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Germany is the most popular study-abroad destination for international students. In addition, the population of the international community studying in various German universities is vast. Germany opens the doors of opportunities to students by providing world-class degrees at an affordable cost, thus making it a desirable location for studying. In this blog, we have curated a list of the oldest universities in Germany to give you an idea about the history of their education system.
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Also Read: Study in Germany Without IELTS
Oldest Universities in Germany
To begin with, here is a list of the oldest universities in Germany for your reference.
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (1558)
- Philipps-Universitat Marburg (1527)
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (1502)
- University of Tubingen (1477)
- University of Munich (1472)
- University of Freiburg (1457)
- University of Greifswald (1456)
- University of Rostock (1419)
- Leipzig University (1409)
- Heidelberg University (1386)
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Year Established: 1558
Place/Location: Jena, Thuringia, Germany
Founder: John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Student Population: Over 23,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 461
Number of Degree Programs: 200
Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, a small town in eastern Germany, is the youngest on our list. Further, FSU was temporarily the largest university in Germany in the 18th century. It now educates around 19,000 students.
Philipps-Universitat Marburg
Year Established: 1527
Place/Location: Hesse, Germany
Founder: Landgrave Philipp
Student Population: Over 22,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 761-770
Number of Degree Programs: 134
Founded in 1527, Philipps-Universitat Marburg is a public university which offers a wide range of courses with modern teaching approaches. Further, the university provides the students with an ideal environment where they can develop their skills and continuously keep on updating their teaching methodologies along with developing new subject areas.
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Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Year Established: 1502
Place/Location: 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
Founder: Frederick III, Elector of Saxony
Student Population: 20,885 students (2019)
QS World University Rankings 2024: 611-620
Number of Degree Programs: 260
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is one of the oldest universities in Germany in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. In addition, the University of Wittenberg was founded in 1502 and the University of Halle was founded in 1694. The university is named after Martin Luther who was a professor in Wittenberg. Today the university offers courses in German as well as English in various academic degrees such as BA, MA, BSc, and Doctoral degrees.
University of Tuebingen
Year Established: 1477
Place/Location: Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Founder: Count Eberhard the Bearded
Student Population: Over 20,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 213
Number of Degree Programs: Over 200
Founded in 1477, the University of Tuebingen is known for its studies in medicine, law and many more disciplines, artificial intelligence being the most recent one. The university is spread all over town rather than just a campus and comes under ‘five classical university towns’ in Germany. The university enjoys a reputation as one of eleven German Excellence Universities.
Do Read: 5 Reasons to Study in Germany
University of Munich
Year Established: 1472
Place/Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Founder: Duke Ludwig IX of Bavaria-Landshut
Student Population: Over 43,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 37
Number of Degree Programs: Over 300
The University of Munich is a research university with campuses spread all over the world. Established in 1472, being one of the oldest universities in Germany, it has been known to provide top-class education since then and has also grabbed the title ‘University of Excellence’ three times in succession.
Further, the university focuses on subjects like natural sciences, engineering, and medicine and offers various degree programs to students which allows students to choose subjects as per their interests. The total number of students at the university is around 50,000 and almost 15% of them are international students.
University of Freiburg
Year Established: 1457
Place/Location: Fahnenbergplatz, 79085 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Founder: Archduke Albrecht of Austria
Student Population: Over 24,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 563
Number of Degree Programs: 180
The University of Freiburg was established in 1457 and has been counted amongst one of the top universities in Europe since then apart from being one of the oldest universities in Germany. Furthermore, the university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and other professional qualifications in varied disciplines. They aim to provide an ideal environment to their students for innovative interdisciplinary studies and provide the students with a diverse environment as well. The University of Freiburg is also known to be one of Europe’s finest research universities which has a great potential for fundamental research.
University of Greifswald
Year Established: 1456
Place/Location: Domstraße 11, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Founder: Heinrich Rubenow
Student Population: Over 11.000 students
THE World University Rankings 2024: 401–500th
Number of Degree Programs: 91
The University of Greifswald is a public research university which was founded in 1456. In addition, the university is famous for its diverse crowd and caters to many international students out of the total number of students of around 10,000. Greifswald is situated in a small town and offers a nice atmosphere to the students. However, the university is famous amongst students for the exciting student life that the university provides.
Also Read: Study In Germany: An Unforgettable Experience
University of Rostock
Year Established: 1419
Place/Location: 18051 Rostock, Germany
Founder: Pope Martin V
Student Population: about 14,000 (2014)
QS World University Rankings 2024: 761-770
Number of Degree Programs: Over 200
Situated in Rostock, the University of Rostock is a public university which was founded in 1419 during the Holy Roman era. In addition, it is the oldest university in the Baltic Sea region. The university is a part of the European University Association and offers interdisciplinary programs in various disciplines such as medicine, life sciences, humanities etc.
Leipzig University
Year Established: 1409
Place/Location: Leipzig, Germany
Founder: Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Student Population: Over 30,000 students
QS World University Rankings 2024: 479
Number of Degree Programs: Over 150
Leipzig University was founded in 1409. In the list of oldest universities in Germany, it is the second oldest university in Germany. The university offers more than 190 programs in varied disciplines and caters to almost 29,000 students. In addition, situated in Leipzig, Saxony it is one of the best universities in Germany and is world-renowned for its top-class research and medical expertise. The university has a strong alumni network worldwide along with a long list of notable alumni.
Heidelberg University
Year Established: 1386
Place/Location: Grabengasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Founder: Rupert I
Student Population: Over 29,000
QS World University Rankings 2024: 87
Number of Degree Programs: Over 180
Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University tops the list of oldest universities in Germany and is located in Heidelberg only. The university offers courses at all levels and education in over 100 disciplines. The university has a wide range of notable alumni, 29 of whom are even Nobel Prize winners. Furthermore, Heidelberg University, listed among the German Excellence Universities, enrols students from over 130 countries each year, constituting 20% of the university’s entire student population.
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FAQs
Ans. The oldest university in Germany is Heidelberg University. In addition, it was established in 1386 and it offers courses at all levels and education in over 100 disciplines.
Ans. The University of Freiburg was established on 21 September 1457. In addition, it is situated in the heart of the city.
Ans. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg was established in 1502 on 18th October. Moreover, it is situated in Wittenberg, Germany.
Lastly, we hope that this blog gave you some insightful information regarding the oldest universities in Germany. Many Indian students dream of pursuing education in foreign nations due to the exposure and career growth they offer. Consider joining a free counselling session with Leverage Edu if you plan to study abroad.
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