World Higher Education IndexGlobal university & programme rankings

Country ranking — 2026 edition

Best Universities in Germany

German universities charge little or nothing in tuition, so the salary indicator is read against national wage benchmarks rather than fee-adjusted returns.

Technical University of Munich is ranked first in the 2026 best universities in germany, with an overall score of 88.9 out of 100. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is second and Heidelberg University third. 100 institutions are ranked in this edition.

Published

Outcomes 30%Salary 20%Faculty 15%Selectivity 15%Employers 10%Network 10%
  1. 1

    Technical University of Munich

    Munich

    Outcomes90
    Salary87
    Faculty91
    Selectivity87
    Employers89
    Network88
    88.9
    Score
  2. 2

    Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

    Munich

    Outcomes86
    Salary84
    Faculty90
    Selectivity86
    Employers87
    Network84
    86.1
    Score
  3. 3

    Heidelberg University

    Heidelberg

    Outcomes84
    Salary82
    Faculty90
    Selectivity85
    Employers86
    Network82
    84.7
    Score
  4. 4

    Humboldt University of Berlin

    Berlin

    Outcomes81
    Salary79
    Faculty86
    Selectivity82
    Employers83
    Network82
    81.3
    Score
  5. 5

    RWTH Aachen University

    Aachen

    Outcomes85
    Salary84
    Faculty82
    Selectivity78
    Employers81
    Network78
    80.8
    Score
  6. 6

    Free University of Berlin

    Berlin

    Outcomes79
    Salary77
    Faculty84
    Selectivity79
    Employers80
    Network80
    79.2
    Score
  7. 7

    KIT Karlsruhe

    Karlsruhe

    Outcomes82
    Salary81
    Faculty79
    Selectivity75
    Employers78
    Network74
    77.9
    Score
  8. 8

    University of Tübingen

    Tübingen

    Outcomes76
    Salary74
    Faculty82
    Selectivity76
    Employers77
    Network74
    76.4
    Score
  9. 9

    University of Bonn

    Bonn

    Outcomes80
    Salary76
    Faculty76
    Selectivity72
    Employers76
    Network78
    75.9
    Score
  10. 10

    University of Freiburg

    Freiburg

    Outcomes79
    Salary75
    Faculty75
    Selectivity74
    Employers78
    Network78
    75.5
    Score
  11. 11

    University of Göttingen

    Göttingen

    Outcomes71
    Salary74
    Faculty74
    Selectivity75
    Employers78
    Network71
    75.0
    Score
  12. 12

    University of Hamburg

    Hamburg

    Outcomes78
    Salary77
    Faculty72
    Selectivity74
    Employers71
    Network71
    74.7
    Score
  13. 13

    University of Cologne

    Cologne

    Outcomes73
    Salary77
    Faculty73
    Selectivity76
    Employers77
    Network77
    74.4
    Score
  14. 14

    Technical University of Berlin

    Berlin

    Outcomes71
    Salary75
    Faculty78
    Selectivity78
    Employers71
    Network77
    73.8
    Score
  15. 15

    TU Dresden

    Dresden

    Outcomes77
    Salary76
    Faculty73
    Selectivity71
    Employers71
    Network76
    73.4
    Score
  16. 16

    University of Mannheim

    Mannheim

    Outcomes72
    Salary76
    Faculty69
    Selectivity76
    Employers71
    Network69
    72.8
    Score
  17. 17

    University of Münster

    Münster

    Outcomes75
    Salary77
    Faculty71
    Selectivity71
    Employers70
    Network77
    72.4
    Score
  18. 18

    Goethe University Frankfurt

    Frankfurt

    Outcomes74
    Salary70
    Faculty76
    Selectivity74
    Employers71
    Network71
    72.1
    Score
  19. 19

    University of Würzburg

    Würzburg

    Outcomes76
    Salary75
    Faculty69
    Selectivity69
    Employers75
    Network74
    71.6
    Score
  20. 20

    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

    Erlangen

    Outcomes67
    Salary72
    Faculty68
    Selectivity72
    Employers70
    Network72
    71.1
    Score
  21. 21

    University of Stuttgart

    Stuttgart

    Outcomes71
    Salary71
    Faculty74
    Selectivity71
    Employers68
    Network72
    70.6
    Score
  22. 22

    Leipzig University

    Leipzig

    Outcomes73
    Salary69
    Faculty68
    Selectivity67
    Employers67
    Network67
    69.8
    Score
  23. 23

    University of Mainz

    Mainz

    Outcomes70
    Salary71
    Faculty66
    Selectivity68
    Employers71
    Network72
    69.1
    Score
  24. 24

    University of Konstanz

    Konstanz

    Outcomes66
    Salary68
    Faculty71
    Selectivity73
    Employers64
    Network69
    68.4
    Score
  25. 25

