Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
A 1558 university in a small Thuringian city, with two Clusters of Excellence, close ties to optics, and no tuition fees.
- Students
- 16,552
- International
- 15%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1558
About Uni Jena
The University of Jena was opened as a university with an imperial privilege on 2 February 1558, ten years after the Hohe Schule that preceded it. Around 1800, when Friedrich Schiller, Fichte, Hegel and Schelling taught here, Jena was a centre of German idealism and early Romanticism; the university has carried Schiller's name since 1934. Today it has 16,552 students (winter semester 2024/25) in ten faculties, about 15 percent of them international, from 118 countries.
The university works with Max Planck and Leibniz institutes and with high-tech companies in the city, and it won two Clusters of Excellence in 2025, Balance of the Microverse and Imaginamics, which qualified it to apply to become a University of Excellence. Physics and Astronomy is its most international faculty, with about 41 percent international students.
Every bachelor's, state examination and teacher-training programme requires German at DSH-2 level, so Jena is a place for students who are ready to study in German (the university runs a DSH preparation course for those with at least B1). There are no tuition fees, the semester fee includes a Deutschlandticket, and the university recommends a budget of just 750-900 euros a month, low for Germany. The university says it has the best student-teacher ratio in Germany.
Why students choose Uni Jena
No tuition fees and a recommended budget of only 750-900 euros a month, including rent of about 300 euros.
Two Clusters of Excellence, Balance of the Microverse and Imaginamics, and a University of Excellence bid to be decided on 2 October 2026.
Jena applies directly through its own online portal, not uni-assist, with one 1 May-15 July window for the winter semester.
The Studierendenwerk runs 21 halls of residence with about 3,000 places, at roughly 200-350 euros a month.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
Jena publishes no admission rate. Most undergraduate programmes are open to all qualified applicants. Programmes with local admission restrictions (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Biology, Nutrition and Psychology BSc and Communication Science BA) select by school-leaving grade, and Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy have Germany-wide restrictions and many international applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must be equivalent to a German university entrance qualification (check the DAAD or anabin databases); if not, take the one-year course at the Thuringian Studienkolleg in Nordhausen (apply via Jena's International Office) or the International Pathway Programme |
|---|---|
| German | DSH-2 or equivalent for all undergraduate programmes: Goethe C2 (GDS), DSD II, TestDaF with TDN 4 in all four parts, or telc C1 Hochschule (at least 'satisfactory'); DSH-1 is not enough |
| Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy | DSH-2 proof must be submitted with the application; first-semester places only in the winter semester |
| Applicants from China, India or Vietnam | Original APS certificate required |
Deadlines
- Summer semester (few programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027
Only a small number of programmes admit first-year students in the summer semester.
- Winter semester (all undergraduate programmes) Non-binding In ~9 months1 May to 15 July 2027
Standing application period published by Jena; most undergraduate programmes start only in the winter semester.
Jena publishes recurring application periods rather than year-specific dates: 1 May to 15 July for the winter semester and 1 December to 15 January for the summer semester.
How to apply
Register on the University of Jena's online application portal, complete the application and upload scanned certificates with sworn German or English translations, German-language proof, a tabular CV and (for China, India and Vietnam) the APS certificate. Applicants without DSH-2 yet can ask for conditional admission if they are in a C1-level German course; the certificate must be in by enrolment. B.A. students choose a major and a minor. Decisions arrive by email within about a week, or around mid-August for restricted programmes.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving certificate recognised as equivalent to a German university entrance qualification, or a passed Feststellungsprüfung.
- German at DSH-2 level (or an accepted equivalent) by enrolment.
- For restricted programmes, a strong school-leaving grade, or combined grade where the certificate is not equivalent to the Abitur.
- Complete documents with sworn translations, uploaded by the deadline.
Tips for applying to Uni Jena
- 1 If you only have DSH-1 or B2, you cannot start your degree: request conditional admission while you are in a C1 course, or take Jena's DSH preparation course (B1 needed to join).
- 2 For Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, send DSH-2 proof with your application; it cannot follow later.
- 3 Apply for a Studierendenwerk room by 15 July (or 15 January) for the following semester, as few rooms are available.
