University of Konstanz
Universität Konstanz
A 1966 reform university and German University of Excellence on a hilltop campus above Lake Constance, 4 km from Switzerland.
- Students
- 9,865
- 6,241 undergraduates
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,000
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1966
About Uni Konstanz
The University of Konstanz was founded in 1966 as a reform university and moved onto its campus on the Gießberg hill in 1972. It is Germany's southernmost university, on the shore of Lake Constance about four kilometres from the Swiss border. Instead of traditional institutes and chairs it is organised into departments within three faculties: Sciences; Humanities; and Politics, Law and Economics.
Konstanz has won funding in Germany's Excellence Initiative and Excellence Strategy since 2006 and is one of the country's Universities of Excellence, with the concept "University of Konstanz - creative.together". Its two current Clusters of Excellence are the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour and The Politics of Inequality, and the Zukunftskolleg is its institute for advanced study for early-career researchers.
It is a compact campus university with 9,865 students in winter 2025/26, about 14% of them international. Bachelor's programmes are taught in German, so international school leavers need DSH-2 level German; the English-taught offer is at master's level. It suits students who want a research-led, small-department education in a lakeside town rather than a big city.
Why students choose Uni Konstanz
Politics - Public Administration - Management is a restricted-admission BA at a university whose Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" puts political science at the centre of its research profile.
Research-led teaching from the first semester on a single campus, with a library holding two million media and long opening hours.
Free language courses at the university's Language Institute, including German, which helps international students reach and keep the level needed for German-taught degrees.
A lakeside setting on the German-Swiss border, with the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen directly next to Konstanz.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (standing annual deadlines)
Selectivity
Konstanz publishes no admit rate. It received 12,544 applications (9,233 active) for winter semester 2025/26. Many bachelor's programmes have no admission restriction; restricted ones (such as Biological Sciences, Life Science, Law, Politics - Public Administration - Management and Psychology) select mainly by school-leaving grade, with 8% of places reserved for non-EU/EEA international applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur or German-school qualification | Apply online in ZEuS; restricted programmes also require registration with hochschulstart.de (DoSV) |
|---|---|
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must be a recognised higher education entrance qualification in Germany (check the anabin recognition portal); otherwise a Studienkolleg and assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung) are needed. Swiss Matura qualifies for all programmes, the Berufsmatura does not |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Applicants who did not earn their school qualification at a German-speaking school must prove German with the DSH-2, TestDaF, DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C1, ÖSD C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, or the German part of a Studienkolleg assessment test. English-taught programmes are master's only. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2027 (Law, Computer Science) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027 (restricted) / 15 March 2027 (unrestricted)
Only a few programmes admit in the summer semester; applications open 25 November.
- Restricted-admission bachelor's and Law (winter semester 2027/28) Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application period opens 7 May. Applies to Biological Sciences, Life Science, Law, Politics - Public Administration - Management and Psychology.
- Unrestricted bachelor's (winter semester 2027/28) Non-binding In ~11 months15 September 2027
Application period opens 7 May. Includes Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, History, Economics and most humanities programmes.
Konstanz uses standing annual deadlines: 15 July (restricted) and 15 September (unrestricted) for the winter semester, 15 January and 15 March for the summer semester. The 2027 dates above apply those rules. Applicants for the Studienkolleg should apply by 15 July. Late applications are not considered.
How to apply
Apply directly and personally via the ZEuS portal (applications through agencies are not accepted), uploading the school-leaving certificate and grades in the original language with sworn German or English translations, German language certificate and orientation test certificate. You may apply for up to three programmes, of which only one may be unrestricted. For restricted programmes, register with hochschulstart.de (DoSV) first. Non-EU applicants must enrol in person.
What admissions looks for
- A higher education entrance qualification recognised in Germany, documented with sworn translations.
- German at DSH-2 or equivalent level, since bachelor's teaching is in German.
- For restricted programmes, a strong school-leaving grade average, which is the primary selection criterion.
- Relevant vocational training, practical experience, extracurricular achievements or volunteer service, which are weighted in the qualification ranking.
Tips for applying to Uni Konstanz
- 1 Apply yourself in ZEuS: Konstanz rejects applications submitted through agencies.
- 2 Use your three choices wisely: only one of them may be an unrestricted programme.
- 3 Non-EU applicants to restricted programmes compete within an 8% quota, so apply by 15 July with a complete file and the best possible grades.
