Heidelberg University
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Germany's oldest university (1386), with an Old Town campus and a science and medicine campus across the Neckar.
- Students
- 32,178
- International
- 21%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,000
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1386
About Heidelberg
Founded in 1386, Heidelberg is the oldest university in present-day Germany and one of its Universities of Excellence (since 2007). Humanities, law and social sciences are mostly in the Old Town around Universitätsplatz. The natural sciences, the medical school and the university hospitals are on the New Campus in the Neuenheimer Feld, a short tram ride across the Neckar.
Teaching and research are organised into 13 faculties, from Biosciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, and Mathematics and Computer Science, to Law, Philosophy, Modern Languages, Theology, Behavioural and Cultural Studies, Economics and Social Sciences, and two medical faculties (Heidelberg and Mannheim). In winter 2025/26 it had 32,178 students, of whom 6,633 (20.6%) were international, and it offers 196 degree programmes.
Heidelberg suits independent, research-minded students who can study in German. All bachelor's and state-examination programmes are taught in German, while many master's and doctoral programmes are in English. Research is dense: the university counts 3 Clusters of Excellence and 53 ERC grants, and major institutes such as the German Cancer Research Center are on its doorstep. Non-EU students should also budget for Baden-Württemberg's EUR 1,500 per semester fee.
Semper apertus
“Always open” — university motto
Why students choose Heidelberg
Almost all bachelor's programmes charge no tuition to EU/EEA students, and non-EU students pay EUR 1,500 per semester, far below UK or US fees for a university of this research standing.
Medicine, pharmacy and dentistry lead to the German state examination, and Heidelberg runs two medical faculties (Heidelberg and Mannheim) linked to large university hospitals.
Undergraduates can join research groups in physics, astronomy, the life sciences and cancer research, working alongside institutes such as the German Cancer Research Center where Nobel laureate Harald zur Hausen worked.
The two-subject bachelor's lets you combine two fields at 50% each, the standard route into teaching at German Gymnasien.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (starting October 2027)
Selectivity
No single admit rate. Bachelor's programmes are either open-admission (enrol if you hold a recognised university entrance qualification and German), admission-restricted with a university-internal selection based mainly on school grades, or subject to entrance examinations. Medicine, pharmacy and dentistry are allocated nationally and are very competitive.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur | Direct university entrance qualification; restricted programmes select mainly by Abitur average |
|---|---|
| Foreign school-leaving certificates (A-levels, IB, US high school diploma and others) | Assessed during the application against the ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education) framework; if only partly equivalent, you must first pass the Feststellungsprüfung after the Studienkolleg preparatory course |
| German language | Very good German required for all bachelor's and state-examination programmes; proof submitted with the application or at enrolment depending on the programme |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are German-taught, so German proficiency (not English) is the key language requirement. English-taught master's programmes set their own English requirements. |
Deadlines
- Bachelor's with admission restriction or entrance exam (winter semester) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application period 1 June to 15 July; deadlines are not extended if they fall on a weekend
- Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy: non-EU applicants with foreign qualification Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Apply to Heidelberg directly, 1 June to 15 July; winter semester only
- Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy: German/EU/EEA applicants Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027 (new school graduates via hochschulstart.de)
Applicants who finished school in earlier years must apply by 31 May
- Bachelor's without admission restriction (winter semester) Non-binding In ~13 months31 October 2027
Application period 1 June to 31 October
Dates are Heidelberg's standing annual deadlines as published for the current cycle; the university warns that deadlines are not extended when they fall on a weekend or public holiday.
How to apply
All applicants apply online through Heidelberg's heiCO portal (the university does not use uni-assist for this). Germans, EU/EEA citizens and holders of a German qualification apply for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy through hochschulstart.de; DoSV programmes also need prior registration at hochschulstart.de. Use the university's Study Programme Finder to see the procedure and documents for your subject.
What admissions looks for
- A university entrance qualification that Heidelberg recognises as equivalent to the German Abitur under the ZAB framework.
- Very good German for all bachelor's and state-examination programmes.
- In admission-restricted programmes, strong school grades, since the internal selection is based on them, plus any subject-specific criteria in the programme's selection rules.
- For entrance-examination programmes, specific skills or aptitude shown in the exam.
Tips for applying to Heidelberg
- 1 Check your programme's procedure in the Study Programme Finder first: open-admission, internal-selection and DoSV subjects have different portals and deadlines.
- 2 Non-EU applicants should check early whether their school certificate gives direct entry or only entry to the Studienkolleg, which adds a year.
- 3 Apply for student housing about nine months before you arrive, as the university advises; private rents in Heidelberg run to around EUR 950 a month.
