Top 10 Universities to Study Medicine and Dentistry in Germany

Medicine and Dentistry in Germany

I have written many articles about studying Medicine and Dentistry in Germany. First of all, I should mention that the universities in Germany are not very different in terms of the quality of education and it will not matter which school you graduate from within Germany. Graduating in Germany is hard enough, but getting accepted to study Medicine and Dentistry is harder than that, so even getting accepted is a sign of quality.

I always mention that it is difficult to get admission to Medicine and Dentistry programs from German universities. You will understand why when you see the foreign student quotas of the following schools. However, there is an exam called TestAS to increase your chances of admission, which I highly recommend. If you want more details, please visit https://recepdayi.com.tr/en/category/testas_en/.

Germany University Rankings

Nevertheless, different rating organizations conduct studies to rank and compare schools with international criteria. Although these rankings are not considered meaningful by some academic circles, they are still an indicator. Many institutions use these rankings as criteria for equivalence.

These rankings are mostly focused on the intensity of academic output. It should be noted that these rankings are more indicative of the opportunities and quality of master’s and, more importantly, doctoral studies rather than the quality of undergraduate education. Therefore, a ranking of the best medical schools in Germany is not very meaningful, but it can give an idea of international recognition. The more recognized a school is, the more prospective students there will be, so the rankings here will also be an indication of the fierce competition for admission.

In 2023, in a survey conducted for newsweek magazine, 80,000 doctors worldwide were asked which clinic you would refer your patient to in 11 different branches and they were asked to choose from a list of 2300 clinics worldwide. According to the results of this selection, the best clinics in the world were determined. I filtered the German university clinics from the list and made a list according to their branch rankings. If you want to see the best medical faculty hospitals in Germany from the doctors’ point of view, you can see them from this link.

I’m ranking according to

I did not take the latest year values while ranking. These rankings are already available on the websites of rating agencies. You can check them on those sites if you want. Since these rankings vary between institutions, I have created this list with a longer-term average value of international rankings in addition to my own research and experience. I tried to make a general rating with the rankings focused on medical subjects rather than the general recognition of universities. Here are the 10 best universities to study medicine in Germany:

1. Medical Faculties of Heidelberg University

Ranked between 30th and 35th among the world’s top medical schools, it is also Germany’s oldest and most internationally recognized university. It stands out especially in Radiology, Oncology, Surgery and Public Health. There are two different medical schools in two different cities. One of them offers traditional (Regelstudiengang) and the other one offers Modelstudiengang curriculum. I have written about the school before, you can read it under the Heidelberg University. You can also access the school’s website here.

2. LMU Munich Medical Faculty and TUM Medical Faculty

Although they are two different medical faculties of two different universities, I wrote them together. The reason is that the first 4 semesters are conducted jointly. When you apply, you apply to both LMU and TUM. After the 1st state exam at the end of the 2nd year, you choose one of the two universities. As you can understand from my writing state exam, the traditional (Regelstudiengang) curriculum is offered

LMU (Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich) is a bit more popular; it ranks between 50-55 in the world rankings of medical schools. It stands out with its research in fields such as Oncology, Gastroenterology and Immunology. TUM (Technical University of Munich), on the other hand, seems to be a little weaker in terms of medicine as it is more prominent with its technical subjects. It is ranked between 100-120 in the medical rankings.

The popularity and recognition of the city of Munich has surpassed the names of the schools and it is the most well-known German city for many foreign students. Since it is a joint program of two different universities, quotas are high. Every year, around 45 foreign students are accepted to the Medicine program and 5 to the Dentistry program. In parallel with the high quota for Medicine, there is a high number of applications.

3. Charite Medical Faculty

Charité is the medical school with the best university hospital in Germany. According to Newsweek magazine, it is also the 5th best university hospital in the world. The faculty is jointly supported by Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität. Being located in the capital Berlin makes the school very popular. It is very popular because it is internationally recognized. The school is ranked between 70-75 in the world in the ranking of medical faculties. Immunology, surgery and nuclear medicine are among the research topics that are especially emphasized. You can access the website of the school, which applies a Modelstudiengang, here.

4. Hamburg University Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hamburg is one of the most renowned medical schools in Germany. Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany, is one of the most internationally known German cities because it is a major port city. You can find my articles about the city and the university here. Hamburg Medical School is ranked somewhere between 100-110 in the world rankings and stands out with its research in the fields of cardiovascular and surgery. The university admits about 18 foreign students to the Medicine program each year and applies a model curriculum. The quota for Dentistry is 4 – 5 people.

