- Founded
- 1966
- Students
- 10,900
- International
- 13.4%
- Programmes
- 110
- Taught in English
- 9
About Universität Konstanz
Universität Konstanz is a research-intensive public university founded in 1966, located on a single campus on the Gießberg hill overlooking Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southwestern Germany. It currently enrols approximately 10,900 students across more than 100 degree programmes, organised into three faculties covering the natural sciences, the humanities, and politics, law, and economics.
The university has a strong international orientation, reporting 1,380 students from over 90 countries. It has participated successfully in Germany's Excellence Initiative and Excellence Strategy, holding two Clusters of Excellence, and has received eight Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prizes since 1989 - one of Germany's highest scientific honours.
Konstanz is consistently ranked among Germany's leading research universities. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 it placed in the 201-250 band globally and ranked 23rd nationally. In the THE 'Young Universities' ranking (150 under 50) it previously reached 1st in Germany and 7th worldwide.
Founded 1966; one of Germany's newer research universities, designed from the outset as a reform university with flat hierarchies and interdisciplinary collaboration
Two Clusters of Excellence under Germany's Excellence Strategy
Eight Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize recipients since 1989
THE World University Rankings 2023: ranked 201-250 globally, 23rd in Germany
Three faculties across 13 departments covering natural sciences, humanities, and politics/law/economics
Non-EU students pay €1,500/semester (Baden-Württemberg state fee); EU/EEA, doctoral, and Bildungsinländer students are exempt
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 1966
- Students
- 10,900
- International
- 13.4% international students (1,473 of 10,964 students, WiSe 2022/23; official student statistics)
- Faculties
- 3
- Programmes
- 110
Study programmes
110 accredited degrees at Universität Konstanz, 9 of them taught in English.
Showing 25–48 of 110 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
Non-EU/EEA students pay €1,500 per semester in tuition fees for bachelor's, consecutive master's, and state examination programmes - a Baden-Württemberg state policy in effect since winter semester 2017/18. EU/EEA citizens, doctoral students, recognised refugees, and students with German-equivalent qualifications ('Bildungsinländer') are exempt. In addition to any tuition fee, all students pay a mandatory semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) that covers public-transit passes and student-services fees; the cost-of-living page references approximately €616.60 in additional semester costs (transit + re-registration). A hardship waiver or deferral of the €1,500 fee is possible for students in financial emergency. The LL.M. graduate law programme and certain vocational programmes carry separate fee structures.
Admission requirements
International applicants must hold a recognised higher-education entrance qualification. The university directs degree-seekers to verify institution recognition via anabin.kmk.org (KMK's database). For master's admission a first degree from a recognised university or vocational academy is required; individual programmes specify additional GPA thresholds and language requirements. Language requirements vary by programme: German-taught programmes typically require TestDaF or equivalent (DSH/Goethe C1); English-taught master's programmes specify their own English proficiency thresholds per programme page. The university does not publish a blanket APS certificate requirement on its international pages - Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants should confirm APS obligations with the International Office or via the APS offices in their home country, as APS is a German consulate-side requirement that applies regardless of the university's own instructions. Applications for master's programmes are submitted via the university's online portal; deadlines vary by programme and are published on individual programme pages.
Application deadlines
Application deadlines vary by programme and are published on individual study-programme pages. Semester dates: Winter Semester runs 1 October - 31 March (lectures from late October); Summer Semester runs 1 April - 30 September (lectures April - mid-July). Prospective students should check the specific programme's application portal for exact submission windows.
How international applicants apply
No uni-assist procedure - direct online application via ZEuS. Applications for study places are submitted online at zeus.uni-konstanz.de; some first-degree subjects additionally require registration at hochschulstart.de (DoSV/dialogue-oriented service procedure). The university itself assesses whether a foreign higher education entrance qualification is recognised (applicants self-check via KMK/anabin first); Konstanz is not among uni-assist's partner universities and its FAQ references uni-assist only as an external source of guidance on document certification. Non-EU/EEA applicants whose HZB was not earned in Germany follow the dedicated non-EU application guide; special routes exist for refugees, Studienkolleg graduates and certain residence situations. Application contact: Ruth Buerger-Fiedler (+49 7531 88-4017). Sources: uni-konstanz.de FAQ Bewerbung and non-EU bachelor applicant pages.
Languages of instruction
The majority of bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Numerous master's programmes are offered entirely in English, and the university explicitly advertises 'international master's programmes' with an English-language track. The Language Institute (SLI) offers free German-as-a-Foreign-Language courses from A1/A2 through C2 each semester, plus intensive courses in March and September via the GO Konstanz programme.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Student accommodation
What Universität Konstanz publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
From the university
Student housing is primarily managed by Seezeit, the local student services organisation, which operates several residence halls including Chérisy-Kaserne, Jägerkaserne, Albert-Magnus-Haus, and Thomas-Blarer-Haus. Students can also search private housing via wg-gesucht.de.
Campuses & locations
Single unified campus at Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz; adjacent to Lake Constance with 360-degree campus tour available
Living in Konstanz
Konstanz is a mid-sized city in the far southwest of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee) on the Swiss border. Zurich is approximately 75 km away (around 1 hour by train or car), Stuttgart roughly 180 km, and Munich around 220 km. The city has a well-developed cycling infrastructure and public transport network. Its location on the Swiss border gives students easy access to an international environment and, for those eligible to work, to the Swiss labour market.
Student life & support
Student housing is primarily managed by Seezeit, the local student services organisation, which operates several residence halls including Chérisy-Kaserne, Jägerkaserne, Albert-Magnus-Haus, and Thomas-Blarer-Haus. Due to high demand, rooms are allocated by lottery; exchange students face deadlines of 15 May (winter) and 15 November (summer), while degree-seeking master's students apply directly to Seezeit with a 10 July winter deadline. Students can also search private housing via wg-gesucht.de. The International Office provides dedicated support for degree-seeking international students (contact: [email protected]) and operates a Welcome Centre for doctoral researchers and visiting scholars. Free German language courses (A1-C2) are available each semester through the Language Institute; intensive courses run in March and September.
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