Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Berlin's oldest university, on Unter den Linden, charging no tuition and teaching every bachelor's degree in German.
- Students
- 37,222
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- Summer semester 2026
- Founded
- 1810
About HU Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin opened in the winter semester of 1810 as the University of Berlin, founded by Wilhelm von Humboldt on the idea of uniting research and teaching. It took its present name in 1949. HU describes itself as the "mother of all research universities", and its history page names Hegel, Helmholtz, Ranke and Virchow among its scholars. It admitted women to study and research from 1908.
Today HU has 37,222 students (winter semester 2025/26), 5,203 of them international, and offers 171 study programmes. HU reports nine faculties, from Law and Theology to Life Sciences and Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Medicine is taught by the Charité, the medical school HU shares with Freie Universität Berlin. The university is spread over four campuses: the historic Mitte campus on Unter den Linden, Campus Nord, Dahlem and the science campus at Adlershof.
For undergraduates there are two practical points. Every bachelor's programme is taught only in German, and applicants need German at C1 level. There is no tuition, just a semester contribution: €355.80 in summer 2026, rising in winter 2026/27 because the Germany semester ticket goes up to €226.80. HU suits independent students who want a research university in the middle of a capital city, are comfortable working in German and can organise their own housing and studies.
Universitas litterarum
“The University of Letters” — university motto
Why students choose HU Berlin
There is no tuition fee: the semester contribution (€355.80 in summer semester 2026) includes a Germany semester ticket for public transport across the country.
HU hosts or co-hosts the MATH+ and NeuroCure Clusters of Excellence, both re-approved for 2026-2032 under Germany's Excellence Strategy.
The main building on Unter den Linden sits in central Berlin, near Bebelplatz where the Faculty of Law is housed.
HU counts 30 Nobel Prize winners who researched at the university, from Emil Fischer (1902) to Emmanuelle Charpentier (2020).
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (bachelor's and state examination programmes)
Selectivity
HU publishes no overall admission rate. Programmes are either admission-restricted (NC) or unrestricted. In NC programmes, non-EU/EEA applicants compete for a fixed quota of 5% of first-semester places, allocated only on the average grade of their school-leaving qualification. EU/EEA citizens are treated like German applicants. Places in unrestricted programmes go to every applicant who meets the formal requirements.
Typical entry requirements
| School-leaving certificate from outside Germany | Must be recognised as a higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung). uni-assist checks it using the anabin database and its country information. |
|---|---|
| Qualification not directly recognised | One-year Studienkolleg run jointly with Freie Universität Berlin (M, G, W or T course), entered by aptitude test with German at B2. It ends with the Feststellungsprüfung, which qualifies you only for subjects in that course's field. |
| German language | C1 certificate at application (e.g. Goethe-Zertifikat C1, telc C1 Hochschule, DSH-1, or TestDaF with at least 3 in all sections), then the DSH exam before enrolment unless you are exempt (e.g. TestDaF 4 in all sections) |
| European Baccalaureate | Apply directly through HU's own online portal instead of uni-assist |
| English language | Every undergraduate programme is taught only in German, so German C1 is the key language requirement. Extra language certificates are needed only for programmes such as American Studies, English, French, German and Spanish. |
Deadlines
- uni-assist: international applicants, all bachelor's programmes (winter semester) Non-binding Passed1 June - 15 July 2026 (winter semester 2026/27 window)
Applies to admission-restricted and unrestricted bachelor's programmes alike. The end date is a cut-off date. NC admissions for first-semester places are decided in early to mid August.
- Studienkolleg (with Freie Universität Berlin) Non-binding Passed1 June - 15 July 2026 (winter semester 2026/27 window)
Winter semester only. You apply via uni-assist, then sit the aptitude test in Berlin, usually in August.
- Direct application to HU (German or EU qualifications), NC programmes Non-binding Passed1 June - 15 July 2026 (winter semester 2026/27 window)
For programmes without admission restrictions, the direct-application window ran until 31 August 2026.
HU had not published dates for winter semester 2027/28 when checked (its deadlines page, as archived in June 2026, lists the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years only). The dates above are the winter semester 2026/27 windows. HU has used 1 June - 15 July for international bachelor's applications for several years, and the PDF academic calendar for each year is binding. Lectures for winter semester 2026/27 run from 12 October 2026 to 13 February 2027.
How to apply
With a school-leaving qualification from outside Germany, apply online through uni-assist ("My uni-assist"). Upload PDF scans of your originals or certified copies, official translations if they are not in German or English, and your German certificate. uni-assist checks your file and forwards it to HU, and you follow the decision on HU's status page. Applicants with a German Abitur or a European Baccalaureate apply directly on HU's portal. Medicine is handled by the Charité.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that is formally recognised as university entrance qualification for Germany, as checked by uni-assist.
- German at C1 level, because all undergraduate teaching is in German.
- In admission-restricted programmes, a strong average grade: the non-EU quota is ranked only on the grade of your entrance qualification.
- Extra requirements for particular programmes, such as further language certificates for language and literature degrees and a sports aptitude test for Sports Science.
Tips for applying to HU Berlin
- 1 Check your school certificate in the anabin database and uni-assist's country information before applying. If it does not give direct access, plan for the Studienkolleg route.
- 2 Get German to C1 before you apply. HU does not run preparatory German courses, and you will still take the DSH unless you have, for example, TestDaF 4 in every section.
- 3 Submit to uni-assist early in the 1 June - 15 July window. Missing documents can only be added up to the cut-off date.
- 4 Look at HU's published NC limit tables: they show the last grade admitted in each programme and help you judge your chances.
- 5 If you want to study Medicine, apply to the Charité, not to HU.
