University of Göttingen
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
A 1737 Enlightenment university linked to more than 40 Nobel laureates and a campus of Max Planck institutes.
- Students
- 27,229
- International
- 19%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1737
About Göttingen
The University of Göttingen was founded in 1737 by George II, King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, in the spirit of the Enlightenment: it put its faculties on an equal footing instead of ranking theology first. It is the largest and oldest university in Lower Saxony, with 27,229 students in winter semester 2025/26, 18.6% of them international, in 13 faculties covering the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, theology and medicine, but not engineering. In 2003 it became the first comprehensive German university to become a foundation under public law.
Göttingen was long regarded as the centre of the mathematical world, until more than 50 professors and lecturers were forced out under Nazi rule in 1933. The university is connected with more than 40 Nobel laureates, and 14 of them, including Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Neher and Stefan Hell, won for research done in Göttingen. Today it works closely with the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the German Primate Center, the German Aerospace Center and five Max Planck Institutes on the Göttingen Campus.
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German, with the B.Sc. Ecosystem Sciences as a fully English-taught exception, and there are no tuition fees. Non-EU applicants apply directly to the university, and earlier than EU applicants. Göttingen suits students who want a classic research university where the largest first-year cohorts are in law, business, forestry and agriculture, and where the natural sciences sit next to world-class research institutes.
In publica commoda
“For the good of all” — university motto
Why students choose Göttingen
No tuition fees in Lower Saxony: the semester contribution is €484.18 for winter 2026/27, including a Germany-wide semester ticket for public transport.
An English-taught B.Sc. in Ecosystem Sciences, run by the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, with an elective semester for a research internship or study abroad.
The Göttingen Campus links the university with five Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center and the German Aerospace Center.
More than 40 Nobel laureates are connected with Göttingen, including Erwin Neher and Stefan Hell, whose prize-winning research was done in Göttingen.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (standing annual deadlines)
Selectivity
Göttingen publishes no overall admission rate. Many bachelor's programmes are open admission; others, such as Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Forest Sciences and Ecosystem Sciences, have restricted admission and select by grades. Medicine and Dentistry are allocated via hochschulstart for EU applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur or equivalent EU school-leaving certificate | Direct entry; open-admission programmes admit all qualified applicants, restricted programmes rank by grade |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must give direct or subject-restricted university entrance; otherwise a Studienkolleg and the assessment test are required first |
| B.Sc. Ecosystem Sciences (English-taught) | General or subject-related university entrance qualification and English at least at CEFR B2; restricted admission |
| English language | German-taught bachelor's programmes require only German at A1 level when you apply, but DSH-2 or an equivalent (e.g. TestDaF with 4 in all four parts) when you enrol; Psychology requires DSH-3. Medicine and Dentistry applicants need DSH-2 or equivalent already at application. The English-taught B.Sc. Ecosystem Sciences requires English at CEFR B2 or higher. |
Deadlines
- Non-EU applicants: restricted-admission bachelor's programmes (1st semester) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~7 months30 April 2027
Application window 1 March to 30 April for the winter semester; much earlier than for EU applicants, to leave time for a visa.
- Non-EU applicants: Studienkolleg (1st semester) Non-binding In ~7 months30 April 2027
Application window 1 March to 30 April for the winter semester.
- EU/EEA applicants: restricted-admission programmes Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application window 1 June to 15 July, via the DoSV procedure. Open-admission programmes: EU applicants enrol directly from 1 June to 30 September.
- Non-EU applicants: open-admission bachelor's programmes (1st semester) Non-binding In ~12 months30 September 2027
Application window 1 March to 30 September; apply early if you need a visa.
Göttingen publishes these as standing annual windows for the winter semester (not tied to a specific year), so the 2027 dates above apply the same rule. Deadlines for master's and PhD programmes are set per programme.
How to apply
Both EU and non-EU applicants apply directly to the University of Göttingen through its own online portal and 'Application Guide' (not uni-assist); the procedure is fully online. Certificates not in German, English or French need a certified translation. EU applicants to restricted programmes are admitted through the dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV); EU applicants for Medicine and Dentistry apply via hochschulstart.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised university entrance qualification, or a passed Studienkolleg assessment test.
- German at DSH-2 level by enrolment for German-taught programmes (DSH-3 for Psychology).
- For restricted-admission programmes, a competitive school grade.
- For Ecosystem Sciences, strong English (at least B2) and interest in field and laboratory work.
Tips for applying to Göttingen
- 1 If you are from outside the EU, note the early deadline: 30 April for restricted programmes and the Studienkolleg, not 15 July.
- 2 Use the online Application Guide to see the exact language rules and procedure for your programme.
- 3 You can apply with basic German (A1) for most German-taught bachelor's programmes, but plan to pass DSH-2 before enrolment; the DSH exam can be taken in Göttingen.
