University of Heidelberg
Germany’s best-known university
Heidelberg University, Germany’s oldest and in some areas the best university, is celebrating its 635th anniversary. Since its foundation, the university has offered education in fields such as theology, law and medicine, and is also the best-known German university internationally. The oldest and best-known universities in the country are in the state of Baden Württemberg, but it is said that since 2018, this state does not receive as many applications as before (I am not saying that you will be accepted immediately, but if your budget is sufficient, this may mean more chances).
I mentioned that it is the most internationally recognized German university. The university is in the top 50 in the world rankings and educates around 30,000 students. Like all old universities, there is a disorganized faculty structure. Some courses require short trips between faculties in the city. Only the faculty of natural sciences is on the campus on the Neuenheimer Feld (10-15 minutes by bike from the city center). One of the school’s two medical faculties, one in Heidelberg and one in Mannheim, and its hospital are also on this campus. You can find my article on medical faculties here.
Germany’s oldest university library
It is also the oldest university library in Germany. Today it is said to hold more than three million books and magazines, and students spend long hours here (as they do at every university in Germany). Another library was established at Neuenheimer Feld in 1978 and expanded in the 90s to serve students of natural sciences and medicine.
As with all old universities in Germany, the school does not have a central campus. The faculties are scattered throughout the city (hence the logic of the semester ticket in Germany) and you have to commute between faculties for some classes. Although, since the city is small, it would make more sense to use a bicycle. You can find my impressions of the city and suggestions about city life in my article “Studying in Heidelberg”.
The school organizes an introductory week for freshmen in the first week of October before classes start. They recommend you to attend it. Here you can learn about city life and useful tips for students.
Advantages of Heidelberg University for international students
- The school is very popular, attracting thousands of students from all over the world and from different cultures. Therefore, you will meet many international students from your department and other departments. You are in the right position to network from all over the world.
- Due to the large size of the university, it will be easy to find or form study groups.
- The school offers programs in almost all fields. This makes it easy for you to find out about other programs, in case you realize that your chosen field is not perfect for you. (This may seem strange to you because in Germany there are no university exams, so it is very easy to change your major)
- There is not much xenophobia in Heidelberg, as the residents are used to the town being full of international students, international professors and tourists. They say that when you start complaining about tourists, it means you are from there (and if you study there, you will definitely start complaining one day).
There is also one major risk for international students in Heidelberg:
You can find so many distractions unique to Heidelberg that studying can be compromised. 🙂
HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY IN NUMBERS
| Date of foundation | 1386 |
| Total Number of Students | 28.181 |
| Semester Fee (includes public transportation ticket) | 170 € |
| Tuition Fee | 1500 € |
Heidelberg University Applications
Applications to Heidelberg University are submitted directly to the university portal. A good command of German is the most important requirement for studying at Heidelberg University. If your German is not sufficient for the undergraduate programs and you have an HZB (see What is HZB?), you can apply to the German preparatory school. However, places are very limited. The following language certificates are considered sufficient for university admission:
– TestDaF – at least 4 in each of the four parts of the test
– Goethe Certificate C2: Greater German Language Diploma (GDS)
– telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
In some of the master’s programs, you will also be asked to prove that you have a B2 level of English. Admission requirements may vary according to the program you prefer. The school website contains very detailed information. I recommend you to examine the application requirements for the program you want in detail.
School website : www.uni-heidelberg.de/de
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