Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
A north-west German university with three Clusters of Excellence in hearing, ocean-floor and animal-navigation research.
- Students
- 14,770
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1973
About University of Oldenburg
The Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg is a state university in north-west Germany. It grew out of a teacher training seminar set up in 1793; a Lower Saxony state law of December 1973 founded the university, and teaching began in April 1974. It took the name of the journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Carl von Ossietzky in 1991, after years of refusals by state governments.
In winter semester 2025/26 it had 14,770 students, of whom 1,662 (about 11 per cent) held a foreign nationality, and 263 professors. Its research profile is built around three Clusters of Excellence funded under the German Excellence Strategy since January 2026: Hearing4all.connects, Ocean Floor and NaviSense. Teaching is organised into six schools, from Educational and Social Sciences to Medicine and Health Sciences; the medical degree is run with the University of Groningen as the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen.
Most bachelor's degrees are taught in German, and international applicants from outside Germany apply through uni-assist. The English-taught offer is stronger at master's level, although a few bachelor's programmes, such as Engineering Physics, are listed with English as a teaching language. It suits students who want a mid-sized campus university, close to the North Sea coast, with strong teacher education, physics, marine science and hearing research.
Why students choose University of Oldenburg
The university has been home to three Clusters of Excellence since January 2026: Hearing4all.connects, Ocean Floor (with the University of Bremen) and NaviSense.
Most study programmes carry no tuition fees, so the main annual cost is the semester contribution of EUR 457.90 per semester.
The European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen offers a twelve-semester medicine programme run with the University of Groningen.
The international degree offer includes Engineering Physics (B.Eng.), Comparative and European Law (LL.B.) and master's programmes in English such as Applied Economics and Data Science and Engineering Physics.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (application period in spring and summer 2027)
Selectivity
German universities do not publish a single acceptance rate. Oldenburg lists each degree as either admission-free or admission-limited (numerus clausus); admission-limited programmes select on school-leaving grade and other criteria, while admission-free programmes enrol every applicant who meets the entry requirements.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) | Must be recognised as equivalent to the German Abitur; international applicants apply through uni-assist, which checks the certificate. Applicants without direct eligibility may need the Studienkolleg. |
|---|---|
| Applicants from China, Vietnam and India | An original APS certificate must be submitted with the application; uni-assist rejects applications without it. |
| German-taught degrees | Proof of German, for example DSH level 2, TestDaF with level 4 in all four areas, DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C2 or telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule. |
| English language | English-taught programmes set their own CEFR level; check the Admission requirements section of the individual degree page. Most bachelor's degrees are taught in German. |
Deadlines
- Winter semester, admission-limited bachelor's programmes (previous cycle) Non-binding15 May to 15 July 2026 (example: Comparative and European Law LL.B.)
Dates for winter semester 2027/28 were not yet published; these are the winter semester 2026/27 dates for one admission-limited programme. Admission-free programmes can run later, and each degree has its own window.
- INSTEP study preparation (previous cycle pattern) Non-binding15 July for the winter semester; 15 January for the summer semester
Applies to applicants who need the German preparation course (at least level A2) before starting their subject.
Oldenburg publishes a separate window for each degree programme and each applicant origin (German, EU/EEA, non-EU). As of 30 September 2026 its deadline table (a script-driven German page) lists only winter semester 2026/27 windows, for example 15 May to 15 July 2026 for some admission-limited programmes and 15 March or 1 June to 15 July 2026 for others; state-examination programmes use 31 May (older Abitur) and 15 July. Winter semester 2027/28 windows are not yet published, so the dates shown are the previous cycle; check the deadline table before applying for 2027/28.
How to apply
Applicants whose previous education was outside Germany (including EU students) apply online through uni-assist; uni-assist charges an application fee of EUR 75. Those educated in Germany apply directly through the university's application portal. Applicants who need the German preparation course INSTEP apply through uni-assist for the degree they want later.
What admissions looks for
- Recognised university entrance qualification equivalent to the German Abitur.
- Sufficient German, or English where the programme is taught in English, proven with an accepted certificate.
- Programme-specific special admission requirements where a degree lists them.
Tips for applying to University of Oldenburg
- 1 Apply through uni-assist early: the university says processing takes about 5 weeks, plus about 4 more if the application goes through uni-assist.
- 2 If you are from China, Vietnam or India, get the original APS certificate before you apply, because uni-assist rejects applications without it.
- 3 If your German is not yet strong enough, the INSTEP preparation programme ends with the DSH exam and lets you enrol as a regular student while you prepare.
- 4 Open the individual degree page and read its Admission requirements: language and special requirements differ from programme to programme.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
International students can apply to the DAAD scholarship database and to the International Office schemes (DAAD STIBET, Jakob Mann Foundation, Oscar-Romero), and there is a DAAD Award for outstanding international students. The university also lists the Deutschlandstipendium, the Dr. Dettling Foundation and the Lower Saxony scholarship as funding that suits international students.
