University of Bayreuth
Universität Bayreuth
A young, tuition-free campus university in Bavaria, known for Philosophy and Economics and African studies.
- Students
- 12,000
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1975
- QS World Ranking
- #472
- 2027 edition
About UBT
The University of Bayreuth was founded in 1975 in northern Bavaria and was built from the start around interdisciplinary research and teaching. It has about 12,000 students, 1,639 academic staff (281 of them professors) and more than 186 degree programmes across seven faculties, on a single green campus in Bayreuth and a satellite campus in Kulmbach for food, nutrition and health sciences.
Its best-known strengths are unusual combinations: the Philosophy and Economics bachelor's, African studies (home of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence), the Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry and Geophysics (BGI), and polymer and colloid research. The faculties cover mathematics, physics and computer science; biology, chemistry and earth sciences; law, business and economics; languages and literatures; humanities and social sciences; engineering; and life sciences.
Bayreuth charges no tuition, only a semester fee of about 170 euros. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German and have unrestricted admission for applicants who meet the entrance-qualification and language requirements; a few, such as Philosophy and Economics and Media Studies, use an aptitude assessment. English-taught bachelor's options include Data, Science and AI and African Studies: Language, Arts, Philosophy.
Why students choose UBT
No tuition fees for any student, only a semester fee of 172 euros for winter semester 2026/27, which includes a local public transport ticket.
Philosophy and Economics is one of Bayreuth's signature interdisciplinary bachelor's degrees; Volt co-founder Damian Boeselager studied it here.
English-taught bachelor's in Data, Science and AI and in African Studies need English B2, with German A1 to be shown by the end of the second semester.
Almost everything sits on one campus, ranked 38th in the THE Young University Ranking 2024.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
Bayreuth publishes no acceptance rate. Most bachelor's programmes have unrestricted admission for anyone meeting the entrance-qualification and language requirements. Some use an aptitude assessment (e.g. Philosophy and Economics, Media Studies, Ecology and the Environmental Sciences, Business Administration and Engineering), and a few are restricted-admission programmes allocated via Hochschulstart (e.g. the dual German-French and German-Spanish law degrees and Sport, Business and Law).
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must be recognised as a higher education entrance qualification in Germany; checked by uni-assist through a preliminary review documentation (VPD), which takes about 6-8 weeks |
|---|---|
| German (German-taught programmes) | At least B2 at application; some programmes require C1/DSH-2. B2: DSH-1 or TestDaF 14 points with no part below TDN 3; C1: DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 x TDN 4. Bayreuth also runs its own DSH exam before each semester |
| English (English-taught programmes) | B2 for Data, Science and AI and African Studies (e.g. IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80), plus German A1 by the end of the second semester |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Guidance values for B2: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80 (old scale) or 4.0 (new scale from 21 January 2026), PTE Academic 60, Cambridge First Grade B. For C1: IELTS 7.5, TOEFL iBT 95 or 5.0, PTE 76. |
Deadlines
- Non-EU applicants, summer semester 2027 (selected programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 October 2026 to 15 January 2027
Only some programmes, such as Applied Computer Science and Economics, can be started in the summer semester.
- Non-EU applicants, winter semester 2027/28 (most bachelor's) Non-binding In ~9 months15 April to 15 July 2027
Data, Science and AI opens earlier, on 1 March. Restricted-admission programmes run from 28 April to 15 July.
- EU applicants, winter semester 2027/28 (unrestricted bachelor's) Non-binding In ~12 months15 April to 15 October 2027
Programmes with an aptitude assessment or restricted admission usually close on 15 July for all applicants.
Bayreuth lists recurring application periods (day and month) for each programme; the years shown apply them to the next intake. The uni-assist VPD must be requested by the programme's deadline and can be submitted up to four weeks later.
How to apply
Request a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist as early as possible, then apply online through the University of Bayreuth's CAMPUSonline portal during the programme's application period and upload the VPD and language certificates. No paper documents or certified copies are needed. After admission, accept the place in the portal, pay the semester fee and complete enrolment.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that gives access to higher education in Germany, confirmed by a uni-assist VPD.
- The language level set by the programme's examination regulations: German B2 or C1/DSH-2, or English B2 for English-taught programmes.
- For aptitude-assessment programmes such as Philosophy and Economics, success in the programme's aptitude assessment.
- A complete online application in CAMPUSonline within the application period.
Tips for applying to UBT
- 1 Request your uni-assist VPD immediately: it takes about 6-8 weeks and must be requested before the Bayreuth deadline.
- 2 Non-EU applicants have a 15 July deadline for most programmes, three months earlier than EU applicants in unrestricted programmes.