- 4 Start the housing search as soon as you apply: finding a room in Konstanz is often time-consuming, and Seezeit has about 2,400 rooms for the whole student body.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Most international students finance their own studies. The university points to the DAAD scholarship database, the Deutschlandstipendium, organisations for gifted students and a refugee scholarship programme, and offers emergency support, including DAAD graduation scholarships. Non-EU students facing unforeseen financial hardship after starting their studies can apply to defer or pay tuition in instalments.
- 209 euros (administrative fee 80, Seezeit 115, student body 14)
- Semester fee (from summer semester 2026)
- 1,500 euros (1,709 euros including semester fee)
- Non-EU/EEA tuition per semester
- 650 euros per semester (859 euros including semester fee)
- Second degree fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer semester)
Politics - Public Administration - Management (BA)
Restricted-admission degree (15 July deadline) at the university that hosts the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality".
Life Science (BSc)
A restricted-admission science degree (15 July deadline), with an English-taught Life Science MSc to follow.
Psychology (BSc)
Restricted admission with a 15 July deadline, in the Faculty of Sciences.
Law (First Examination in Law and Bachelor of Laws)
A 10-semester state-examination programme that also awards an LLB, with entry in both winter and summer semesters.
Mathematical Finance (BSc)
An unrestricted six-semester degree combining mathematics and finance, open until 15 September.
Nanoscience (BSc)
An unrestricted science degree open until 15 September, with an English-taught Nanoscience MSc to follow.
Research
- Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, studying how animals, humans and groups act together.
- Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality", on the political causes and consequences of inequality.
- The Zukunftskolleg, an institute for advanced study that supports early-career researchers, is a key project of the Excellence Strategy.
- Earlier excellence projects include the Center of Excellence "Cultural Foundations of Social Integration" (2006-2019) and the Graduate School of Decision Sciences (2012).
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Politics, Law and Economics
Student life
Konstanz is a true campus university: departments, library, canteen and services sit together on the Gießberg, a deliberate borrowing of the Anglo-Saxon campus model by the university's founders. The library holds about two million media and is known for long opening hours. International students get buddy programmes, orientation courses and free language classes at the Language Institute, and the university reports regular top placements in the International Student Barometer. Student services organisation Seezeit runs the canteens and about 2,400 rooms in 13 residence halls, but most students live in shared flats (WGs) in town.
- Around 2,400 Seezeit rooms in 13 residence halls in Konstanz.
- Library with about two million media and extensive study space.
- Free foreign-language classes at the Language Institute (SLI).
- Buddy programmes and three preparation and orientation programmes for international students.
Housing. Seezeit Student Services rents about 2,400 rooms in 13 residence halls, and the university warns that finding housing in Konstanz is often time-consuming, so start early.
Location
Konstanz is a lakeside university city of about 83,000 people at the western end of Upper Lake Constance in south-west Germany. The German-Swiss border runs along the city's southern edge, next to the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen, and regional trains link it to the Swiss shore of the lake and St. Gallen. The campus sits on a hill north of the centre, surrounded by fields and woods.
Nearest airport: Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Notable alumni
- ZĐ Zoran ĐinđićFirst democratic Prime Minister of Serbia; PhD in philosophy from Konstanz (1979)
- AM Asha-Rose MigiroFormer Tanzanian Foreign Minister and UN Deputy Secretary-General; PhD from Konstanz (1992)
- AA Axel A. WeberFormer President of the Deutsche Bundesbank and UBS chairman; studied economics and public administration at Konstanz
- AK Angelika KratzerInfluential semanticist, professor emerita at UMass Amherst; PhD from Konstanz (1979)
- SM Situmbeko MusokotwaneZambian Minister of Finance; PhD in monetary economics from Konstanz
- DF Dominic FritzMayor of Timișoara, Romania; studied political and administrative sciences at Konstanz
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Konstanz charge tuition fees?
EU/EEA students pay no tuition for a first degree, only the 209 euro semester fee. Non-EU/EEA students pay 1,500 euros per semester under Baden-Württemberg law, so 1,709 euros per semester in total.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at Konstanz?
No: bachelor's programmes are taught in German, and applicants from non-German schools must prove German at DSH-2 or an equivalent level. The English-taught international programmes are master's degrees.
What is the application deadline for Konstanz?
For the winter semester, 15 July for restricted-admission programmes and 15 September for unrestricted ones, with applications opening on 7 May. Late applications are not considered.
How hard is it to get into the University of Konstanz?
Many bachelor's programmes have no admission restriction, so eligible applicants are admitted. Restricted programmes select mainly on school-leaving grades, and non-EU/EEA applicants compete for an 8% quota.
How much does it cost to live in Konstanz?
The university estimates living expenses at around 850 euros a month. Housing is tight, so start looking for a room early.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Uni Konstanz in the QS World University Rankings 2027.