- 4 B.A. applicants must pick both a major and a minor subject, so check that your combination is allowed.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Jena charges no tuition fees. The university's international pages point to advice on financing studies through work and scholarships; non-EU students may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year, with no limit for student assistant jobs at the university.
- 333.05 euros (353.05 euros for new students)
- Semester fee, winter 2026/27
- About 200-350 euros a month
- Hall of residence rent
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Physics (BSc)
Taught in the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Jena's most international faculty (about 41 percent international students).
Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (BSc)
A locally restricted programme taught in the Faculty of Biological Sciences, where about 22 percent of students are international.
Medicine (state examination)
Germany-wide restricted; the Faculty of Medicine forms a joint body with the University Hospital, which employs more than 6,500 people.
Psychology (BSc)
One of Jena's locally restricted bachelor's programmes, in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
Teacher training (double subject)
The university says its double-subject teacher training programme is unique to Jena; 2,684 students were enrolled in 2024/25.
Nutritional Sciences (BSc)
A locally restricted programme on how diet affects health.
Research
- Clusters of Excellence Balance of the Microverse (funded since 2019) and Imaginamics; Jena has applied to become a University of Excellence, with the Excellence Commission's decision due on 2 October 2026.
- Third-party funding of 183 million euros in 2024, second only to the 2023 record of 203 million euros.
- Seven DFG Collaborative Research Centres, nine Research Training Groups and eight ERC grants (end of 2024).
- Co-founder of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
- Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
- Faculty of Biological Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
Jena publishes no graduate employment rate; 2,919 students graduated in the 2024 examination year. The Graduate Academy and Career Point support career entry.
Student life
More than 2,500 international students from over 100 countries study here, and newcomers get Welcome Buddies, WelcomeCafés at the International Centre and the International Office's support. Most students live in Studierendenwerk shared flats (one to eight flatmates sharing a kitchen and bathroom) or private WGs. The semester fee includes a Deutschlandticket and a Kulturticket for discounted entry to cultural venues in Jena.
- WelcomeCafé sessions each semester for new international students.
- Kulturticket and Deutschlandsemesterticket included in the semester fee.
- University collections open to the public, including the Phyletic Museum and the Botanical Garden.
- Historic student detention room (Karzer) preserved in the university.
Housing. The Studierendenwerk manages 21 halls with about 3,000 places at roughly 200-350 euros a month; international students apply by 15 January or 15 July for the following semester.
Location
Jena is a university and science city in Thuringia, central Germany. The university describes it as neither too small nor too big, with a lower cost of living than many German cities, plenty of sport and nature, and high-tech companies that cooperate with the university. Its 20th-century growth was closely tied to the Carl Zeiss optics company.
Nearest airport: Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF)
Notable alumni
- KM Karl MarxPhilosopher and economist; doctorate in philosophy from Jena, 1841
- GF Gottlob FregeLogician and philosopher; studied at Jena and was a mathematics professor there
- RC Rudolf CarnapPhilosopher; studied at Jena 1910-1914
- N NovalisRomantic poet; studied law at Jena
- HK Herbert KroemerPhysicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 2000; began his physics studies at Jena (1947-48) before degrees at Göttingen
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Jena charge tuition fees?
No. All students pay a semester fee, 333.05 euros for winter 2026/27, which includes a Deutschlandticket. Long-term students pay an extra 500 euros per semester.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at Jena?
No. All undergraduate programmes, including bachelor's, state examination and teacher training, require German at DSH-2 level or an accepted equivalent.
Do I apply to Jena through uni-assist?
No. International applicants apply directly through the University of Jena's online application portal.
What is Jena's application deadline for winter semester 2027/28?
The standing application period is 1 May to 15 July for the winter semester.
How much does it cost to live in Jena?
The university recommends 750-900 euros a month, including rent of about 300 euros, food, health insurance and the semester fee.
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 Jena: Bachelor, Diplom, State Examination, Teacher Training (international applicants)
- University of Jena: Degree programmes for international applicants
- University of Jena: Facts and Figures
- University of Jena: Profile
- University of Jena: Many good reasons to study in Jena
- University of Jena: Living in Jena
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