The top universities in Germany 2026
| Germany Rank 2026 | WUR Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Technical University of Munich | 83.4 | 71.9 | 84.8 | 91.3 | 100 | 83.4 |
| 2 | 34 | LMU Munich | 79.7 | 68.4 | 75.4 | 92.4 | 100 | 78.7 |
| 3 | 49 | Universität Heidelberg | 76.3 | 68.3 | 61.4 | 95.3 | 93.7 | 80.2 |
| 4 | 89 | Humboldt University of Berlin | 67.2 | 52.6 | 60.6 | 85.5 | 65.9 | 77.6 |
| 5 | 91 | Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin | 66.9 | 47.2 | 48.7 | 98.2 | 100 | 72.4 |
| =6 | =92 | RWTH Aachen University | 66.7 | 54.9 | 63 | 76.7 | 100 | 70.3 |
| =6 | =92 | University of Bonn | 66.7 | 51.5 | 56.6 | 88.5 | 78.7 | 71.8 |
| 8 | =98 | University of Tübingen | 66.3 | 49.1 | 53.8 | 89 | 98.6 | 74.6 |
| 9 | =113 | Free University of Berlin | 65.2 | 50.2 | 58.3 | 82.2 | 72.4 | 79.5 |
| 10 | =122 | University of Göttingen | 64.1 | 49.4 | 52.7 | 87.2 | 71 | 70.1 |
| 11 | =125 | University of Hamburg | 63.7 | 45.7 | 52.8 | 87.1 | 99.8 | 63.6 |
| 12 | =138 | University of Freiburg | 62.6 | 46.7 | 47.4 | 84.5 | 99.7 | 77.1 |
| 13 | =160 | Technical University of Berlin | 61 | 45.2 | 52.8 | 77.8 | 95.2 | 70.3 |
| 14 | =164 | University of Cologne | 60.8 | 44.5 | 46.5 | 83.9 | 94.2 | 70.2 |
| 15 | =166 | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | 60.7 | 49.3 | 54.9 | 69.3 | 100 | 73.1 |
| 16 | 174 | TU Dresden | 60.4 | 47.1 | 50 | 77 | 99.9 | 66.1 |
| 17 | 179 | University of Würzburg | 60.1 | 39.6 | 43.5 | 91.2 | 99.8 | 59.9 |
| 18 | =195 | University of Münster | 59 | 43.9 | 47.2 | 83.2 | 82.1 | 54.4 |
| =19 | 201–250 | Friedrich Schiller University Jena | 56.4–58.6 | 44 | 42.5 | 83.5 | 88.7 | 62 |
| =19 | 201–250 | Goethe University Frankfurt | 56.4–58.6 | 42.2 | 41.9 | 82.1 | 81.4 | 68.9 |
| =19 | 201–250 | University of Erlangen-Nuremberg | 56.4–58.6 | 41.7 | 46.5 | 78.6 | 100 | 64.2 |
| =19 | 201–250 | University of Mannheim | 56.4–58.6 | 37 | 44.5 | 85.5 | 88.2 | 71.1 |
| =19 | 201–250 | University of Potsdam | 56.4–58.6 | 37.9 | 44.3 | 81.7 | 92.4 | 66.4 |
| =24 | 251–300 | Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf | 54.3–56.3 | 36.2 | 34.3 | 84.3 | 83.9 | 67.2 |
| =24 | 251–300 | Ruhr University Bochum | 54.3–56.3 | 39.9 | 46.1 | 72.6 | 98.9 | 63.7 |
| =24 | 251–300 | Technical University of Darmstadt | 54.3–56.3 | 43.1 | 46.8 | 65.7 | 99.8 | 73.1 |
| =24 | 251–300 | Ulm University | 54.3–56.3 | 42.3 | 31.6 | 83.1 | 91.2 | 64.8 |
| =24 | 251–300 | University of Konstanz | 54.3–56.3 | 38.5 | 42.8 | 72.9 | 95.7 | 75.8 |
| =24 | 251–300 | University of Stuttgart | 54.3–56.3 | 44.5 | 48.4 | 63.4 | 99.9 | 58.5 |
| =30 | 301–350 | Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz | 51.6–54.2 | 38.9 | 27.1 | 83 | 72.3 | 66 |
| =30 | 301–350 | University of Bayreuth | 51.6–54.2 | 39.8 | 41.3 | 68.6 | 84.5 | 68 |
| =30 | 301–350 | University of Bremen | 51.6–54.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 | 72.3 | 78.9 | 63 |
| =30 | 301–350 | University of Duisburg-Essen | 51.6–54.2 | 35.4 | 34.6 | 82.7 | 87.4 | 64.3 |
| =30 | 301–350 | University of Hohenheim | 51.6–54.2 | 36 | 36.4 | 78.4 | 76.7 | 61.3 |
| =35 | 351–400 | Justus Liebig University Giessen | 49.9–51.5 | 35 | 39.2 | 72.5 | 71.3 | 62.7 |