    University of Ulm

    Ulm

    Outcomes72
    Salary72
    Faculty71
    Selectivity66
    Employers66
    Network65
    67.9
    Score
  26. 26

    University of Jena

    Jena

    Outcomes70
    Salary69
    Faculty70
    Selectivity69
    Employers71
    Network64
    67.3
    Score
  27. 27

    Technical University of Darmstadt

    Darmstadt

    Outcomes66
    Salary66
    Faculty71
    Selectivity65
    Employers65
    Network68
    67.0
    Score
  28. 28

    Ruhr University Bochum

    Bochum

    Outcomes67
    Salary69
    Faculty67
    Selectivity67
    Employers66
    Network62
    66.6
    Score
  29. 29

    University of Duisburg-Essen

    Essen

    Outcomes67
    Salary65
    Faculty64
    Selectivity67
    Employers62
    Network63
    66.0
    Score
  30. 30

    Bielefeld University

    Bielefeld

    Outcomes62
    Salary68
    Faculty68
    Selectivity66
    Employers65
    Network63
    65.3
    Score
  31. 31

    University of Bremen

    Bremen

    Outcomes65
    Salary65
    Faculty65
    Selectivity61
    Employers66
    Network64
    65.0
    Score
  32. 32

    University of Kiel

    Kiel

    Outcomes62
    Salary61
    Faculty62
    Selectivity63
    Employers65
    Network65
    64.4
    Score
  33. 33

    University of Marburg

    Marburg

    Outcomes65
    Salary68
    Faculty67
    Selectivity62
    Employers60
    Network67
    63.7
    Score
  34. 34

    University of Regensburg

    Regensburg

    Outcomes60
    Salary63
    Faculty65
    Selectivity66
    Employers63
    Network67
    63.1
    Score
  35. 35

    University of Halle-Wittenberg

    Halle

    Outcomes64
    Salary66
    Faculty63
    Selectivity67
    Employers61
    Network60
    62.8
    Score
  36. 36

    University of Potsdam

    Potsdam

    Outcomes65
    Salary66
    Faculty63
    Selectivity62
    Employers66
    Network61
    62.3
    Score
  37. 37

    University of Rostock

    Rostock

    Outcomes65
    Salary63
    Faculty61
    Selectivity59
    Employers58
    Network58
    62.0
    Score
  38. 38

    University of Augsburg

    Augsburg

    Outcomes65
    Salary64
    Faculty59
    Selectivity60
    Employers64
    Network59
    61.6
    Score
  39. 39

    University of Bayreuth

    Bayreuth

    Outcomes60
    Salary61
    Faculty58
    Selectivity60
    Employers66
    Network61
    61.3
    Score
  40. 40

    University of Bamberg

    Bamberg

    Outcomes63
    Salary62
    Faculty57
    Selectivity59
    Employers63
    Network65
    60.9
    Score
  41. 41

    University of Passau

    Passau

    Outcomes56
    Salary61
    Faculty59
    Selectivity63
    Employers59
    Network56
    60.3
    Score
  42. 42

    University of Trier

    Trier

    Outcomes56
    Salary58
    Faculty64
    Selectivity60
    Employers57
    Network59
    60.0
    Score
  43. 43

    Saarland University

    Saarbrücken

    Outcomes57
    Salary58
    Faculty58
    Selectivity58
    Employers59
    Network61
    59.5
    Score
  44. 44

    Technical University of Braunschweig

    Braunschweig

    Outcomes57
    Salary60
    Faculty58
    Selectivity57
    Employers56
    Network55
    59.0
    Score
  45. 45

    Leibniz University Hannover

    Hannover

    Outcomes54
    Salary54
    Faculty57
    Selectivity54
    Employers55
    Network59
    58.4
    Score
  46. 46

    Hannover Medical School

    Hannover

    Outcomes59
    Salary53
    Faculty59
    Selectivity57
    Employers61
    Network60
    57.8
    Score
  47. 47

    University of Hohenheim

    Stuttgart

    Outcomes54
    Salary61
    Faculty61
    Selectivity61
    Employers55
    Network56
    57.3
    Score
  48. 48

    Justus Liebig University Giessen

    Giessen

    Outcomes60
    Salary56
    Faculty61
    Selectivity55
    Employers52
    Network60
    56.8
    Score
  49. 49

    University of Osnabrück

    Osnabrück

    Outcomes52
    Salary55
    Faculty54
    Selectivity61
    Employers59
    Network56
    56.3
    Score
  50. 50

    Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

    Oldenburg

    Outcomes56
    Salary59
    Faculty53
    Selectivity56
    Employers53
    Network59
    55.6
    Score
  51. 51

    University of Paderborn

    Paderborn

    Outcomes51
    Salary57
    Faculty54
    Selectivity53
    Employers54
    Network52
    54.9
    Score
  52. 52