- 4 Budget for the EUR 1,500 per semester Baden-Württemberg fee if you are a non-EU applicant with a foreign qualification, and check the exemptions in section 5 of the state fees law.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
There is no need-based aid for international students comparable to US schools; Heidelberg says German scholarships are few and must often be applied for before admission. Germans and some EU students can get BAföG state support, and exemptions from the Baden-Württemberg international fee exist under section 5 of the state fees law.
- EUR 189.80 per semester
- Semester contribution (current)
- EUR 9,000
- Non-EU tuition over a 6-semester bachelor's
- about EUR 35,700
- Estimated living costs for a 6-semester bachelor's (excluding tuition)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter: 1 October to 31 March; summer: 1 April to 30 September)
Human Medicine (state examination)
Taught by two medical faculties with large university hospitals on the Neuenheimer Feld campus and in Mannheim; nationally allocated and highly competitive.
Physics and Astronomy
A dedicated faculty on the New Campus with strong links to Heidelberg's research institutes.
Biosciences
The Faculty of Biosciences sits in one of Europe's densest life-science clusters, next to the German Cancer Research Center on the Neuenheimer Feld.
Law (state examination)
One of Germany's oldest law faculties, based in the Old Town.
Two-subject bachelor's with teaching option
Combine two school subjects at 50% each as the first step to becoming a Gymnasium teacher.
Research
- University of Excellence under the German Excellence Strategy since 2007, with 3 Clusters of Excellence.
- 36 DFG Collaborative Research Centres and 53 ERC grants (2024 figures).
- Nobel laureates connected with the university include Harald zur Hausen (Medicine 2008) and Stefan W. Hell (Chemistry 2014).
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Biosciences
- Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of Modern Languages
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies
- Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
- Medical Faculty Heidelberg / Medical Faculty Mannheim
Student life
Heidelberg is a classic German university town: students make up a large share of the city, and the Old Town's lanes, cafés and river banks are their everyday space. There is no residential college system. Students live in Studierendenwerk halls or shared flats and move between the Old Town and the Neuenheimer Feld by bike, tram and bus. Traditions go back centuries, from the Great Hall in the Old University to the former student jail where misbehaving students were once locked up. Student societies, university sport and a busy calendar of lectures and concerts fill the terms.
- Old University with its Great Hall and the historic student jail (Studentenkarzer)
- Two distinct campuses: the Old Town for humanities and law, the Neuenheimer Feld for sciences and medicine
- Around 800 Erasmus agreements for exchange semesters
- Studierendenwerk Heidelberg housing and dining services
Housing. Studierendenwerk rooms cost about EUR 350 a month compared with about EUR 950 on the private market, so apply around nine months before you arrive.
Location
Heidelberg is a small, historic city on the Neckar river in south-west Germany, known for its castle ruins and baroque Old Town. It has a large student population, cycling and trams are the easiest ways to get around, and the city sits close to Mannheim and within reach of Frankfurt by train. It is not cheap by German standards, mainly because of rent.
Nearest airport: Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Notable alumni
- HK Helmut KohlChancellor of Germany during reunification
- MW Max WeberA founder of modern sociology
- HA Hannah ArendtPolitical theorist, author of The Origins of Totalitarianism
- RS Robert SchumannRomantic composer
- JR José RizalNational hero of the Philippines
- MI Muhammad IqbalPoet-philosopher of South Asia
- KD Karl DraisInventor of the two-wheeled running machine, forerunner of the bicycle
- WW Wilhelm WundtFounder of experimental psychology
Frequently asked questions
Can I study a bachelor's at Heidelberg in English?
Generally no. Heidelberg requires very good German for all bachelor's and state-examination programmes; English-taught options are mainly at master's level.
Does Heidelberg charge tuition fees?
Germans, EU/EEA citizens and holders of a German school qualification pay no tuition, only the semester contribution of EUR 189.80. Non-EU students with a foreign qualification pay EUR 1,500 per semester under Baden-Württemberg law.
Do I apply to Heidelberg through uni-assist?
No. All applicants apply through Heidelberg's own heiCO portal, and foreign qualifications are assessed by the university. Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy for Germans and EU citizens go through hochschulstart.de.
What is the application deadline for Heidelberg?
For winter semester entry, restricted and entrance-exam bachelor's programmes take applications from 1 June to 15 July; open-admission programmes accept them until 31 October.
Is my A-level or IB accepted at Heidelberg?
Foreign school certificates are checked during the application against the ZAB framework. If yours is only partly equivalent to the Abitur, you must first pass the Feststellungsprüfung at the Studienkolleg.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- Heidelberg University - Facts and Figures
- Heidelberg University - Students and Young Researchers
- Heidelberg University - Starting the first academic semester (heiCO application)
- Heidelberg University - Study requirements for international students
- Heidelberg University - Application deadlines, undergraduate programmes
- Heidelberg University - Key Dates and Deadlines
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