The three kinds of institution
- Universities (Universität) - research-oriented, broad subject range, award doctorates.
- Technical universities (TU) - research universities with an engineering and natural-science focus. Nine of them form the TU9 group.
- Universities of applied sciences (Hochschule / HAW / FH) - practice-oriented, with internships and industry projects; excellent for employability, usually without a doctoral route of their own.
Most institutions are public. Private universities charge tuition, and a few states or individual universities charge tuition to non-EU students even at public institutions - Baden-Württemberg is the best-known example. Everyone pays a semester contribution, which often includes a public transport ticket.
Direct admission or uni-assist?
This is the single most useful thing to know before you start an application.
| Route | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Direct | You apply on the university's own portal. No uni-assist fee, no extra processing time. |
| VPD | uni-assist checks your certificates first and issues a preliminary review document, which you then upload to the university's portal. Allow several weeks. |
| uni-assist | You apply through My assist, which checks your documents and forwards complete applications. |
The route is set by the university, and some programmes inside one university differ. The programme page is always the authority. DMATBLAZE's directory lists the route for every institution, with links to its uni-assist page and website.
How to build a realistic shortlist
- Convert your grade. Many universities use the modified Bavarian formula: 1 + 3 x (best grade - your grade) / (best grade - minimum pass). A 7.8/10 CGPA becomes roughly 2.1.
- Mix your list. A few ambitious choices, several realistic ones, and two safer options - including universities of applied sciences, which are often less crowded than famous names.
- Check the language route. English-taught programmes need IELTS or TOEFL; German-taught programmes usually need C1 proof.
- Check credits, not just grades. Some Master's programmes require specific ECTS in maths, programming or a core subject.
- Note each deadline and route in one tracker, and plan backwards from the earliest.
Where to check current programmes
Programme requirements change every year, so use live sources: the DAAD International Programmes database for English-taught degrees, Hochschulkompass for all German programmes, and the university's own pages for the binding requirements.
What DMATBLAZE gives you
- A directory of German state and state-recognised institutions with city, type, sector, application route and founding year.
- University Match: enter your CGPA, IELTS, field and budget, and see ranked universities with live links to their current programmes.
- An application board, a reverse timeline from your deadline, and a personal document checklist.