Ulm University
Universität Ulm
Baden-Württemberg's youngest university, focused on STEM and medicine, at the heart of the Science City on Ulm's Oberer Eselsberg.
- Students
- 9,997
- 5,930 undergraduates
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,000
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1967
About Uni Ulm
Ulm University was founded in 1967 after a citizens' campaign and is the youngest university in Baden-Württemberg. It is deliberately focused: four faculties cover Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology; Mathematics and Economics; Medicine; and Natural Sciences. With about 10,000 students (9,997 in winter semester 2024/25), it is small by German standards, and the university stresses short distances, tutors in almost every subject and close supervision.
The campus sits at about 600 metres on the Oberer Eselsberg north of the city, which the university says makes it the highest university campus in Germany. It is the core of the Science City Ulm, where the university, the University Hospital, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, a laser-medicine institute and technology companies work side by side. Research ranges from sustainable battery materials to trauma therapy and quantum technologies, with a cluster of excellence and about 120 million euros in third-party funds in 2024.
All bachelor's programmes are taught in German, and non-EU students pay Baden-Württemberg's tuition fee of 1,500 euros per semester. Ulm suits applicants with solid German who want a compact, science-and-medicine-focused university; many bachelor's programmes have no admission restriction, while places for international applicants in Medicine and Molecular Medicine are very scarce.
Why students choose Uni Ulm
Most bachelor's programmes, including Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering, admit every applicant with a valid entrance qualification and German proof.
In recent years every international applicant to the restricted Biochemistry, Biology and Psychology BSc programmes has been offered a place, according to the university.
The Science City links the campus with the University Hospital and research institutes such as the Helmholtz Institute Ulm on one hilltop site.
About 13.5 percent of students are international, and people from more than 100 countries study and work on campus.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
Ulm publishes no overall admission rate. Bachelor's programmes without admission restriction admit everyone with a valid entrance qualification and German proof. For international (non-EU) applicants, restricted programmes have small quotas in the winter semester: Biochemistry 6 places, Biology 7, Molecular Medicine 4 and Psychology 11. Medicine has 18 places for foreign applicants (about 300 applications last round) and Dentistry 3 (about 100 applications).
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must give direct access to German universities (check anabin or the DAAD database); otherwise attend a Studienkolleg and pass the Feststellungsprüfung first |
|---|---|
| German (all bachelor's programmes) | C1 level: DSH-2, TestDaF 4 in all four parts, DSD II, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, Goethe C2 (GDS), ÖSD C2 or equivalent; by enrolment for unrestricted programmes, by the application deadline for restricted programmes, Medicine and Dentistry |
| Medicine | TestAS percentile rank of at least 85 plus a very good entrance-qualification grade; 18 places for foreign applicants each winter semester |
| Applicants from China, India or Vietnam | Original APS certificate required |
Deadlines
- Winter semester, all bachelor's and state examination programmes (uni-assist) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months1 June to 15 July 2027
Standing deadline: all documents must reach uni-assist by 15 July. Ulm recommends uploading about six weeks earlier so queries can be resolved.
Ulm publishes a recurring winter-semester window (1 June to 15 July) rather than a year-specific date. The deadline is a hard cut-off; late or incomplete applications are not considered. Restricted bachelor's programmes start only in the winter semester.
How to apply
Non-EU applicants without a German Abitur apply online through uni-assist between 1 June and 15 July for the winter semester, uploading their school-leaving certificate, any university transcripts, German-language proof, the TestAS for Medicine and (for China, India and Vietnam) the APS certificate, with authorised translations unless in English. uni-assist charges 75 euros for the first programme and 30 euros for each further one, then forwards eligible applications to Ulm. EU/EEA citizens and holders of a German Abitur apply through Ulm's campus portal or hochschulstart.de.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that gives direct access to German higher education, or a passed Feststellungsprüfung.
- German at C1 level (DSH-2 or equivalent), already at application for restricted programmes and Medicine.
- For restricted programmes, the best possible entrance-qualification grade.
- For Medicine, a TestAS percentile rank of 85 or more alongside excellent grades.
Tips for applying to Uni Ulm
- 1 Upload your documents to uni-assist around six weeks before 15 July so there is time to fix problems; incomplete applications are not processed.
- 2 If you want Medicine, sit the TestAS early: without the 85th percentile you are excluded from selection.
- 3 Molecular Medicine has only four places for international applicants, while Biochemistry, Biology and Psychology have recently admitted all international applicants, so plan your choices accordingly.
- 4 Budget for the 1,500-euro tuition fee each semester on top of the semester fee; exemption applications are due by 15 July for the winter semester.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Non-EU students pay 1,500 euros per semester in tuition; (partial) deferral or exemption is possible only in a few legally defined cases and must be requested by 15 July (winter) or 15 January (summer). Students taking a second degree pay 650 euros per semester. The International Office warns that students cannot count on regular scholarship funding.