- EUR 457.90 per semester (semester ticket EUR 230.80, Studierendenwerk EUR 118.00, administration EUR 75.00)
- Semester contribution, winter semester 2026/27
- EUR 75
- uni-assist application fee
- EUR 110
- Residence permit for non-EU students
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Medicine (State Examination)
Run as the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen with the University of Groningen; the German-language model programme lasts twelve semesters.
Engineering Physics (B.Eng.)
A six-semester bachelor's degree listed with English and German as teaching languages, with free admission.
Comparative and European Law (LL.B.)
An eight-semester bilingual German/English law degree, with limited admission.
Hearing Technology and Audiology (M.Sc.)
A three-semester master's listed with German and English as teaching languages, in the field of the university's Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all.connects.
Computing Science (B.Sc.)
A six-semester degree listed as German/English with free admission; Computing Science has been taught at Oldenburg since 1984.
Teacher education (dual-subject bachelor's and M.Ed.)
Teacher training is the university's historical root, going back to the teacher seminar of 1793.
Research
- Three Clusters of Excellence since January 2026: Hearing4all.connects (with Leibniz University Hannover and Hannover Medical School), Ocean Floor (with the University of Bremen) and NaviSense.
- The Excellence Strategy programme will support the three clusters with around EUR 18 million from 2026 to 2032, and Oldenburg and Bremen cooperate as the Northwest Alliance.
- Its guiding research themes are Environment and Sustainability, Humans and Technology, and Society and Education.
Schools & faculties
- School I: School of Educational and Social Sciences
- School II: School of Computing Science, Business Administration, Economics, and Law
- School III: School of Linguistics and Cultural Studies
- School IV: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- School V: School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- School VI: School of Medicine and Health Sciences
The university reports 2,875 graduates in the 2024 examination year and 193 doctorates.
Student life
Oldenburg is a campus university where most students live in or around the city rather than in university halls. All students pay a semester contribution that includes a semester ticket for regional public transport, a cultural ticket and a DIY bicycle repair workshop, and the student body (AStA) runs its own services. The Studierendenwerk operates canteens and student residences; its own figures put average rent in its residential complexes at about EUR 260, and a shared room on the open market at under EUR 450 in summer 2025.
- The semester contribution includes a Germany-wide semester ticket (EUR 230.80 of EUR 457.90 in winter 2026/27).
- The International Office runs Welcome Week, a tutor team for new international students and an INSTEP German preparation programme.
- The campus is split between the central Haarentor/Uhlhornsweg area and the natural-sciences campus at Wechloy.
- The university has a botanical garden that grew from the teacher seminar's garden.
Housing. The Studierendenwerk Oldenburg rents student residences at an average inclusive rent of about EUR 260, with shared-flat rooms below EUR 230 in some cases.
Location
Oldenburg is a city in Lower Saxony in north-west Germany, close to the Dutch border and the North Sea coast. The university sits in the city itself, and the Studierendenwerk reports that shared rooms cost less than EUR 450 warm in summer 2025, below the national average of EUR 505.
Nearest airport: Bremen Airport (BRE)
Notable alumni
- CK Claudia KemfertEnergy economist at DIW Berlin; studied economics at Bielefeld and Oldenburg, graduating from Oldenburg in 1998
- AW Aloys WobbenFounder of the wind-turbine maker Enercon; earned his Diplom engineering degree in electrical engineering at Oldenburg
- KH Kai-Uwe HinrichsOrganic geochemist researching the deep biosphere; PhD from Oldenburg in 1997
- AB Angelika BrandtZoologist who has led Antarctic deep-sea expeditions; studied biology and education at Oldenburg, MSc 1987 and PhD 1991
- JG Johanna G. NešlehováMathematical statistician at McGill University; doctorate from Oldenburg in 2004
- NN Nora NoffkeGeologist at Old Dominion University working on microbial sedimentary structures; PhD in geomicrobiology at Oldenburg
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Oldenburg charge tuition fees?
Most degree programmes have no tuition fees, including for non-EU students. All students pay a semester contribution, EUR 457.90 per semester in winter semester 2026/27, and fee-based professional programmes charge tuition.
How do international students apply to Oldenburg?
Applicants whose previous education was outside Germany apply online through uni-assist, which charges EUR 75. Applicants from China, Vietnam and India must include an original APS certificate.
Can I study in English at Oldenburg?
Mostly at master's level, for example Applied Economics and Data Science (taught in English), but a few bachelor's degrees such as Engineering Physics list English as a teaching language. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German and require German proof such as DSH or TestDaF.
What is the acceptance rate at Oldenburg?
It is not published. Each programme is either admission-free or admission-limited, and limited programmes select applicants by grade and other criteria.
How much does it cost to live in Oldenburg?
The university advises budgeting about EUR 1,000 per month (EUR 12,000 a year) for accommodation, health insurance and food.
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 University of Oldenburg in the QS World University Rankings 2027.