and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (QS World #54) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Public in Germany?

Of those with published fees, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is the least expensive at about USD 600 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public in Germany?

326 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public course take in Germany?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 1–2 years the next most common.

When do Public courses start in Germany?

Fall is the main intake — 75% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Public online with a university in Germany?

26 of these courses are listed as online.

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