5. Hannover Medical School

It is Germany’s only medical university and offers courses in medicine and dentistry. It also has one of the largest university hospitals in Germany. The school is not as popular outside academic circles as the ones above, so your chances of acceptance may be slightly higher. The school, which is ranked around 120 in the world medical school rankings, is among the top 100 in the world, especially in Gastroenterology, Cardiovascular Diseases and Oncology research. The foreign student quota for Medicine is around 20 students per year and the Model curriculum is applied. In Dentistry, as in the others, it is low and around 5. You can access the school’s website here.

If you pay attention, when I write the quotas, I give approximate numbers in all schools because these numbers are kept like a state secret for some reason and almost no school announces the quota of foreign students. (I have a theory, but this is not the place, if you ask me privately, I will tell you) The official rule; 5% of the total quota. Start from here, but if you ask what the total quota of which school is, it is difficult to reach healthy information there as well.

I have written about Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the city of Hannover before. Those who are curious can access it here.

6. University of Tübingen Faculty of Medicine

The University of Tübingen is one of the oldest and best-known schools in Germany. The medical faculty is also ranked high in parallel with the recognition of the university. It is ranked around 150th in the world rankings of medical faculties with its achievements in the fields of Oncology, Radiology and Immunology. However, the name of the school is highly respected in academic circles due to its academic achievements from the past. Therefore, it can be considered in the top three in terms of international recognition, although not in medicine. But the reason why it is not in the top three in this ranking is that it is located in a small city. Nevertheless, I can say that the demand and competition is quite intense due to the name of the school.

The school offers a traditional medicine curriculum, but the quotas are also a bit low, with 9 to 10 foreigners for Medicine during the summer and winter semesters. In Dentistry, you can consider 2 foreign student quotas. You can access the school’s website from this link.

7. Freiburg Faculty of Medicine

The University of Freiburg is also a well-known school in Germany and, like Tübingen, has a highly respected name in the international community. Unfortunately, the prestigious names of these schools are not sufficiently reflected in their medical faculties. I attribute this to their small campuses and their relatively remote location from major cities. After all, medical science develops through patient density, diversity and research into treatments. Freiburg has achieved a similar ranking due to its location far from big cities. It is ranked between 160-170 in the world ranking of medical schools and in the top 50 in the field of Immunology. The school offers a traditional medicine curriculum and is popular with international applicants.

Freiburg has some of the best weather in Germany, regardless of the school, and is therefore very popular. You can find my articles about the university and Freiburg city here. The school has 20 places for Medicine and 2 or 3 for Dentistry.

8. Frankfurt Faculty of Medicine

With the advantages of being a big city and having a large university hospital, Frankfurt University Medical School ranks high in medical education as well as in the economy. The large number and diversity of patients is the most important factor in this. The school is ranked between 160-170 in the rankings of the best medical schools. The school, which provides education in the traditional curriculum, stands out especially in Gastroenterology and Cardiovascular Diseases. You can access my previous articles about the city and the university here.

The school follows a traditional medical curriculum. The city of Frankfurt has a large foreign population as it is the financial center of Germany and a hub for international airlines, so you can find flights to almost anywhere in the world. Therefore, it is popular for prospective foreign students. Despite this, the relatively high number of quotas may increase your chances. There are around 24 places for Medicine and 7-8 places for Dentistry. You can access the school’s website here.

9. Bonn University Faculty of Medicine

The University of Bonn is well known for being the former capital of the city. Its proximity to Cologne and the fact that it is still home to the headquarters of many international companies adds to its popularity. You can find my articles about the school and the city here. The Faculty of Medicine of the school, which is best known in the world for its achievements in Mathematics, has found itself in the range of 160-170 in the world rankings. Especially the field of Infectious Diseases stands out. The school follows a traditional curriculum.

Bonn University Medical School is a secretive school about its admission criteria. They still take applications themselves. There are around 15 Medicine and 4 Dentistry places. You can find the school’s website here.

10. Münster University Faculty of Medicine

Münster, a student city, is also famous for its university. Students of the Faculty of Medicine are especially cherished in the city where you can go almost everywhere by bicycle. The school is one of the schools that allocates the highest budget for medical education. The school, which ranks 250th in university rankings, ranks 170th when it comes to medicine. You may think that the school, which stands out in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, has a quota of 15 students in Medicine and 6 in Dentistry.

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