Leibniz University Hannover
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
A TU9 technical university in a Guelph palace, strong in quantum optics and production engineering.
- Students
- 25,378
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1831
About LUH
Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) began on 2 May 1831 as a Higher Vocational School with 64 pupils. It moved into the Welfenschloss, the former Guelph palace, in 1879, became the Royal College of Technology, added the humanities, law and economics in the 20th century, and took the name of the polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 2006. It is one of the TU9 group of leading German universities of technology.
In winter 2025/26 LUH had 25,378 students, 14% of them foreign nationals, in nine faculties plus three schools, with 82 degree programmes (31 undergraduate). Engineering is central, from mechanical and electrical to civil engineering and geodesy, but the Faculty of Humanities is actually the largest, and law, economics, architecture and landscape sciences are all taught. Research is organised in six key areas, including Quantum Optics and Gravitational Physics, Optical Technologies, and Production Engineering, and LUH is involved in the Clusters of Excellence QuantumFrontiers, PhoenixD and Hearing4all, all three approved in May 2025. LUH has also applied to become a University of Excellence; that decision is due on 2 October 2026 and was still pending when this profile was checked.
LUH suits students who want a technical university with a broad subject range in a big, green, affordable state capital. Undergraduate teaching is mostly in German: international applicants need German at B1 to apply and C1 by enrolment, and non-EU applicants need a uni-assist VPD before applying.
Why students choose LUH
There are no tuition fees; the semester fee of 453.16 euros (winter 2026/27) includes a Deutschlandticket for local transport across Germany.
Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and Sustainable Engineering can also be started in the summer semester, unlike most German bachelor's programmes.
The new Medical Technology BSc, run with Hannover Medical School (MHH), started in winter 2026/27 with no admission restrictions.
Research in quantum optics and gravitational physics gives physics students access to one of LUH's internationally leading fields, backed by the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (standing annual deadlines)
Selectivity
LUH publishes no overall admission rate. Unrestricted programmes (no selection, no NC) admit everyone who meets the requirements; restricted programmes select applicants and publish past NC cut-offs, which LUH says are only a rough guide. Remaining places in restricted programmes are allocated by lottery just before the semester starts.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur or equivalent | Direct entry to unrestricted programmes; restricted programmes select by grade (NC) |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must give direct university access in Germany; if not, the Lower Saxony Studienkolleg (preparatory college) at LUH is the route. Non-EU applicants need a uni-assist VPD, and applicants with qualifications from China, India or Vietnam need an APS certificate |
| German language | B1 to apply for a bachelor's; C1 by enrolment, e.g. DSH-2, TestDaF 4 in all four parts, DSD II, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, Goethe or ÖSD C2 |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are taught in German. LUH offers 13 programmes taught exclusively in English, 5 with English-taught majors and 8 bilingual programmes, mostly at master's level; some bachelor's programmes require proof of foreign-language skills set in their admission regulations. |
Deadlines
- Restricted bachelor's and state examination programmes (winter semester) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application period 1 June to 15 July each year. Non-EU applicants must have requested their uni-assist VPD at least eight weeks before the deadline.
- Unrestricted bachelor's programmes (winter semester) Non-binding In ~12 months30 September 2027
Enrolment period 1 June to 30 September. Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and Sustainable Engineering can also be started in summer (enrolment 1 December to 31 March).
LUH publishes these as standing annual periods (1 June to 15 July for restricted programmes; 1 June to 30 September enrolment for unrestricted ones), so the 2027 dates follow the same rule. Applicants without direct university entrance cannot apply to the Lower Saxony Studienkolleg directly: they apply for a degree programme at LUH by the normal deadline and are forwarded to the Studienkolleg, whose entrance test (German at B1 or above required) is held in February and in August/September.
How to apply
Apply online through the LUH application portal. Non-EU applicants must first obtain a VPD (preliminary review documentation) from uni-assist, applied for at least eight weeks before the end of the LUH application period, and applicants with Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese qualifications need an individual APS certificate. For unrestricted programmes, eligible applicants go straight to enrolment; for restricted programmes, LUH selects and sends admission letters, followed by enrolment.
What admissions looks for
- A university entrance qualification recognised in Germany, or a passed Studienkolleg assessment.
- German at B1 at application and C1 by enrolment for German-taught bachelor's programmes.
- For restricted programmes, a competitive school grade relative to recent NC values.
- Any programme-specific aptitude proof or pre-study internship listed in the admission regulations.
Tips for applying to LUH
- 1 Request your uni-assist VPD early: LUH says it must be applied for at least eight weeks before its application deadline.
- 2 Check the past NC values for restricted programmes on LUH's admission-restrictions page to judge your chances, but treat them only as a guide.
- 3 If you miss out on a restricted programme, apply for the lottery of remaining places just before the semester starts.