- 1,500 euros per semester
- Non-EU tuition fee
- 192 euros (administration 80, Studierendenwerk 92, student body 20)
- Semester fees, winter 2026/27
- 75 euros for the first programme, 30 euros for each additional one
- uni-assist handling fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Medicine (state examination)
18 places for foreign applicants each winter semester, selected by grade and a TestAS score in the top 15 percent; clinical training alongside Ulm University Hospital.
Molecular Medicine (BSc)
Very high demand, with only four places for international applicants allocated by entrance-qualification grade.
Computer Science and Software Engineering (BSc)
Unrestricted German-taught programmes in the Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology.
Physics (BSc)
An unrestricted programme connected to Ulm's research in quantum technologies and materials.
Mathematics and Management / Management and Economics (BSc)
Combine quantitative training with business, reflecting the Faculty of Mathematics and Economics.
Psychology (BSc)
A restricted programme with 11 international places, all of which have recently gone to every international applicant.
Research
- About 120 million euros in third-party funding in 2024, four DFG Collaborative Research Centres and four research training groups.
- A cluster of excellence and research on sustainable battery materials, supported by the Helmholtz Institute Ulm in the Science City.
- Science City partners include the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW), the Institute of Laser Technology in Medicine and Measurement Technique and the Institute of Diabetes Technology.
- 465 doctorates completed in 2024.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology
- Faculty of Mathematics and Economics
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
Ulm publishes no graduate employment rate; 1,660 students graduated in 2024. The Entrepreneur Campus, founded in 2022, offers start-up support from day one.
Student life
Ulm is a compact campus university: teaching happens on the Oberer Eselsberg campus, close to the University Hospital, the Botanical Garden and research institutes. The university describes an intimate, open atmosphere with short distances and tutors in almost every subject. Students live in Studierendenwerk Ulm dormitories, rented for at least a semester, or in private flats, and all dorms have bus connections to the universities and city centre. There is no semester ticket; the Jugendticket BW or Deutschlandticket are the cheap options for buses and trains.
- Niki de Saint Phalle's sculpture The Poet and His Muse by the lake at the north entrance.
- Botanical Garden within the Science City.
- Entrepreneur Campus (since 2022) with events, courses and workshops.
- Goal of a climate-neutral university by 2030.
Housing. Studierendenwerk Ulm rents dorm rooms for at least one semester at about 290-477 euros a month, plus a 20-euro processing fee and a deposit of about 300 euros; apply online.
Location
Ulm is a city in Baden-Württemberg and the birthplace of Albert Einstein; the university's hilltop Science City brings hospitals, research institutes and technology companies together. The university campus is on a hill north of the city, about 600 metres above sea level. The International Office estimates student living costs at about 950-1,000 euros a month.
Nearest airport: Memmingen Airport (FMM); Stuttgart (STR) and Munich (MUC) for more connections
Notable alumni
- RK Reiner KniziaBoard game designer (Tigris and Euphrates, Ra, Modern Art); PhD from Ulm
- SS Sarah StraubMusician and songwriter; doctorate in psychology from Ulm, 2015
- NG Nicole GrobertMaterials chemist and professor of nanomaterials at the University of Oxford; studied at Ulm
- BS Beate SchückingPhysician and health scientist; President of Leipzig University 2011-2022; studied at Ulm
- RL Robert LückingLichenologist at the Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum; studied at Ulm
Frequently asked questions
Does Ulm University charge tuition fees?
EU/EEA students pay no tuition, only semester fees of about 190 euros. Non-EU students pay Baden-Württemberg's tuition fee of 1,500 euros per semester on top.
Are there English-taught bachelor's programmes at Ulm?
No. All bachelor's programmes at Ulm are taught in German and require C1-level German, such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 in all parts.
How do international students apply to Ulm?
Non-EU applicants without a German Abitur apply via uni-assist from 1 June to 15 July for the winter semester; EU citizens apply through Ulm's campus portal or hochschulstart.de.
How hard is it to get into Medicine at Ulm as an international student?
Very hard: Ulm reserves 18 places for foreign applicants and received about 300 applications last round. You need a TestAS percentile rank of at least 85 and excellent grades.
How much does it cost to live in Ulm?
The International Office estimates about 950-1,000 euros a month, with Studierendenwerk rooms at 290-477 euros.
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.
- Ulm University: Undergraduate degree programmes, 1st semester (foreign applicants)
- Ulm University: 1st semester foreign applicants
- Ulm University: Application via uni-assist
- Ulm University: Recognised German language certificates
- Ulm University: Bachelor's programmes (application)
- Ulm University: Tuition fees (semester fees)
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