Costs & financial aid
Summer semester 2026 · figures in EUR
HU charges no tuition. Through the Deutschlandstipendium, it pays students of all nationalities €300 a month for at least two semesters. studierendenWERK Berlin and the HU student council offer financing advice, and HU lists further funding options for international students.
- €355.80 per semester, including the Germany semester ticket (€208.80)
- Semester contribution (summer semester 2026)
- €226.80 per semester (student council figure; total contribution quoted as €381.80)
- Germany semester ticket from winter 2026/27
- €300 per month, for at least 2 semesters
- Deutschlandstipendium
- €19.94
- Late re-registration fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester lectures mid-October to mid-February, summer semester mid-April to mid-July)
Mathematics
Taught in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. HU co-hosts the MATH+ Cluster of Excellence, re-approved for 2026-2032.
Business Administration (BWL)
An admission-restricted programme: in winter semester 2024/25 the Abitur-grade quota closed at 2.1, and 60% of places went through HU's own selection procedure.
Law
The Faculty of Law is housed in the historic "Kommode" on Bebelplatz in central Berlin.
Biology
Part of the Faculty of Life Sciences. The Institute of Biology is based in the Rhoda-Erdmann-Haus on Campus Nord, with 51 labs and measurement rooms.
Sports Science
One of the few HU bachelor's programmes with extra entry conditions: a sports aptitude test no older than two years and a medical certificate.
Research
- In the 2026-2032 round of the Excellence Strategy, the Berlin universities won five Clusters of Excellence, including MATH+ and NeuroCure (funded since 2007), in which HU is a lead institution.
- In 2024, HU spent €128.8 million of third-party research funding and had 24 ERC grantees.
- HU counts 30 Nobel Prize winners who researched there, including Emil Fischer (Chemistry 1902) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (Chemistry 2020).
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Language, Literature and Humanities
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (medical faculty shared with Freie Universität Berlin)
HU was ranked 68th worldwide and 4th in Germany in Emerging's Global Employability University Ranking and Survey (GEURS) 2026. HU does not publish a graduate employment rate on the pages reviewed.
Student life
HU has no single enclosed campus. Its four sites, Mitte, Nord, Dahlem and Adlershof, are spread across Berlin, and students live in ordinary city neighbourhoods. The university does not run its own halls of residence, so most students rent rooms through the studierendenWERK or on the private market. The semester contribution includes a Germany semester ticket for public transport. University Sports runs more than 300 sports courses, and Musik an der HU has four choirs, three orchestras and a big band. The Language Centre teaches up to 14 languages.
- Four campuses: Mitte (Unter den Linden), Nord, Dahlem and the science campus at Adlershof.
- University Sports offers more than 300 courses, from yoga and climbing to volleyball.
- Musik an der HU has four choirs, three orchestras, a big band and many chamber groups.
- The Language Centre offers courses in up to 14 languages, many in the UNIcert programme.
- The Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum library on Campus Mitte has open reading terraces.
Housing. HU has no halls of its own: student residences in Berlin are run by studierendenWERK BERLIN and often have waiting lists, so HU advises starting the search early and looking beyond the S-Bahn ring.
Location
HU's main building is at Unter den Linden 6 in Berlin-Mitte, opposite Bebelplatz, and the other campuses are across the city. Berlin is large: HU warns that 60-minute commutes are normal and that rents inside the S-Bahn ring (fare zone A) can be much higher than further out. Public transport is extensive, and the Germany semester ticket is included in the semester fee.
Nearest airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Notable alumni
- KM Karl MarxPhilosopher and political theorist; studied at the University of Berlin
- HH Heinrich HeinePoet best known for his lyric poetry; studied at the University of Berlin
- WE W. E. B. Du BoisCivil rights activist, sociologist and historian; studied in Berlin
- DB Dietrich BonhoefferTheologian, pastor and anti-Nazi dissident; studied theology in Berlin
- AS Arthur SchopenhauerPhilosopher; studied at the University of Berlin
- AW Alfred WegenerGeophysicist and polar researcher who proposed continental drift; doctorate from Berlin
- GG Gregor GysiPolitician and former President of the Party of the European Left; studied law at Humboldt-Universität
Frequently asked questions
Does Humboldt University of Berlin charge tuition fees?
No. All students, including international students, pay only a semester contribution, which includes the Germany semester ticket: €355.80 in summer 2026. The ticket rises to €226.80 from winter 2026/27, and HU's student council quotes a total of about €381.80.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at HU Berlin?
No. All of HU's undergraduate programmes are taught only in German, and you need German at C1 level to apply. Admitted students also take the DSH German exam before enrolling unless they are exempt.
How do international students apply to HU Berlin?
If your school qualification is from outside Germany, apply online through uni-assist within the winter semester window (1 June - 15 July in 2026). Applicants with a European Baccalaureate apply directly on HU's portal.
What if my school diploma does not qualify me to study in Germany?
You can apply to the one-year Studienkolleg that HU runs with Freie Universität Berlin. You need German at B2 and must pass an aptitude test, usually held in August. The course ends with the Feststellungsprüfung, which lets you study subjects in your course's field.
How hard is it to get into HU Berlin as a non-EU applicant?
HU publishes no acceptance rate. In admission-restricted (NC) programmes, non-EU applicants compete for 5% of first-semester places, ranked only on their school grade average. Programmes without restrictions admit everyone who meets the requirements.
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.
- HU Berlin: Facts & Figures (archived March 2026)
- HU Berlin: The Humboldt-Universität in rankings (archived January 2026)
- THE World University Rankings 2026: Humboldt University of Berlin
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- HU Berlin: Academic calendar and application deadlines (archived June 2026)
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