- 3 If your German certificate is not on the accepted list but is at least B2, you can sit Bayreuth's own DSH exam just before the semester.
- 4 For the English-taught programmes, plan to reach German A1 by the end of your second semester.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The University of Bayreuth charges no university fees; every student pays only the semester fee, which covers the Association of Student Services and a semester ticket for public transport in Bayreuth.
- 172 euros (87 euros student services + 85 euros semester ticket)
- Semester fee, winter 2026/27
- None
- Tuition
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Philosophy and Economics (BA)
An interdisciplinary German-taught degree with an aptitude assessment; alumni include Volt co-founder and MEP Damian Boeselager.
Data, Science and AI (BA/BSc)
English-taught (B2) with unrestricted admission and an application window opening on 1 March.
African Studies: Language, Arts, Philosophy (BA)
English-taught (B2), linked to the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence.
Theatre and Media (BA)
Aptitude-assessed programme requiring German at DSH-2 level.
Ecology and the Environmental Sciences (BSc)
Geoecology programme with an aptitude assessment, part of the university's earth and environmental sciences profile.
Food and Health Sciences (BSc)
Taught by the Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health on the Kulmbach campus.
Research
- Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, conducting African studies research at an international level.
- Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry and Geophysics (BGI), whose excellence the university says is recognised worldwide.
- Polymer and colloid research as a driver of innovation.
- AI Responsibility Centre launched by the university.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
- Faculty of Law, Business and Economics
- Faculty of Languages and Literatures
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering Science
- Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health (Kulmbach)
Student life
Bayreuth is a campus university: almost all faculties, the library, cafeterias and green spaces are on one site, which the university calls its GreenCampus. The semester fee includes a ticket for local public transport. With about 12,000 students in a small city, university life is concentrated and easy to navigate. The Kulmbach campus hosts the Faculty of Life Sciences. Students who arrive with little German can build it up during their studies: English-taught programmes only require German A1 by the end of the second semester, and the university runs its own DSH exam before each semester.
- Single GreenCampus with most faculties in one place.
- Semester ticket for public transport included in the semester fee.
- Satellite campus in Kulmbach for food, nutrition and health.
- Cafeteria, Frischraum and coffee bars on campus.
Location
Bayreuth is a town of about 72,000 people in northern Bavaria and the capital of Upper Franconia; it hosts the annual Bayreuth Festival of Richard Wagner's operas. The university was founded partly to strengthen a region then close to the borders with East Germany and Czechoslovakia, and most of it sits on a single campus rather than scattered across the town.
Nearest airport: Nuremberg Airport (NUE)
Notable alumni
- AV Andreas VoßkuhleFormer President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany; studied law at LMU Munich and Bayreuth
- DB Damian BoeselagerCo-founder of Volt and Member of the European Parliament; studied Philosophy and Economics at Bayreuth
- AO Auma ObamaKenyan activist and half-sister of Barack Obama; PhD from the University of Bayreuth (1996)
- EB Eberhard BodenschatzPhysicist and director at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization; doctorate in theoretical physics from Bayreuth
- AW Alice WeidelCo-leader of the AfD party and member of the Bundestag; studied economics and business administration at Bayreuth
- TH Thomas HackerFDP member of the Bundestag 2017-2025; studied business administration at Bayreuth
Frequently asked questions
Is the University of Bayreuth free for international students?
Yes. Bayreuth charges no tuition fees; every student pays only a semester fee, 172 euros for winter 2026/27, which includes a local transport ticket.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at Bayreuth?
Yes, for example Data, Science and AI and African Studies: Language, Arts, Philosophy, both requiring English B2 and German A1 by the end of the second semester. Most other bachelor's programmes are taught in German.
What is the University of Bayreuth application deadline for international students?
For most bachelor's programmes, non-EU applicants apply between 15 April and 15 July for the winter semester. Data, Science and AI opens on 1 March.
Do I need uni-assist to apply to Bayreuth?
Yes. Applicants with qualifications from abroad need a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist, which takes about 6-8 weeks, and then apply via Bayreuth's CAMPUSonline portal.
What German level does Bayreuth require?
At least B2 for German-taught programmes (e.g. DSH-1 or TestDaF 14 points), and C1/DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 x TDN 4 where the examination regulations require it.
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.
- University of Bayreuth: Portrait of the university (status June 2024)
- University of Bayreuth: Faculties
- University of Bayreuth: Application and Enrolment
- University of Bayreuth: Degree Students (international applicants)
- University of Bayreuth: Periods and deadlines for bachelor's
- University of Bayreuth: Evidence of language proficiency
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