    University of Siegen

    Siegen

    Outcomes54
    Salary53
    Faculty54
    Selectivity50
    Employers53
    Network51
    54.6
    Score
  53. 53

    University of Wuppertal

    Wuppertal

    Outcomes53
    Salary53
    Faculty57
    Selectivity59
    Employers55
    Network50
    54.1
    Score
  54. 54

    FernUniversität in Hagen

    Hagen

    Outcomes57
    Salary52
    Faculty58
    Selectivity52
    Employers54
    Network56
    53.8
    Score
  55. 55

    TU Dortmund University

    Dortmund

    Outcomes57
    Salary56
    Faculty51
    Selectivity53
    Employers49
    Network56
    53.5
    Score
  56. 56

    TU Chemnitz

    Chemnitz

    Outcomes52
    Salary57
    Faculty52
    Selectivity54
    Employers52
    Network53
    52.9
    Score
  57. 57

    TU Ilmenau

    Ilmenau

    Outcomes52
    Salary54
    Faculty51
    Selectivity54
    Employers55
    Network50
    52.5
    Score
  58. 58

    Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

    Weimar

    Outcomes55
    Salary52
    Faculty55
    Selectivity51
    Employers49
    Network49
    52.0
    Score
  59. 59

    TU Freiberg

    Freiberg

    Outcomes55
    Salary55
    Faculty48
    Selectivity49
    Employers56
    Network55
    51.7
    Score
  60. 60

    Brandenburg University of Technology

    Cottbus

    Outcomes53
    Salary51
    Faculty55
    Selectivity47
    Employers51
    Network55
    51.3
    Score
  61. 61

    University of Greifswald

    Greifswald

    Outcomes53
    Salary51
    Faculty46
    Selectivity50
    Employers48
    Network55
    50.5
    Score
  62. 62

    University of Magdeburg

    Magdeburg

    Outcomes47
    Salary52
    Faculty46
    Selectivity48
    Employers54
    Network50
    50.0
    Score
  63. 63

    University of Erfurt

    Erfurt

    Outcomes49
    Salary49
    Faculty48
    Selectivity46
    Employers47
    Network46
    49.3
    Score
  64. 64

    University of Kassel

    Kassel

    Outcomes52
    Salary52
    Faculty46
    Selectivity44
    Employers50
    Network46
    48.7
    Score
  65. 65

    University of Koblenz

    Koblenz

    Outcomes50
    Salary50
    Faculty48
    Selectivity48
    Employers52
    Network45
    48.4
    Score
  66. 66

    University of Landau

    Landau

    Outcomes47
    Salary44
    Faculty45
    Selectivity49
    Employers46
    Network48
    48.1
    Score
  67. 67

    Kaiserslautern University of Technology

    Kaiserslautern

    Outcomes44
    Salary43
    Faculty46
    Selectivity45
    Employers48
    Network47
    47.7
    Score
  68. 68

    Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

    Eichstätt

    Outcomes45
    Salary45
    Faculty45
    Selectivity43
    Employers47
    Network47
    46.9
    Score
  69. 69

    Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

    Berlin

    Outcomes46
    Salary45
    Faculty44
    Selectivity43
    Employers47
    Network43
    46.2
    Score
  70. 70

    Hertie School

    Berlin

    Outcomes46
    Salary47
    Faculty46
    Selectivity42
    Employers42
    Network45
    45.4
    Score
  71. 71

    ESMT Berlin

    Berlin

    Outcomes41
    Salary44
    Faculty49
    Selectivity44
    Employers48
    Network46
    45.0
    Score
  72. 72

    WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

    Vallendar

    Outcomes41
    Salary44
    Faculty40
    Selectivity45
    Employers48
    Network42
    44.3
    Score
  73. 73

    Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

    Frankfurt

    Outcomes42
    Salary47
    Faculty44
    Selectivity42
    Employers43
    Network48
    43.9
    Score
  74. 74

    Jacobs University Bremen

    Bremen

    Outcomes39
    Salary45
    Faculty39
    Selectivity41
    Employers40
    Network44
    43.5
    Score
  75. 75

    Zeppelin University

    Friedrichshafen

    Outcomes43
    Salary46
    Faculty43
    Selectivity41
    Employers45
    Network44
    43.0
    Score
  76. 76

    Witten/Herdecke University

    Witten

    Outcomes41
    Salary45
    Faculty39
    Selectivity46
    Employers45
    Network45
    42.3
    Score
  77. 77

    Bucerius Law School

    Hamburg

    Outcomes44
    Salary44
    Faculty44
    Selectivity38
    Employers46
    Network38
    41.8
    Score
  78. 78

    HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

    Leipzig

    Outcomes38
    Salary38
    Faculty41
    Selectivity38
    Employers40
    Network41
    41.2
    Score
  79. 79

