There are public and private state-recognized institutions of higher education categorized as:
1. Universities (Universitäten) and equivalent higher education institutions (Technische Hochschulen/Technische Universitäten, Pädagogische Hochschulen);
2. Colleges of art and music (Kunsthochschulen and Musikhochschulen);
3. Fachhochschulen (universities of applied sciences) and Verwaltungsfachhochschulen.
Universities in Germany
Germany’s universities are recognized internationally; in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germany, and 18 of the top 200. Most of the German universities are public institutions, charging tuition fees of only around €60 per semester (and up to €500 in the state of Niedersachsen) for each student. Thus, academic education is open to most citizens and studying is very common in Germany. Although the dual education system, that combines practical and theoretical educations and does not lead to academic degrees, is more popular than anywhere else in the world – while it is a role model for other countries.
The oldest universities of Germany are also among the oldest and best regarded in the world, with Heidelberg University being the oldest (established in 1386 and in continuous operation since then). It is followed by Leipzig University (1409), Rostock University (1419), Greifswald University (1456), Freiburg University (1457), LMU Munich (1472) and the University of Tübingen (1477).
Most German universities focus more on teaching than on research. Research is mostly exhibited in independent institutes that are embedded in academic clusters, such as within Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Leibniz and Helmholtz institutes. This German specialization is rarely reflected in academic rankings, which is the reason why German universities seem to be underperforming according to some of the ratings, such as ARWU.
Academic year:
Classes from: Oct to Aug
Long vacation from: Aug to: Sep
Languages of instruction: German