- 4 Consider a summer-semester start in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, or Sustainable Engineering if your school year ends at the wrong time.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
LUH charges no tuition; students pay only the semester fee, and long-term fees of 500 euros per semester apply only once you exceed the standard study period plus six tolerance semesters. Scholarships include the Deutschlandstipendium, the Lower Saxony Scholarship and the Leibniz Talents programme, and LUH offers emergency and degree-completion financial support for international students.
- 453.16 euros
- Semester fee, winter 2026/27
- 226.80 euros
- Of which Deutschlandsemesterticket
- 500 euros per semester
- Long-term study fee (after standard period plus 6 semesters)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from 1 October, summer semester from 1 April)
Mechanical Engineering (BSc)
Taught by LUH's second-largest engineering faculty (2,527 students), with production engineering one of LUH's six key research areas; can start in winter or summer.
Medical Technology (BSc)
New six-semester programme run jointly with Hannover Medical School from winter 2026/27, covering AI and robotics in medicine to medical device approval.
Physics (BSc)
Linked to LUH's key area of Quantum Optics and Gravitational Physics and the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence.
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (BSc)
From LUH's largest engineering faculty by students (3,045), about a third of them international; can start in summer as well as winter.
Architecture (BSc)
Taught by the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences (1,456 students), reflecting LUH's broad profile beyond engineering.
Research
- Involvement in three Clusters of Excellence: QuantumFrontiers, PhoenixD and Hearing4all.
- Six key research areas, including Quantum Optics and Gravitational Physics, Optical Technologies, Biomedical Research and Technology, and Production Engineering.
- 25 ERC grants, 6 collaborative research centres and 384 doctorates completed in 2025.
- LUH reports more than four million euros in funding for developing the Einstein Telescope, a planned gravitational-wave observatory.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodetic Science
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Economics and Management
- Leibniz School of Education
- Leibniz School of Optics and Photonics
- QUEST Leibniz Research School
Student life
LUH's heart is the Welfenschloss, the former Guelph palace in the Nordstadt next to the Welfengarten park. The semester fee covers a Deutschlandticket, a culture ticket and bike workshops, so getting around Hannover and Germany is cheap. The Studentenwerk Hannover runs canteens and halls, and LUH estimates student living costs at 965 to 1,106 euros a month. With 25,000 students and a large humanities faculty, the student body is more mixed than at a typical engineering school.
- Main building in the 19th-century Welfenschloss, with its lion-flanked staircase.
- Semester fee includes a Deutschlandticket, a Kulturticket and bike workshops.
- LUH is a member of TU9 and the EULiST European university alliance.
- The Leibniz Talents programme and Deutschlandstipendium support high achievers.
Housing. LUH does not guarantee housing; the Studentenwerk Hannover runs student residences, and international students should start looking early.
Location
Hannover is the capital of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. LUH's main campus is in the Nordstadt around the Welfenschloss and Welfengarten, with further sites across the city. The university describes the city as modern and surrounded by nature, and the Deutschlandticket in the semester fee makes regional trains and local transport free to use. LUH puts average student living costs at 965 to 1,106 euros a month.
Nearest airport: Hannover Airport (HAJ)
Notable alumni
- WB Wilhelm BuschHumorist and illustrator of Max and Moritz; studied mechanical engineering at Hannover Polytechnic from 1847
- CO Christian Otto MohrCivil and structural engineer known for Mohr's circle; attended the Polytechnic School in Hannover
- HF Henrich FockeAviation pioneer who built the first practical, fully controllable helicopter (1936)
- PJ Pascual JordanTheoretical physicist and co-founder of quantum mechanics; enrolled at the Technical University of Hannover in 1921
- CA Carl Adam PetriMathematician and computer scientist who invented Petri nets; studied mathematics at TH Hannover from 1950
- DM David McAllisterMinister-President of Lower Saxony from 2010 and later chair of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee; studied law at LUH
Frequently asked questions
Does Leibniz University Hannover charge tuition fees?
No. All students, including non-EU students, pay only the semester fee: 453.16 euros for winter 2026/27, which includes a Deutschlandticket.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at Leibniz University Hannover?
Generally no. Bachelor's programmes are taught in German; international applicants need German at B1 to apply and C1 (e.g. DSH-2 or TestDaF 4x4) by enrolment. Most of LUH's English-taught programmes are master's degrees.
Do I need uni-assist to apply to LUH?
Non-EU applicants need a VPD from uni-assist, applied for at least eight weeks before the LUH deadline, but the application itself goes through the LUH online portal.
What is the application deadline at Leibniz University Hannover?
15 July for restricted bachelor's programmes (applications from 1 June). Unrestricted programmes accept enrolment from 1 June to 30 September.
How many students does Leibniz University Hannover have?
25,378 in winter 2025/26, of whom 14% are foreign nationals, across nine faculties and three schools.
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.
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