    University of Lübeck

    Lübeck

    Outcomes45
    Salary41
    Faculty40
    Selectivity38
    Employers40
    Network45
    41.2
    Score
  80. 80

    University of Flensburg

    Flensburg

    Outcomes43
    Salary41
    Faculty44
    Selectivity45
    Employers43
    Network41
    41.2
    Score
  81. 81

    University of Vechta

    Vechta

    Outcomes38
    Salary44
    Faculty38
    Selectivity38
    Employers39
    Network38
    41.2
    Score
  82. 82

    Clausthal University of Technology

    Clausthal

    Outcomes38
    Salary45
    Faculty40
    Selectivity42
    Employers43
    Network45
    41.2
    Score
  83. 83

    Hamburg University of Technology

    Hamburg

    Outcomes39
    Salary45
    Faculty43
    Selectivity41
    Employers38
    Network44
    41.2
    Score
  84. 84

    HafenCity University Hamburg

    Hamburg

    Outcomes43
    Salary42
    Faculty43
    Selectivity38
    Employers40
    Network43
    41.2
    Score
  85. 85

    Munich University of Applied Sciences

    Munich

    Outcomes43
    Salary40
    Faculty46
    Selectivity45
    Employers45
    Network38
    41.2
    Score
  86. 86

    Cologne University of Applied Sciences

    Cologne

    Outcomes38
    Salary45
    Faculty41
    Selectivity44
    Employers41
    Network42
    41.2
    Score
  87. 87

    Berlin School of Economics and Law

    Berlin

    Outcomes41
    Salary42
    Faculty45
    Selectivity43
    Employers45
    Network43
    41.2
    Score
  88. 88

    Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences

    Karlsruhe

    Outcomes40
    Salary41
    Faculty39
    Selectivity38
    Employers43
    Network43
    41.2
    Score
  89. 89

    Aachen University of Applied Sciences

    Aachen

    Outcomes43
    Salary40
    Faculty38
    Selectivity38
    Employers43
    Network38
    41.2
    Score
  90. 90

    Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences

    Stuttgart

    Outcomes40
    Salary38
    Faculty42
    Selectivity44
    Employers38
    Network39
    41.2
    Score
  91. 91

    Nuremberg Institute of Technology

    Nuremberg

    Outcomes39
    Salary42
    Faculty44
    Selectivity41
    Employers41
    Network41
    41.2
    Score
  92. 92

    Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

    Darmstadt

    Outcomes42
    Salary44
    Faculty39
    Selectivity42
    Employers43
    Network44
    41.2
    Score
  93. 93

    Hochschule Bremen

    Bremen

    Outcomes39
    Salary45
    Faculty38
    Selectivity43
    Employers41
    Network38
    41.2
    Score
  94. 94

    Hochschule Hannover

    Hannover

    Outcomes38
    Salary38
    Faculty43
    Selectivity43
    Employers38
    Network40
    41.2
    Score
  95. 95

    Hochschule Mannheim

    Mannheim

    Outcomes44
    Salary41
    Faculty38
    Selectivity43
    Employers39
    Network45
    41.2
    Score
  96. 96

    Hochschule Esslingen

    Esslingen

    Outcomes44
    Salary40
    Faculty41
    Selectivity41
    Employers38
    Network41
    41.2
    Score
  97. 97

    Reutlingen University

    Reutlingen

    Outcomes39
    Salary45
    Faculty41
    Selectivity45
    Employers39
    Network39
    41.2
    Score
  98. 98

    Pforzheim University

    Pforzheim

    Outcomes38
    Salary45
    Faculty38
    Selectivity41
    Employers44
    Network40
    41.2
    Score
  99. 99

    Offenburg University

    Offenburg

    Outcomes45
    Salary42
    Faculty38
    Selectivity40
    Employers43
    Network45
    41.2
    Score
  100. 100

    Furtwangen University

    Furtwangen

    Outcomes40
    Salary46
    Faculty43
    Selectivity38
    Employers41
    Network38
    41.2
    Score

Germany 2026: frequently asked questions

Which institution is number one in the 2026 germany ranking?
Technical University of Munich, based in Munich, ranks first with an overall score of 88.9 out of 100.
How is this ranking calculated?
Every entry is scored on the same six weighted indicators — Graduate outcomes (30%), Salary uplift (20%), Faculty & research strength (15%), Selectivity (15%), Employer reputation (10%), Cohort & network reach (10%) — each normalised across the table and combined into an overall score out of 100. Nothing is reweighted table by table.
How many institutions are ranked, and how often is the table updated?
100 institutions appear in the 2026 edition. A new edition is published every year on 30 September, with all six indicators re-collected for that edition.
Can an institution pay to appear or move up?
No. No institution pays to be assessed, to appear in a table, or to change its position, and no score is shown to an institution before publication.

Related rankings

Scored on the composite set out in our methodology. See also all rankings.