- Founded
- 1409
- Students
- 29,000
- International
- 11%
- Programmes
- 70
- Taught in English
- 14
About Universität Leipzig
Universität Leipzig is one of the oldest continuously operating universities in the world, founded in 1409 and located in Leipzig, Saxony (eastern Germany). It currently enrols approximately 29,000 students across 14 faculties and more than 190 degree programmes, covering the full spectrum from humanities and law to medicine, veterinary medicine, natural sciences, and economics.
The university is associated with ten Nobel laureates and counts among its alumni figures including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Richard Wagner, and Angela Merkel. Its main campus occupies an urban setting in the Leipzig-Mitte district, with facilities spread across approximately 38 locations in the city, anchored by the reconstructed Augusteum and Paulinum buildings completed in 2012.
As a comprehensive research university in Saxony, Leipzig charges no tuition fees for bachelor's and consecutive master's programmes - including for non-EU international students. All students pay a mandatory semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) that covers student services and a public-transport semester ticket.
Founded 1409 - one of the world's oldest continuously operating universities and Germany's second-oldest (by consecutive years of existence)
Associated with ten Nobel laureates including Werner Heisenberg (Physics), Paul Ehrlich (Medicine), and Svante Pääbo (Medicine, 2022)
Distinguished alumni include Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Richard Wagner, Tycho Brahe, and Angela Merkel
14 faculties covering the full academic spectrum including veterinary medicine - one of a small number of German universities offering this
Saxony state policy: no tuition fees for international students (EU or non-EU) in bachelor's and consecutive master's programmes
Second-oldest botanical garden in Europe (founded 1542) operated by the university
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 1409
- Students
- 29,000
- International
- approximately 11% international students
- Faculties
- 14
- Programmes
- 70
Study programmes
70 accredited degrees at Universität Leipzig, 14 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–24 of 70 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
Saxony does not charge tuition fees for bachelor's, consecutive master's, or state-examination programmes at public universities, for either EU or non-EU international students. All enrolled students pay a mandatory semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) each semester, which covers student union fees, Studentenwerk services, and a public-transport semester ticket for the Leipzig/Mitteldeutschland network. The exact semester contribution amount should be verified on the Studentenwerk Leipzig website (studentenwerk-leipzig.de) or the university's enrolment pages, as it is updated each academic year.
Admission requirements
International applicants must hold a recognised higher-education entrance qualification as assessed against the KMK anabin database (anabin.kmk.org). Most applications by non-EU degree-seeking students are processed via uni-assist. For bachelor's entry, a school-leaving certificate equivalent to the German Abitur is required; applicants whose qualification does not directly qualify may need to complete a Studienkolleg (foundation year). For master's programmes, a recognised first degree of at least three years is required. Language requirements: German-taught programmes require TestDaF TDN 4 (or DSH 2/Goethe C1/telc C1 equivalent); English-taught master's programmes specify IELTS or TOEFL thresholds on individual programme pages (typically IELTS 6.5+). Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants are required to present an APS certificate (Akademische Prüfstelle) before a German student visa can be issued - this is a German consulate requirement independent of the university's own admission decision.
Application deadlines
Exact application deadlines vary by programme and intake. As a general guide for Saxony public universities: Winter Semester (starting October) - applications typically close in mid-July for restricted-admission programmes and in late September for unrestricted programmes; Summer Semester (starting April) - applications typically close in mid-January. International applicants applying via uni-assist should allow additional processing time. Applicants should check individual programme pages at uni-leipzig.de and the uni-assist portal for binding deadlines.
How international applicants apply
uni-assist (full processing): applicants with an international education degree apply through the uni-assist 'My assist' portal for Bachelor/Diplom/Staatsexamen AND for Master programmes (documents uploaded there, TestAS entered under 'My Applications'); applicants with German Abitur or a German first degree apply directly via the AlmaWeb portal. Leipzig University appears on uni-assist's official member-university list.
Languages of instruction
The majority of bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Several international master's programmes are offered entirely in English, particularly in STEM and social science fields. The university's Herder Institute (Institut für Deutsch als Fremdsprache) provides German-as-a-foreign-language courses at all levels for enrolled international students.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Universität Leipzig
2 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Deutschlandstipendium
300 EUR/month, half federal and half private funding, for gifted high-performing students; social engagement and special personal/...
Amount: 300 EUR/month
Deadline: annual application window 15-30 May (2026 call for winter semester 202...
bachelor, master, state_examination, diploma
PROMOS scholarships for study abroad, internships, final theses and study trips
Partial scholarships (monthly rate plus travel allowance) for stays abroad not fundable elsewhere: study semesters, internships wo...
Amount: monthly partial scholarship + travel cost flat rate (rate depends on d...
bachelor, master
Student accommodation
What Universität Leipzig publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
Rooms are allocated by
Studentenwerk Leipzig
Not by the university. Apply to them directly, and expect a waiting list.
From the university
Student housing in Leipzig is managed primarily by Studentenwerk Leipzig, which operates multiple student dormitories across the city. Applications for dormitory places are submitted through Studentenwerk Leipzig ([email protected]; +49 341 96 59 880). Studentenwerk also operates mensas (subsidised cafeterias) and provides counselling, BAföG financial-aid advice, and a semester ticket for the local public-transport network.
Campuses & locations
Main buildings include the Augusteum and Paulinum in the city-centre district; university functions spread across ~38 locations throughout Leipzig
Medical faculty's clinical campus; one of the largest university hospitals in Germany
Living in Leipzig
Leipzig is Saxony's largest city with approximately 620,000 residents, located about 150 km southwest of Berlin. Europe's largest railway station by floor area (Leipzig Hauptbahnhof) provides direct high-speed rail connections to Berlin (under 1.5 hours), Munich, and Frankfurt. The city has a well-developed tram and S-Bahn network. Leipzig has a strong cultural identity - home to the Gewandhaus Orchestra (founded 1743), the Thomanerchor boys' choir (founded 1212), and significant connections to Bach and Mendelssohn. It is widely regarded as one of Germany's most affordable and liveable student cities, often described as a creative alternative to Berlin.
Student life & support
Student housing in Leipzig is managed primarily by Studentenwerk Leipzig, which operates multiple student dormitories across the city. Applications for dormitory places are submitted through Studentenwerk Leipzig ([email protected]; +49 341 96 59 880). Studentenwerk also operates mensas (subsidised cafeterias) and provides counselling, BAföG financial-aid advice, and a semester ticket for the local public-transport network. The university's International Office coordinates services for incoming international degree students, including orientation programmes and support with administrative formalities (Anmeldung, residence permit). The Herder Institute offers German-language courses for enrolled international students at all proficiency levels.
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