University of Greifswald
Universität Greifswald
One of Germany's oldest universities, founded in 1456, with a Baltic Sea town for a campus.
- Students
- 9,728
- International
- 9%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1456
About Greifswald
The University of Greifswald was founded on 17 October 1456 and is among the oldest universities in Germany and the Baltic Sea region. Because the region was ruled by Sweden after the Thirty Years War until 1815, it is also described as the oldest Swedish university. Its official name is now simply University of Greifswald; the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt name is no longer used.
It is small by German standards: 9,728 students were enrolled in winter semester 2025/26, including 886 foreign students (about 9 per cent). Five faculties cover Theology, Law and Economics, Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and University Medicine, which alone had 2,560 students. The university lists 131 possible degree courses.
Its research mission is "Challenges and solutions of a changing environment and society", organised in three domains: Baltic Sea Region, One Health and Prevention. The town hosts four external research institutions, including the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for animal health. Most degrees are taught in German, and applicants educated abroad must prove German, usually at level B2 to C2 depending on the subject, unless the course is offered purely in English. It suits students who want a compact university town by the sea and close contact with teachers.
Why students choose Greifswald
The town is the campus: university buildings sit in the historic centre, with the natural sciences and medicine campus on the eastern side.
Research centres on the Baltic Sea region, One Health and medical prevention, with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute located in town.
Some degree programmes are offered purely in English and need no German, and several master's courses such as Data Science and Earth Sciences and Global Change ask for English at B2.
Semester fees are low: EUR 152 at enrolment and EUR 127 on re-registration, and the fee is not a tuition fee.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 and summer semester 2027
Selectivity
German universities do not publish a single acceptance rate. Greifswald has degree courses without admission restrictions and locally restricted courses, where places are allocated on grades and, for some subjects, a lottery; Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy have separate national allocation for EU/EEA applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | A recognised higher education entrance qualification, checked against ANABIN or the uni-assist university admission check; if it does not give direct access, the Studienkolleg and its Feststellungsprüfung is the route. |
|---|---|
| German language | Level B2 to C2 depending on the subject, for example DSH 1 to 3 or TestDaF 3 to 5; Medicine and Dentistry need C2, Law and Business Administration need C1. |
| Applicants from China, India and Vietnam | An APS certificate is required with the application. |
| English language | Only needed for some courses: CEFR B2 for subjects such as the Bachelor's in Politics and many English-taught master's programmes, B1 for Mathematics and teaching degrees, A2 for Communication Studies. Accepted proofs are IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC or a school or degree certificate from listed English-speaking countries; certificates showing English as medium of instruction are not accepted. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2027 Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months1 November 2026 to 15 January 2027
Application window for international applicants, also covering the preparatory German course.
- Winter semester 2027/28 Non-binding In ~9 months1 May to 15 July 2027
For degree courses starting in the winter semester and the preparatory German course. M.Sc. Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation (non-EU/EEA applicants only): 1 October 2026 to 1 March 2027.
These are the dates the International Office lists for 2027 entry (checked 30 September 2026). Dates for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy (EU/EEA) are marked 'not yet finalized' by the university.
How to apply
Applicants with foreign qualifications apply online through uni-assist (my.uni-assist.de), which checks formal requirements and forwards documents to the university; an application fee applies. Required documents include a CV, passport copy, school certificates and translations, German and English proof where needed, and a TestAS certificate for first-semester Medicine and Dentistry. EU/EEA applicants to first-semester Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy apply through the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised entrance qualification that entitles you to study the chosen subject in Germany.
- German proficiency at the level set for the course, unless it is taught purely in English.
- Subject-specific proof: a motivation letter for M.Sc. Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation, an aptitude test for art and music courses, and TestAS for first-semester Medicine and Dentistry.
Tips for applying to Greifswald
- 1 Submit all documents through your My assist account as scans and do not post them; certificates must come with officially certified translations into English or German.
- 2 Check the German level for your subject first: it ranges from B2 up to C2 for Medicine, Dentistry and German studies.
- 3 If you are from China, India or Vietnam, get the APS certificate before applying.
