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
100Ranked
UE Universität Erfurt logo
#100 in Germany Germany
#100 in Germany · by research impact
143,412 citations · h-index 154
101Ranked
PH Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg logo
#101 in Germany Germany

Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#101 in Germany · by research impact
133,894 citations · h-index 162
102Ranked
HD Hochschule Düsseldorf logo
#102 in Germany Germany

Hochschule Düsseldorf

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#102 in Germany · by research impact
114,368 citations · h-index 150
103Ranked
HB Hochschule Bremen logo
#103 in Germany Germany
#103 in Germany · by research impact
114,187 citations · h-index 132
104Ranked
PH Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg logo
#104 in Germany Germany
#104 in Germany · by research impact
108,294 citations · h-index 142
106Ranked
DH Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) logo
#106 in Germany Germany
#106 in Germany · by research impact
100,763 citations · h-index 70
107Ranked
DH Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Heidenheim logo
#107 in Germany Germany
#107 in Germany · by research impact
100,763 citations · h-index 70
110Ranked
HS Hertie School of Governance logo
#110 in Germany Germany

Hertie School of Governance

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#110 in Germany · by research impact
100,153 citations · h-index 135
111Ranked
FS Frankfurt School of Finance & Management logo
#111 in Germany Germany
#111 in Germany · by research impact
97,667 citations · h-index 125
115Ranked
HF Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Ludwigshafen logo
#115 in Germany Germany
#115 in Germany · by research impact
79,364 citations · h-index 120
116Ranked
FK Fachhochschule Koblenz logo
#116 in Germany Germany
#116 in Germany · by research impact
75,287 citations · h-index 112
118Ranked
TH Technische Hochschule Deggendorf logo
#118 in Germany Germany

Technische Hochschule Deggendorf

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#118 in Germany · by research impact
72,544 citations · h-index 98
120Ranked
FP Fachhochschule Potsdam logo
#120 in Germany Germany

Fachhochschule Potsdam

Public University · 0 courses

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

Tuition (indicative)
Founded
Students
International
Admissions open
#120 in Germany · by research impact
63,295 citations · h-index 108

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.

Get your destination country university & scholarship updates

New scholarships, application deadlines and admission guides — a couple of emails a month, no spam.

Stay updated

Get admission alerts, scholarship deadlines & university news — free.