Zeppelin Universität - Hochschule zwischen Wirtschaft, Kultur und Politik
Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Founded
- 2003
- Students
- 600
- International
- 18%
- Programmes
- 22
- Taught in English
- 1
About Zeppelin Universität - Hochschule zwischen Wirtschaft, Kultu
Zeppelin Universität (ZU) is a state-recognised private foundation university founded in 2003 in Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg. It operates at the intersection of business, culture, and politics, offering three bachelor's and five master's programmes across three disciplinary clusters: Corporate Management & Economics, Cultural & Communication Studies, and Political & Social Sciences.
As of Fall Semester 2025, approximately 600 students are enrolled, supported by 38 professors and 76 research fellows, yielding a professor-to-student ratio of 1:6. The university is financed in equal parts by the Zeppelin Foundation's endowment income, student tuition fees, and third-party research funding. It consistently places in the top group of the CHE University Ranking in economics and political science.
ZU operates two campuses in Friedrichshafen: the ZF Campus (primary, 14,500 m², inaugurated 2015) and the SeeCampus (directly on Lake Constance). With more than 80 international university partnerships, ZU actively supports student mobility.
Private state-recognised foundation university founded in 2003; one of the smallest universities in Germany by design (~600 students)
1:6 professor-to-student ratio and 2:1 coach-to-student ratio - unusually small-group teaching
Consistently ranks in the top group in CHE University Rankings for economics and political science
Two lakeside campuses in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, including a beach-access SeeCampus
APS/Academic Evaluation Center certificate required for applicants from India, China, Mongolia, and Vietnam
More than 80 international university partnerships and over 3,500 alumni worldwide
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 2003
- Students
- 600
- International
- ~18% international students (ETER report year 2023: 17.8%)
- Faculties
- 3
- Programmes
- 22
Study programmes
22 accredited degrees at Zeppelin Universität - Hochschule zwischen Wirtschaft, Kultu, 1 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–22 of 22 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
Zeppelin Universität is a private university and charges tuition fees for all programmes regardless of nationality. Bachelor programme fees range from €5,750 to €7,500 per semester (total programme cost €45,000-€54,000 depending on track and duration). Master programme fees range from €6,150 to €9,990 per semester (total €16,800-€29,200 depending on programme length). Monthly payment options are available with a small surcharge. The university states its scholarship programmes can reduce tuition fees but do not cover living expenses. The additional Baden-Württemberg non-EU surcharge (€1,500/semester at public universities) does not apply here, as ZU is a private institution with its own fee schedule.
Admission requirements
Applicants must hold the general or subject-related higher education entrance qualification (Abitur or recognised equivalent). International applicants whose prior qualifications are from China, India, Mongolia, or Vietnam must submit an Academic Evaluation Center (APS/equivalent) certificate issued by the respective German embassy. Non-EU applicants should note that visa processing can take up to one year depending on country. Admission to all programmes requires participation in an Assessment Center (on-campus or digital); results are communicated within two days. Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis for up to three semesters in advance.
Application deadlines
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Bachelor programmes start in both fall (September) and spring (January) semesters. Two-year master's programmes start in fall only; one-year master's programmes start in both semesters. Assessment Center dates for 2026 include: 10 June (on-campus, apply by 31 May), 8 July (on-campus, apply by 28 June), 5 August (digital, apply by 25 July), 5 October (on-campus, apply by 27 September), 25 November (on-campus, apply by 15 November). Exchange student nominations: fall semester by 1 June / spring semester by 1 November.
How international applicants apply
Direct application - no uni-assist. As a private university Zeppelin Universitaet runs its own multi-stage selection procedure ('leistet sich die Zeppelin Universitaet ein eigenes Auswahlverfahren'): registration, document upload and booking of the selection day (on site in Friedrichshafen or digital) happen exclusively in the university's own Bewerberportal (application-new.zu.de); admission criteria per programme under 'Zulassungskriterien Bachelor/Master'. uni-assist is not mentioned anywhere in the application section and ZU is absent from the uni-assist member list.
Languages of instruction
Bachelor programmes are primarily taught in German; C1 German is required for non-native speakers in German-taught tracks. Several master's programmes (IRGP, CME) are English-taught; these require very good English proficiency assessed during the selection process, with German desirable but not mandatory.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Zeppelin Universität - Hochschule zwischen Wirtschaft, Kultu
1 scheme run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Student accommodation
What Zeppelin Universität - Hochschule zwischen Wirtschaft, Kultu publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
The university's housing page
Deadlines and application forms are published here, and they change every intake.
Open housing pageCampuses & locations
Fallenbrunnen 3, 88045 Friedrichshafen. Main campus, inaugurated 2015; ~14,500 m² combining restored historic buildings and new construction. Houses offices, seminar rooms, and co-working spaces.
Am Seemooser Horn 20, 88045 Friedrichshafen. Located directly on Lake Constance; includes cafeteria, seminar rooms, research laboratories, and spaces for student initiatives.
Living in Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen is a mid-sized city of approximately 60,000 residents on the northern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Baden-Württemberg. The city is the birthplace of the Zeppelin airship and home to major industrial employers including ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Its location on the lake offers a high quality of life, and the region is well connected to Stuttgart, Munich, and Zurich by rail and road.
Student life & support
Both campuses are connected by public transport, bicycle routes, and electric vehicles. The university has an International Office led by a dedicated admissions team (contact: [email protected], tel. +49 7541 6009-1000). Non-EU applicants are advised to arrange a blocked account of at least €12,384 per year for visa purposes. Credential evaluation for non-EU applicants is handled through uni-assist e.V. The campus hosts 36 student-led initiatives and an active arts programme (artsprogram). A career network and the PioneerPort founding centre support professional development. Specific on-campus housing and German language course details were not published on the official site at the time of extraction.
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