- 4 If your German is not sufficient yet, apply for the preparatory German course (DSH), which shares the same application windows.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The International Office awards DAAD-STIBET scholarships to international students for particular commitment or to help them complete their studies, and a DAAD prize exists for outstanding international students. The university also points to the DAAD database of funding options and to student jobs.
- EUR 152 (student body EUR 11, student services EUR 110, enrolment fee EUR 31)
- Semester fee on enrolment
- EUR 127 (re-registration fee EUR 6)
- Semester fee on re-registration
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from 1 October, summer semester from 1 April)
Human Medicine and Dentistry
University Medicine had 2,560 students in winter 2025/26 and the two subjects are the most common fields among international students (121 and 145 respectively).
Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation
Offered at bachelor's and master's level; the M.Sc. asks for a motivation letter and has its own earlier window for non-EU/EEA applicants.
Physics
Close to the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology in Greifswald.
Law
After a 2013 state reform, Law is taught only at Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Baltic Studies and Scandinavian Studies
Reflect the Baltic Sea Region research domain and the university's long ties to northern Europe.
Pharmacy
An established degree at the university; 66 international students were enrolled in it.
Research
- Three research domains: Baltic Sea Region, One Health and Prevention, resting on 12 interdisciplinary key research topics.
- DFG-funded Research Training Groups on the Baltic region, including Kontaktzone Mare Balticum, Baltic Borderlands and Baltic Peripeties.
- Four external institutions in town: the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) and the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH).
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Law and Economics
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- University Medicine (Faculty of Medicine)
Student life
Greifswald is a small Baltic Sea town where students are a large part of daily life. The university says the town is the campus, with historic buildings in the centre. Semester fees fund cheap meals in the Mensa and the student body. The International Office advises on study, legal and social questions, and the Baltic coast and the islands of Rügen and Usedom are close for beaches and water sports.
- The semester fee gives access to cheap meals in the Mensa.
- The International Office offers FIT programme support, a welcome centre and an international career service.
- The university links to Moritz, a student media outlet in the town.
- Sailing clubs include the Akademischer Seglerverein and the Studentischer Regattaverein.
Location
Greifswald is on the Baltic coast of north-eastern Germany, between the islands of Rügen and Usedom, roughly 200 km north of Berlin and 100 km east of Rostock. The old town has the historic university buildings, and the natural sciences and medicine campus lies to the east of the centre. The university estimates living costs here at about EUR 920 a month.
Nearest airport: Rostock-Laage Airport (RLG)
Notable alumni
- JB Johannes BugenhagenLutheran reformer; studied the liberal arts at Greifswald from 1502 to 1504
- UV Ulrich von HuttenHumanist poet and reformer; was studying theology at Greifswald in 1509
- TB Theodor BillrothSurgeon regarded as the founder of modern abdominal surgery; enrolled in medicine at Greifswald
- EA Erich AuerbachLiterary scholar and author of Mimesis; earned his doctorate at Greifswald in 1921
- EM Ernst MayrEvolutionary biologist; entered Greifswald in 1923 to study medicine, then moved to biological sciences
- MS Michael SuccowEcologist and moorland researcher, Right Livelihood Award 1997; studied biology at Greifswald from 1960 to 1965
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Greifswald charge tuition fees?
The university lists no tuition fee for degree courses and says its semester fee is not a tuition fee. The semester fee is EUR 152 on enrolment and EUR 127 on re-registration.
How do I apply to Greifswald from abroad?
Apply online through uni-assist, which checks formal requirements and forwards your documents. The winter 2027/28 window runs from 1 May to 15 July 2027, and the summer 2027 window from 1 November 2026 to 15 January 2027.
Which German level does Greifswald require?
It depends on the subject, from B2 (for example DSH 1 or TestDaF 3) up to C2 for Medicine, Dentistry and German studies. Courses taught purely in English do not require German.
Can I study in English at Greifswald?
Some degree programmes are offered purely in English and need no German; check the course page. Many master's courses, such as Data Science and Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, require English at CEFR level B2. Most courses are otherwise taught in German.
How many international students study at Greifswald?
886 foreign students were enrolled in winter semester 2025/26, about 9 per cent of 9,728 students.
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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