University in Germany
Bayreuth, Bayern, Germany
University profile
The University of Bayreuth (Universität Bayreuth) is a state university in Upper Franconia, northern Bavaria. Established by the Bavarian Parliament on 1 January 1972 as the seventh Bavarian state university, it began teaching in 1975 and is built around a compact campus university model in which faculties, library, cafeteria, sports grounds and the Ecological Botanical Garden sit within walking distance of each other. Interdisciplinary teaching and research, with Geoecology, Sport, Business & Law, and Philosophy & Economics among its early degree programmes, remain its defining feature.
Around 12,000 students study across more than 180 degree programmes in seven faculties, and 11,195 students were enrolled in the 2025/26 winter semester. The university employs 1,644 academic staff, including 287 professors. Its seven faculties are:
Research strengths include the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, the Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry & Geophysics (BGI), the Institute of African Studies, and polymer and colloid research at the Bayreuth Centre for Colloids & Interfaces. Third-party funding amounted to EUR 72.5 million in 2025 against total income of EUR 274 million.
Bayreuth is a student city of about 75,000 people, set between the Fichtelgebirge and the Franken Jura and known for the Wagner opera festival. Campus life includes university sport with indoor and outdoor facilities, choirs, big bands and a symphony orchestra, the Glashaus campus cafe, Uni Cinema and the Iwalewahaus Africa centre. The Upper Franconia Student Union (Studierendenwerk) runs the cafeteria, which serves over 4,000 meals a day, and the Frischraum restaurant.
International students are welcomed through the International Office's Welcome Services. The university has completed the German Rectors' Conference audit on internationalisation (re-audit successfully completed in October 2019) and its quality assurance system for studies and teaching is accredited by the Accreditation Council until 2030. It holds awards including Bavaria's first Fairtrade University title, the 2017 Bavaria Barrier-Free award and the Family Friendly University audit.
No tuition fees are charged for studying at the University of Bayreuth. Every student pays the semester fee, which is not tuition: EUR 172.00 per semester for winter semester 2026/27 and summer semester 2027, made up of EUR 87.00 for the Student Services Association and EUR 85.00 for the semester ticket for public transport in Bayreuth. Continuing education Master's programmes are subject to a fee.
The university has awarded the Deutschlandstipendium since 2011 to talented and socially committed students, taking into account grades, social commitment and personal achievement. A scholarship is EUR 3,600 per year (EUR 300 per month), financed half by the federal government and half by private sponsors. Students apply directly to the university during the application period. See the Germany Scholarship page.
A one-off grant of up to EUR 500 for books or learning materials, or towards dissertation printing costs, for gifted students in financial need from the second semester onwards. Need is recognised where BAföG is received, and for dissertation printing where income does not exceed EUR 1,800 per month. Applications go to the Scholarship Office ([email protected]) with the form, proof of enrolment, BAföG or income proof and a lecturer's endorsement.
The university's scholarship page lists the 13 German gifted-student foundations with liaison professors in Bayreuth, among them the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Cusanuswerk, Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst, Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk, Avicenna-Studienwerk, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung and the German Business Foundation. It also lists the Bavarian Max Weber Programme (EUR 1,290 educational allowance per semester), the Marianne Plehn Programme for doctoral students, the BayHost scholarship for graduates from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, scholarships for women in research and teaching, and Bavarian scholarships for master's study at Andrássy University Budapest. Study-abroad funding for Bayreuth students includes ERASMUS+ and the PROMOS partial scholarship through the International Office. Details and deadlines are on the Scholarships and Grants page.
The Upper Franconia Student Union runs the catering on campus and operates halls of residence funded in part through the student services fee; the Advising & Service Network and Student Advising support students with study questions.
Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship), University of Bayreuth →
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View scholarships for University of Bayreuth →Study requires a general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) or a vocational qualification. A subject-specific entrance qualification after 13th grade allows relevant programmes only, and a Fachhochschulreife after 12th grade does not qualify for university study. Programmes are either admission-free (enrolment within the deadline is enough), subject to an aptitude test, or subject to local admission restrictions. For restricted programmes the places are allocated mainly on the Abitur grade, and the numerus clausus is set only at the end of the procedure; applicants apply through hochschulstart.de and the university. Teacher-training programmes with English require an English aptitude test, and those with sport require the Bavarian sport aptitude test.
An applicant counts as international if the secondary school qualification (Bachelor) or the first degree (Master) was obtained outside Germany; applicants who gained their qualification in Germany apply as German applicants (Bildungsinländer). Applicants with a foreign entrance qualification must submit a preliminary review documentation (Vorprüfungsdokumentation, VPD) from uni-assist e.V. with their application, requested early because processing takes about 6 to 8 weeks, and must still apply through the university's CAMPUSonline portal within the deadline. The VPD shows whether the qualification gives direct access or whether the Studienkolleg and its aptitude assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung) are needed first; the Studienkolleg in Munich serves all Bavarian universities and the preparatory course usually lasts two semesters. Applicants check recognition of their qualification in the anabin database.
The general application deadlines, which also apply to the Studienkolleg, are 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester, though programme-specific deadlines are shown for each programme in the programme finder. Applicants who need the Studienkolleg are advised to apply by 15 June or 15 December. Enrolment runs from 15 April to 1 October for the winter semester and from 15 October to 1 April for the summer semester, unless the admission letter says otherwise.
For German-taught programmes, proof of at least B2 is required at the time of application, and some programmes require C1 or DSH-2 for enrolment. Accepted proofs for C1 or DSH-2 include DSH-2, TestDaF with 4 x TDN 4, DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C2, ÖSD C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule and the IIK Bayreuth C1 certificate. For B2 the options include DSH-1, TestDaF with at least 14 points and no part below TDN 3, Goethe-Zertifikat B2, ÖSD B2 and telc Deutsch B2. Applicants without a certificate at B2 or above take the DSH examination at the University of Bayreuth shortly before semester start.
The level for English-taught programmes is set by each programme's study and examination regulations and is usually at least CEFR B2. Where none is specified, guidance values are: for B2, IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80 (previous scoring), PTE Academic 60, Cambridge First grade B or better; for C1, IELTS 7.5, TOEFL iBT 95 (previous scoring), PTE Academic 76, Cambridge Advanced grade B. These are not university-wide minimums. English-taught Master's applicants must usually also show German at A1, which can be handed in by the end of the second semester.
Applicants need a first degree in a relevant field; most Master's programmes are consecutive and build on specific Bachelor's programmes, and the admission requirements are set in each programme's examination and study regulations. External degrees are checked for equivalence by the examination board, and missing content can be made up to a limited extent at the start of the programme. Many programmes use an aptitude test based on the application documents and, where needed, an interview or online test. Applying before the degree certificate is available is possible if a minimum number of credits is proven and the certificate is submitted within a set period. Continuing education Master's programmes usually require at least one year of professional experience and are fee-based.
Doctoral candidates find a topic and a supervisor (a professor or junior research group leader), agree a supervision agreement, register on the BayDOC portal and apply for acceptance at the faculty or graduate centre that is the doctoral institution. Structured doctorates are offered in BayNAT and BIGSAS, and also through BayKULT and BayREW. Enrolment as a doctoral student is optional and normally possible for up to 8 semesters; membership of the University of Bayreuth Graduate School is optional once accepted.
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