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The Best Universities for Economics in Germany (2024)

Written by Vincent Hedman

Why Study Economics in Germany

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Economics at a university in Germany . Here are just a few:

  • Germany has one of the largest economies in Europe and offers a robust economic environment. This makes it an excellent place to study economics, with direct insights into the practices of one of the world's leading export-driven economies.
  • German universities are respected globally for their academic rigor and research output. Masters Degrees in Economics often feature among top-ranked courses, providing students with a prestigious educational pedigree.
  • With its emphasis on innovation and technical advancement, studying in Germany can heavily focus on advanced research methodologies within economics fostering strong analytical problem-solving skills that are highly valued in academic professional circles.
  • Many public universities offer low-to-no tuition fees for international students regardless of nationality making this high-quality education more accessible compared other destinations.

The Best Universities in Germany for Economics

The following tables gives the 10 best German universities for Economics, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which German universities are amongst the best in the world and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

Read our guide on how to use international rankings as a postgraduate for more information.


Top 10 German Universities for Economics (Times Higher Education)
University Germany Rank Global Rank
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich 1 36
University of Mannheim 2 37
University of Bonn 3 53
University of Cologne 4 126-150
Free University of Berlin 5 126-150
University of Bayreuth 6 151-175
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg 7 151-175
Goethe University Frankfurt 8 201-250
University of Hamburg 9 201-250
University of Hohenheim 10 251-300
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.


Top 10 German Universities for Economics (QS)
University Germany Rank Global Rank
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich 1 41
University of Mannheim 2 =52
University of Bonn 3 56
Humboldt University of Berlin 4 =73
Technical University of Munich 5 111
Free University of Berlin 6 151-200
Goethe University Frankfurt 7 151-200
Heidelberg University 8 151-200
University of Cologne 9 151-200
University of Göttingen 10 201-250
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the QS rankings?

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.


Top 10 German Universities for Economics (ARWU)
University Germany Rank Global Rank
University of Bonn 1 39
University of Munich 2 51-75
University of Göttingen 3 76-100
University of Mannheim 4 101-150
Goethe University Frankfurt 5 151-200
Humboldt University of Berlin 6 151-200
Technical University of Munich 7 151-200
University of Cologne 8 151-200
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management 9 201-300
Heidelberg University 10 201-300
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information and a comprehensive list of engineering subject rankings.

What should I know about the ARWU rankings?

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.

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Last updated: 10 October 2024