| =35 | 351–400 | Leibniz University Hannover | 49.9–51.5 | 38.8 | 41.7 | 64.3 | 84.3 | 56.9 |
| =35 | 351–400 | University of Kiel | 49.9–51.5 | 32.5 | 33.4 | 81.8 | 64.4 | 62.2 |
| =38 | 401–500 | Leuphana University of Lüneburg | 46.2–49.8 | 23.5 | 28.1 | 83.2 | 33.6 | 66 |
| =38 | 401–500 | University of Greifswald | 46.2–49.8 | 35.1 | 31.3 | 69.5 | 58.3 | 51.4 |
| =38 | 401–500 | University of Marburg | 46.2–49.8 | 37.8 | 32.1 | 72 | 70.8 | 61.9 |
| =38 | 401–500 | University of Regensburg | 46.2–49.8 | 36.3 | 30.8 | 70.9 | 67.6 | 58.4 |
| =42 | 501–600 | Constructor University | 43.6–46.1 | 34.9 | 32.2 | 51.4 | 92.4 | 94 |
| =42 | 501–600 | Hamburg University of Technology | 43.6–46.1 | 38.1 | 26 | 56.9 | 86 | 61.8 |
| =42 | 501–600 | Saarland University | 43.6–46.1 | 32.5 | 19.2 | 73.1 | 68.7 | 78.8 |
| =42 | 501–600 | TU Dortmund University | 43.6–46.1 | 36 | 35.3 | 57 | 71.5 | 56.5 |
| =42 | 501–600 | University of Kaiserslautern | 43.6–46.1 | 36.1 | 30.9 | 56.3 | 83.2 | 51.1 |
| =42 | 501–600 | University of Siegen | 43.6–46.1 | 30.4 | 36.7 | 63.6 | 63.6 | 60 |
| =48 | 601–800 | Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg | 39.0–43.5 | 34.6 | 18.2 | 56.6 | 57.7 | 72.6 |
| =48 | 601–800 | Paderborn University | 39.0–43.5 | 31.1 | 35.9 | 51.4 | 70.7 | 50 |
| =48 | 601–800 | TU Braunschweig | 39.0–43.5 | 36 | 24.3 | 58.5 | 77.5 | 57.7 |
| =48 | 601–800 | University of Passau | 39.0–43.5 | 32.7 | 37 | 52.5 | 70.4 | 57.2 |
| =48 | 601–800 | University of Wuppertal | 39.0–43.5 | 31.5 | 31.2 | 60.6 | 65.3 | 55.5 |
| 53 | 801–1000 | University of Hagen | 35.5–38.9 | 30.1 | 36.3 | 42.4 | 46.4 | 44.5 |
| =54 | 1001–1200 | Technische Universität Ilmenau | 32.1–35.4 | 31.4 | 21.9 | 37.1 | 70.9 | 64.8 |
| =54 | 1001–1200 | TU Bergakademie Freiberg | 32.1–35.4 | 38 | 25.5 | 28.5 | 57 | 68.1 |
Key Insights from the 2026 Germany University Rankings
- The Technical University of Munich retains the first place position from last year as the top university in Germany
- There are 55 universities from Germany ranked in the 2026 World University Rankings
- Humboldt University Berlin is the highest ranked university located in the German capital city of Berlin
- LMU Munich achieves a perfect score for its connections to industry.
Choosing a university in Germany
Germany is a good choice for many students looking to study abroad. According to students studying in Germany, it's fun, cheap and there's always something to do.
Germany does not charge tuition fees for domestic and international students. Students are also offered free travel around the city and student discount cards are available that cover entry to some of the city’s museums and galleries.
More than 500 degrees (bachelor’s and master’s programmes) are taught in English at top German universities. Whatever subject you are interested in, you can study that degree in English in Germany.
The table for the best universities in Germany was derived from data collected from the THE World University Rankings. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry and international outlook. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the Germany university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
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