- 4 Check that any DSH certificate from another university is from one whose DSH rules are registered with the German Rectors' Conference; otherwise Göttingen will not recognise it.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Göttingen charges no tuition fees, only the semester contribution; long-term students pay an additional €500 per semester. International students on scholarships funded from German public money pay a reduced contribution (€409.18 in winter 2026/27), and students can apply for exemption from the Studentenwerk contribution under certain conditions.
- €484.18 (administrative fee €75, student body €14, Studentenwerk €157, Germany-wide semester ticket €226.80, culture semester ticket €11.38)
- Semester contribution, winter 2026/27
- €500 per semester in addition
- Long-term study fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Law (State Examination)
Together with Business Administration, the programme with the most first-year students in winter 2025/26 (just over 420 each).
Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology (BSc)
Göttingen has its own Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology; about 180 first-year students started in 2025/26.
Ecosystem Sciences (BSc)
A fully English-taught, research-based bachelor's with field, lab and modelling work and an elective semester for internships or study abroad.
Physics (BSc)
Göttingen is where Max Born, James Franck and Werner Heisenberg did the research that won them Nobel Prizes in Physics.
Agricultural Sciences (BSc)
One of the largest intakes (about 180 first-year students in 2025/26), with many English-taught master's options to follow.
Mathematics (BSc)
Göttingen was long regarded as the hub of the mathematical world, home to Gauss and later a leading 20th-century centre.
Research
- The Göttingen Campus alliance with the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the German Primate Center, the German Aerospace Center and five Max Planck Institutes, including jointly run collaborative research centres.
- Nobel laureate Stefan Hell's group developed the MINFLUX concept for ultra-high-resolution fluorescence microscopy.
- €101.1 million in third-party funding in 2024, including €49.4 million from the DFG (excluding the Medical Center).
- Göttingen's Excellence Cluster Multiscale Bioimaging (MBExC), active since 2019, was not renewed in the 2025 Excellence Strategy round, so the university has no Cluster of Excellence from 2026.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology
- Faculty of Geoscience and Geography
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Humanities
- University Medical Center Göttingen (Faculty of Medicine)
Student life
The university's historic buildings, including the Aula on Wilhelmsplatz, are in Göttingen's old town, and the university also runs collections, museums and gardens open to the public. Around 5,000 new students enrolled in winter 2025/26, and almost one in five students is international. Students live in Studentenwerk residences or in shared flats in the city. The semester contribution includes a Germany-wide semester ticket for public transport and a culture semester ticket, and orientation events welcome new students at the start of each winter semester.
- 5,074 international students in winter semester 2025/26 (18.6%).
- The semester contribution includes a Germany-wide public transport ticket and a culture semester ticket (Kultursemesterticket).
- Collections, museums and gardens are open to students and the public.
- Orientation events for new students each winter semester.
Housing. Students rent rooms in Studentenwerk Göttingen residences or on the private market; the Studentenwerk contribution (€157) is part of the semester fee.
Location
Göttingen is a university city in southern Lower Saxony. With around 27,000 students at the university and a cluster of Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center and the German Aerospace Center nearby, research and student life shape the city. The university's central buildings are in and around the historic old town.
Nearest airport: Hannover Airport (HAJ)
Notable alumni
- JR J. Robert OppenheimerPhysicist who led the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos laboratory; doctorate in physics from Göttingen in 1927 under Max Born
- HH Heinrich HeinePoet; continued his law studies at Göttingen
- OV Otto von BismarckFirst Chancellor of the German Empire; studied law at Göttingen from 1832 to 1833
- AS Arthur SchopenhauerPhilosopher; became a student at Göttingen in 1809
- RV Richard von WeizsäckerPresident of Germany 1984-1994; studied history and law at Göttingen
- GS Gerhard SchröderChancellor of Germany 1998-2005; studied law at Göttingen from 1966 to 1971
- UV Ursula von der LeyenPresident of the European Commission; began studying economics at Göttingen in 1977
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Göttingen charge tuition fees?
No. Lower Saxony has no tuition fees for German or international students. You pay a semester contribution of €484.18 (winter 2026/27), which includes a Germany-wide public transport ticket.
What is the Göttingen application deadline for international students?
Non-EU applicants apply between 1 March and 30 April for restricted-admission bachelor's programmes and the Studienkolleg, and by 30 September for open-admission programmes. EU applicants apply from 1 June to 15 July for restricted programmes.
Do I apply to Göttingen through uni-assist?
No. EU and non-EU applicants apply directly to the University of Göttingen through its own online portal and Application Guide.
What German level do I need for a bachelor's at Göttingen?
For most German-taught bachelor's programmes you can apply with A1 German, but you must show DSH-2 or an equivalent (such as TestDaF 4 in all parts) when you enrol. Psychology requires DSH-3, and Medicine and Dentistry require DSH-2 at application.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at Göttingen?
Yes, the B.Sc. Ecosystem Sciences is taught completely in English and requires English at B2 level or higher. Most other bachelor's programmes are in German, while many master's and half of the PhD programmes are in English.
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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