Germany’s 17 best universities in the perspective of employers 2023
When you search the internet, you will see many sites and pages about university rankings. Most of these rankings are based on the intensity of academic output and focus more on research output. If your goal is a PhD and an academic career, these lists are important for you.
On this page and in my previous articles, I like to look at it as an employer, perhaps because I come from the real sector and look at it differently from academic circles, and perhaps because I have met many prospective employees over the years. In my opinion, those who will evaluate the quality of education of universities should be from the real sector. For this reason, in my rankings, I always share the results of surveys conducted with the participation of employers and determine rankings accordingly. (See: Top 10 best universities to study medicine and dentistry in Germany, Top 9 best universities to study mechanical engineering in Germany, Top 8 best universities to study informatics in Germany)
On this page, I used the results of such a survey as a reference when ranking the top 17 universities in Germany. The GEURS survey, conducted by Emerging every year worldwide with the participation of employers only, aims to identify the top 250 universities from the perspective of employers. GEURS is an annual survey that questions employers around the world about their recruitment processes, their relationships with universities or the skills they look for in graduates. Germany is on the list with 17 universities.
Here are the top German universities where employers prefer their graduates:
- TUM – Technical University of Munich:
The Technical University of Munich is Germany’s best-known technical school and the most popular with employers. Besides being famous, it is also famous for pushing students very hard. In other words, admission to the school is the only easy part of the job. (You can find my article about Technical University of Munich here) - Humboldt University of Berlin
Graduating from a good university is a good way to start a career, but people don’t get high-paying jobs right out of university. Nevertheless, graduating from a school like Humboldt means setting the bar high (see my article about Humboldt University here). - Technical University of Berlin
Despite its bad reputation among the students (due to its difficulties), its graduates are cherished by employers. What else could one wish for in a city as amazing as Berlin, to be in a school like TU Berlin. - LMU Munich
It has the reputation of being a “party school”. (I am a liar of others.) They have made a habit of throwing a party at almost every opportunity, but the quality of education is evident in the choice of employers. It is a school known and cherished all over the world. See my article about the school.
- Heidelberg University
It has been teaching for 637 years. It is the oldest and most recognized university in Germany. If you ask about universities in Germany, everyone will point to it. As such, it is impossible for it not to be on the list. The school is also a favorite of employers thanks to its educational traditions and very high level students. Please see my article about the school. - Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
The only private school on the list. I have mentioned in my articles about the city that Frankfurt is the financial center of Europe. (See Being a student in Frankfurt) Frankfurt School of Finance and Management stands out as the top finance school in the country. Despite the high tuition fees, the school is very popular and is also cherished by employers for its quality of education. - Free University of Berlin
Despite its young age, the Free University in Berlin is well known for its strategies, especially in terms of scientific research, its international connections and its programs focusing on a wide range of research areas. Employers also appreciate this. - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT
The school, which aims to be Germany’s technology hub, has only recently been named such, but has already made a big splash internationally. Due to its research focus, it is closely followed and supported by the real sector. Its graduates must also be appreciated by employers, which is why it ranked 8th. See KIT
- University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is one of the largest universities in Germany. Being close to the North Sea, it has a reputation for climate research, but it is also supported by serious research on interesting topics such as “Particle physics”, “Nanoscience” and “Quantum universe”. The school has established and maintains a good cooperation with the real sector (see University of Hamburg). - RWTH Aachen University
Germany is famous for its engineering sciences and its electromechanical engineers are famous all over the world. So much so that a mechanical or electrical engineer graduating from this school is considered a respected engineer all over the world. The school is famous for its difficulty as well as its prestige. (See RWTH) - Chemnitz University of Technology
The shining sun of Chemnitz, a former eastern bloc city in the former East Germany where time seems to have frozen. Although the school lags behind in international rankings, employers are snapping up its graduates for their initiatives and research, especially in the field of building technology. (See Technical University Chemnitz)) - Goethe University Frankfurt
Frankfurt’s second and largest university to make the list. Again, due to the mission of the city, the school stands out with its programs in finance. It is also known for its research in various niche fields (Quantum physics originated from this school) (See Frankfurt University) - University of Mannheim
It is not well known outside the international academic community and is overshadowed by Heidelberg, to which it is close. Although it does not appear in the famous rankings, it is cherished by employers, especially in the social sciences and economics.
- University of Cologne
A 635-year-old educational institution. It is the second largest university in Germany in terms of student enrollment. Because the school is so big, it has the chance to host many different programs. But it is mostly known for law, economics and business administration. When the school is big and crowded, it is very difficult for students to stand out from the crowd. - Leibniz University Hannover
One of Germany’s famous TU9 technical universities. It has an international reputation, especially in the fields of biomedical technologies and optical physics. The city of Hannover, where one in seven people work in the health sector (see Living as a student in Hannover), has also developed the school in this direction. - Technical University Darmstadt
The first technical school in the world to establish the Chair of Electrical Engineering. Germany’s first female engineer also graduated from this school. The school is well known throughout Europe for engineering and produces some of the best engineers in the world. TU Darmstadt - Bielefeld University
The school, which is still very young (54 years old), focuses on social sciences, but has proven itself in Biology and has managed to attract the attention of the whole world with its interdisciplinary research. Employers have also recognized its quality of education and ranked it among the top 250 schools in the world (Bielefeld Uni).
I have listed 17 German universities on the list of the top 250 universities whose graduates are preferred by employers. You may have noticed that the ranking of the schools on the list is slightly different from the ranking of international university rating agencies. That’s what I mean by the employer’s point of view. Therefore, if your goal is not an academic career but a good position in the real sector, I suggest you adopt this list thoroughly.
“Especially since German employers rate the quality of undergraduate education as the most important criterion with 40%.”
I hope it will be useful and bring a new perspective. For your questions, contact me at recep[at]recepdayi.com.tr, via social media and don’t forget to comment in the section below.
