Best medical schools in Germany

All universities in Germany offer different advantages and disadvantages for medical students. Depending on which university ranking you look at, different universities are labelled as the supposed best. When interpreting such a ranking, we advise students to focus primarily on the study situation and less on rankings in terms of international prizes or research.

Our top 10 universities for medicine in Germany

There is a high standard for studying medicine in Germany. Accordingly, all universities at which you can study medicine here can ultimately be recommended. Study medicine can. Depending on which data and which ranking you look at, there are different universities that perform particularly well.
When compiling the list in this article, we were guided in particular by the CHE Ranking, which is published at irregular intervals by the Centre for Higher Education Development in cooperation with Zeit Campus. This assesses universities according to various criteria. Among other things, an assessment of the quality of teaching, student support and university facilities is available.

1st place: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

The University of Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg is one of the most prestigious universities for studying medicine in Germany. However, it is very difficult to get a place here. The NC has been at 1.0 for years, and strict criteria also apply to the university's selection process.
At the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, a sound education and the university's excellent reputation create an optimal foundation for your future career. According to the CHE ranking, students are also very satisfied with the study situation in Heidelberg.

2nd place: RWTH Aachen

In second place in our ranking is RWTH Aachen University, which is known for its modern approach to medical studies. Students receive a practical education that is characterised by a close link between teaching, research and patient care.
The positive feedback in the CHE ranking reflects the students' satisfaction with the university and their study situation. Aachen is also one of the best medical faculties in Germany thanks to its excellent facilities.

3rd place: University of Lübeck

The University of Lübeck takes a well-deserved third place in our ranking. The rather smaller university is known for its outstanding research in various areas of medicine. Students also give this university top marks for the various teaching categories.
The teaching of theory and practice is closely interlinked at the University of Lübeck. This ensures that what has been learnt can be skilfully applied after the course. The charming Hanseatic city offers a very good study environment and dedicated support from the lecturers. Thanks to its location on the Baltic Sea and the numerous beaches, students feel very comfortable here, especially in summer, even outside of lectures and courses.

4th place: Humboldt University Berlin

HU Berlin took fourth place in our ranking. The Faculty of Medicine is one of the faculties here that is known for the particularly high quality of its teaching. Students appreciate the good supervision at the university and are also otherwise satisfied with their study situation.
However, the good performance in the CHE ranking is certainly only part of the reason why so many prospective students apply for a place at this university every year. Berlin also has a wide range of attractions to offer outside of studying and teaching and is therefore the first choice for many students, regardless of their subject area.

5th place: Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen

Founded in 1477, this university is one of the oldest in Germany. Just like other large universities, all other faculties are also represented here, but a large focus in Tübingen is on medicine. This creates excellent conditions for students and secures the University of Tübingen 5th place in our ranking.

The fact that Tübingen is one of the best universities in Germany is also reflected in other rankings such as the CHE ranking. Among other things, the good student support is emphasised there. If they have a question or need information, they can always quickly find a contact person here.

6th place: Technical University of Munich

The sixth university in our ranking offers an excellent medical degree programme with a strong focus on research. The study situation is excellent thanks to the modern facilities.

While many other medical degree programmes are very theoretical, especially in the pre-clinical part, the TU Munich is very practical. Students have early Contact us with patients and benefit from close supervision by the people responsible for teaching.

7th place: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

The Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster takes seventh place in our university ranking. It offers a very good study situation for medicine in Germany, which is shown by both the evaluation by students and the high number of successful graduations.

Among other things, students praise the practice-orientated teaching at the university and the high value placed on research. Not only is textbook knowledge incorporated into the lectures, but current research and the best recently published articles in medical journals are also discussed.

8th place: Free University of Berlin

After the HU, this is the second Berlin university in the top 10 of our ranking. Incidentally, the Faculty of Medicine is not the only one to impress with its excellent study situation: the FU also receives an excellent rating from dentistry students. This means that the university has several top faculties in the field of medicine.

With up-to-date research and excellent student support in all subjects, the FU Berlin is definitely one of the best universities for studying medicine in Germany. The diverse opportunities for students in the capital are another reason for the many applications to this university.

9th place: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich

LMU Munich is characterised by a renowned medical faculty and offers one of the most advanced medical degree programmes in Germany. Students get to know top modern research laboratories and encounter a large number of patients with a wide variety of diseases.

Another major advantage of LMU Munich is the interdisciplinary combination of medicine and psychology. One of the factors contributing to the excellent study situation is the international orientation with corresponding opportunities for one or more semesters abroad.

10th place: Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

The University of Bonn is officially recognised as a university characterised by excellence. In the prestigious British "THE World University" ranking, the University of Bonn is ranked 17th among the best universities in Europe. Although the data from this ranking relates to all of the university's faculties, the degree programmes in medicine and dentistry are by no means an exception.

In Bonn, you will be offered a study situation that will enable you to optimally prepare for your degree and a successful career as a doctor.

How good are the universities in Germany in an international comparison?

Universities in Germany enjoy a good international reputation. Students from Germany and abroad often deliberately choose a German university for their academic career. Articles and publications in specialist journals also frequently praise the quality of German universities. The best universities in particular are highly rated internationally.

German universities not only offer a good study situation for prospective doctors, but also good opportunities to embark on a research career, as values such as critical thinking and the ability to work scientifically are already taught during the degree programme. 

Even though the vast majority of German universities are usually not quite as well-known and sought-after as the University of Cambridge or Harvard, for example, they are very popular. This makes it even more difficult to get a place here.

What opportunities does studying abroad offer me if I have not been offered a place at a university in Germany?

On the one hand, the fact that German universities enjoy such a good reputation and are among the best in Europe is very positive. On the other hand, however, this is often accompanied by problems for prospective students. In order to get a place, you have to have an extremely good Abitur or meet other demanding criteria.

Fortunately, many universities in other European countries are also very good and offer you equivalent degrees. The data shows that it is no problem to study in Eastern Europe, for example, and then return to Germany with the best career opportunities.