University of Freiburg

The University of Freiburg was founded in 1457. Nestled in the city center, the University has received multiple national awards as one of the best universities in Germany for its excellent research and teaching, and it is a creative, inspiring, and enjoyable learning, researching, and living environment for its roughly 25,000 students.

The University of Freiburg has always attracted extraordinarily talented women and men who want to live in the city and take advantage of the University’s ideal conditions to realize their research dreams. Twenty-three Nobel Prize laureates have researched, taught, and/or studied at one of the University of Freiburg’s faculties, and its achievements regularly earn it a high standing in national and international university rankings. It is currently listed as one of the top five comprehensive universities in Germany and one of the best 100 universities in the world.

A broad range of fields of study

The broad range of fields of study at the University of Freiburg offers great potential for innovative fundamental research in individual disciplines and in the form of interdisciplinary collaboration. The University maintains close contact at all levels with other outstanding universities and research institutions as well as industry. The University has singled out eight transdisciplinary fields that define its unique research profile and contribute to its international visibility as a hub of research. In academics, our roughly 250 degree programs, of which 20 are offered in English, provide opportunities for innovative approaches. Our experienced teachers integrate their latest research in their in-person seminars and lectures, while working with students closely and flexibly all over the world with the help of online teaching and learning formats.

The University’s mission is to provide the best learning and research conditions for regular students and for continuing education, because life-long learning is our educational ideal. In this, the University is guided by the principle of the freedom of researching and teaching responsibly to prepare tomorrow’s generations for future challenges in society. Our goal is to do more than just convey knowledge; we also promote education and independent, analytical thinking. The University of Freiburg not only respects the diversity of students and teachers regarding gender, social and cultural background, worldviews, physical and mental disabilities, age, and sexual identity; we regard this diversity as an asset. Today more than ever, our outstanding research and academic standards attract talented people from all over the world. In addition, the University is located in the sunniest city in Germany – a city that is popular for its high quality of life and visitor attractions. Freiburg not only has nice shops in the lively downtown area; it also boasts picturesque, narrow streets around the Minster that are lined with small canals in the historical old town. This dynamic city with an international flair and an extraordinarily young population has a lot to offer in terms of culture, history, bustling cafés, and popular open air events. The University of Freiburg sees its role here as a generator of ideas in that it makes its research available to the public and uses various forms of knowledge transfer to engage in a conversation with local citizens, communicate results of scientific research, and incorporate ideas from society.