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University of Göttingen

Ranked
Gottingen, Germany
121st in World University Rankings 2025
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About

Basic information and contact details for the University of Göttingen

institution

Regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in Germany, the University of Göttingen is located in the historic Saxon town of the same name, in the centre of Germany.

Established in 1737, the university – informally known as Georgia Augusta – is home to about 26,000 students, 11% of who are international.

A research-led university, Göttingen has associations with over 40 Nobel Prize winners, including physicists Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, Max Planck and Otto Stern. The Brothers Grimm both taught at Göttingen and its alumni includes the statesman Otto von Bismarck, philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, poet Heinrich Heine and sociologist Max Weber.

Napoleon once said of Göttingen that it belonged ‘to the whole of Europe.' It was founded by England's King George II in his capacity as Elector of Hanover, and the university’s library, founded in 1734, was the first comprehensive academic library of European standing.

In the first part of the twentieth century, Göttingen was regarded as the centre of the mathematical world – a position it lost in 1933 when more than 50 of its faculty were forced to leave the University under Nazi rule.

After World War II, Göttingen was the first university in Germany to resume teaching, going on to become one the largest higher education institutions in the country. 



The modern Göttingen offers a wide range of degree programmes, particularly in the humanities, with almost all academic disciplines represented across its 13 faculties. It prioritises creativity, in particular, with students and faculty encouraged to engage in creative thinking as well as acquiring methodological knowledge.

The university’s profile is further enhanced by its partnerships with several local research partners, including the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the German Aerospace Centre and five Max Planck Institutes, which work with the university to provide an alliance of collaboration in research and teaching.

Göttingen is itself a hub of culture and creativity, hosting many events and festivals throughout the year including the international Handel Festival, which celebrates German baroque music.

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Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at the University of Göttingen

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
54 F : 46 M (1)
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International student percentage
14% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
25.2 (1)
student
Student total
21729 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2025

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Subjects Taught at the University of Göttingen

See below for a range of subjects taught at the University of Göttingen

Life Sciences51st

  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Sport Science
  • Veterinary Science
  • Biological Sciences

Law101–125th

  • Law

Arts and Humanities101–125th

  • Languages, Literature and Linguistics
  • History, Philosophy and Theology
  • Archaeology
  • Art, Performing Art and Design

Clinical and Health126–150th

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Other Health

Computer Science251–300th

  • Computer Science

Social Sciences201–250th

  • Sociology
  • Politics and International Studies
  • Geography

Psychology151–175th

  • Psychology

Physical Sciences=77th

  • Chemistry
  • Geology, Environmental, Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Mathematics and Statistics