best public universities in germany
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Bhargavi Ram

Updated 3+ months ago

With over 100 public universities offering an array of courses, one can choose from some of the best public universities in Germany. The top-ranked universities that are public universities include:

Public University in Germany

THE Ranking in 2024

Acceptance Rate

Technical University Munich

# 30

8%

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

# 38

10%

Heidelberg University

# 47

27%

Humboldt University of Berlin

# 87

18%

RWTH Aachen University of Berlin

# 90

10%

These universities offer 100’s of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs in different streams including engineering, sciences, medicine, humanities, law and many more. The country already renowned for its affordable education offers programs with an annual tuition fee of as low as INR 50K up to 3 Lakhs. Some of the top-ranked universities such as the Technical University of Munich are known to have a slightly higher tuition fee which is still under INR 10 Lakhs which is considerably lower in comparison to pursuing a similar international degree in countries such as the USA or UK.

While the top-ranked universities have stringent admission procedures and low acceptance rates, some other best public universities in Germany like the University of Wuerzburg, Technical University Dresden and Goethe University Frankfurt have a better acceptance rate between 40 and 80%.

  • Technical University of Munich with its strong industry connection provides extensive research programs in natural sciences and engineering disciplines.
  • The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is renowned for its excellent faculty and their alumnus becoming Nobel laureates.
  • Heidelberg University is the only German university that has an acceptance rate above 20% among the ones ranked under #50 by THE in 2024. It is also one of the oldest universities in Germany.
  • Aspirants wishing to pursue political science, sociology and economics can opt for Freie University Berlin which is renowned for its liberal arts program.
  • With its state-of-the-art research facilities and rigorous curriculum, RWTH Aachen University is known for its excellence in the field of technology and engineering.

A considerable number of the best public universities in Germany offer courses that are taught in English which makes it more accessible for international students especially at the graduate level. Despite that, a certain level of expertise in the language is helpful when it comes to getting placed in leading companies. The admission procedure includes submitting the previous educational qualifications, along with language proficiency scores. Programs taught in German require standardised tests like TestDaF or DSH and the programs taught in English require IELTS or TOEFL with a score above average. Some universities hold entrance qualification tests to analyse academic credentials.

Germany with its rich cultural heritage, perfect standard of living with public transportation that is noteworthy along with affordable healthcare makes it appealing for international students to pursue their studies from the beautiful cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Heidelberg.
 

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Found 127 universities

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RankingCollege InfoTop CoursesFees & Cost of Living
#22/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Technical University Munich, Munich

2.7(Based on 17 User Reviews)Bavaria, Germany8%Acceptance Rate
MSc Computational Science and Engineering
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL88PTE65
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Tuition:  
(€9,091/Yr)$10.5K/Yr
Living
(€1,300/Yr)$1.5K/Yr
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#58/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich

6.2(Based on 4 User Reviews)Bavaria, Germany10%Acceptance Rate
MS Software Engineering
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.5
View 78 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€477/Yr)$552.96759493671/Yr
Living
(€1,100/Yr)$1.3K/Yr
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#80/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Heidelberg University, Heidelberg

7.0(Based on 3 User Reviews)Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany45%Acceptance Rate
MS Applied Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.5
View 97 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€3,087/Yr)$3.6K/Yr
Living
(€7,978/Yr)$9.3K/Yr
Check Admission Requirements
#88/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Free University of Berlin, Berlin

5.3(Based on 1 User Reviews)Berlin, Germany
MS Data Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS7PTE76
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Tuition:  
(€3,716/Yr)$4.3K/Yr
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#98/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe

8.3(Based on 1 User Reviews)Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany25%Acceptance Rate
MS Computer science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.5
View 95 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€2,719/Yr)$3.2K/Yr
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#105/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

RWTH Aachen University, Aachen

8.3(Based on 26 User Reviews)North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL90PTE60
View 157 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€1,262/Yr)$1.5K/Yr
Living
(€7,200/Yr)$8.4K/Yr
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#130/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin

8.0(Based on 2 User Reviews)Berlin, Germany18%Acceptance Rate
MS Psychology
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL72
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Tuition:  
(€884/Yr)$1K/Yr
Living
(€1,000/Yr)$1.2K/Yr
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#145/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Technical University Berlin, Berlin

4.8(Based on 2 User Reviews)Berlin, Germany
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.5PTE65
View 124 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€293/Yr)$339.33248/Yr
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#193/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Hamburg, Hamburg

7.0(Based on 7 User Reviews)Hamburg, Germany
MS Psychology
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS5.5
View 83 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€219/Yr)$253.54285714286/Yr
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#201/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Freiburg, Freiburg

7.3(Based on 14 User Reviews)Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany33%Acceptance Rate
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL5.0PTE76
View 120 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€2,957/Yr)$3.4K/Yr
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#207/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Bonn, Bonn

7.7(Based on 7 User Reviews)North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
M.S Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS7
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Tuition:  
(€44/Yr)$50.625714285714/Yr
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#215/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Tuebingen, Tubingen

7.0(Based on 1 User Reviews)Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany33%Acceptance Rate
M.Sc Data Science in Business and Economics
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.5
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Tuition:  
(€3,000/Yr)$3.5K/Yr
Living
(€6,167/Yr)$7.2K/Yr
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#218/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Technical University Dresden, Dresden

7.2(Based on 23 User Reviews)Saxony, Germany22%Acceptance Rate
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6.0
View 90 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€700/Yr)$812.40791208791/Yr
Living
(€5,997/Yr)$7K/Yr
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#232/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen

8.3(Based on 3 User Reviews)Bavaria, Germany46%Acceptance Rate
MS Artificial Intelligence
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL80
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Tuition:  
(€257/Yr)$298.28571428571/Yr
Living
(€608/Yr)$705.28/Yr
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#243/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Goettingen, Gottingen

8.0(Based on 3 User Reviews)Lower Saxony, Germany32%Acceptance Rate
MS Applied Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL95PTE76
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Tuition:  
(€540/Yr)$626.18909090909/Yr
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#253/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt

8.0(Based on 3 User Reviews)Hesse, Germany29%Acceptance Rate
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS7PTE76
View 94 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€182/Yr)$211.48631578947/Yr
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#310/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart

8.3(Based on 35 User Reviews)Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany53%Acceptance Rate
M.S Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL95
View 113 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€3,000/Yr)$3.5K/Yr
Living
(€24,242/Yr)$28.1K/Yr
Check Admission Requirements
#316/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main

Hesse, Germany77%Acceptance Rate
MS Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS4.5
View 84 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€288/Yr)$334.32564705882/Yr
Living
(€7,752/Yr)$9K/Yr
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#350/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

University of Muenster, Munster

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany15%Acceptance Rate
M.S Business Administration
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
GMAT650IELTS7PTE76
View 143 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€144/Yr)$166.51638888889/Yr
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#395/1401 QS Ranking 2026(Overall)

Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum

7.0(Based on 4 User Reviews)North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany40%Acceptance Rate
MS Applied Computer Science
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
IELTS6
View 103 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€633/Yr)$733.92307692308/Yr
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