Human Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedicine, Midwifery, Public Health
Hannover Medical School, known in German as Medizinische Hochschule Hannover and abbreviated MHH, was founded in 1965. It was the first independent medical university in Germany, and Rudolph Schoen was its founding rector. The campus lies in the Roderbruch district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony. The president is Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner.
The institution employs more than 11,000 people. In 2024 it enrolled 3,997 students from 80 nations. Women made up 68.3 percent of them, with 2,730 students, and 549 held a foreign passport, or 13.7 percent. A total of 2,488 students were studying human medicine. The page of reference lists a larger figure for dentistry, which exceeds the total enrolment, so it is not used here.
The hospital is a central part of the school. It has 34 clinics, 41 institutes and 1,520 beds. In 2024 it treated 53,512 inpatients and 282,572 outpatients. The number of procedures shows the profile: 334 solid organ transplants, 176 bone marrow and stem cell transplants, and 426 cochlear implants. Transplantation and implant medicine are among the best known specialities of Hanover.
Research is organised in three main areas: infection and immunity, transplantation and regeneration, and biomedical engineering and implants. In 2024 the school raised about 111.9 million euros in third-party funding. It heads the RESIST Cluster of Excellence and led the REBIRTH cluster from 2006 to 2019. It belongs to the German Centre for Infection Research and to the German Centre for Lung Research. Christine Falk, an immunologist, leads the Institute for Transplantation Immunology.
The school also trains health professionals in 21 apprenticeship programmes, with about 600 new apprentices each year. Admission to the medical degree is selective and teaching is mainly in German. Applicants should check the official pages for the entry conditions and the language requirements. Tuition for public universities in Germany is low or free. Check the current tariff.
The campus structure supports this specialisation: laboratories, clinics and lecture halls stand close to each other, so that students move between research and patient care within a short walk. The school also takes part in doctoral programmes and in joint centres with other German research organisations. Applicants should check the official pages for entry rules and for the English-language master programmes.
Domains taught:
Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Life Sciences, Microbiology and Genetics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Hospital with 34 clinics and 41 institutes, RESIST Cluster of Excellence, German Centre for Infection Research, German Centre for Lung Research.
Research:
Infection and immunity, transplantation and regeneration, biomedical engineering and implants.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
11000
Current students***:
3997
Foreign students***:
14%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
First independent medical university in Germany, 1,520 beds, 111.9 million euros of third-party funding, transplantation and implant expertise.
Cons
Medicine only, selective admission, teaching in German.
Best For
Students of medicine and biomedical science who want a specialised medical university with a large hospital.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Both schools build their programmes around microbiology and genetics and life sciences, and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf is the one to compare first within the country, since it is far larger, with about 36,569 students against roughly 3,997 here, and is also a public institution.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is the closest domestic counterpart for microbiology and genetics and life sciences; it is far larger, with about 32,000 students against roughly 3,997 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Regensburg follows much the same lines as this institution, with microbiology and genetics and life sciences as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and bioengineering can consider Universität Greifswald, and it is larger, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 3,997 here, and is also a public institution.
Among national alternatives, Universität Witten/Herdecke stands out for its focus on bioinformatics, bioengineering and life sciences, and it is private, whereas this institution is public, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences is Medical University of Graz in Austria, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria is the nearest foreign match on bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences; it has almost the same size, at about 3,800 students, and is also a public institution.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the United States is the nearest foreign match on bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and bioengineering; it also offers graduate certificate programmes and covers statistics as well.
Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran pursues a similar profile in bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences, and it is larger, enrolling about 11,543 students against roughly 3,997 here, and is also a public institution.
Fujian Medical University offers an international parallel to this school, with microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences as common ground; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is far larger, with about 19,600 students against roughly 3,997 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Hannover Medical School?
In the Roderbruch district of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany.
When was it founded?
In 1965.
What is special about its foundation?
It was the first independent medical university in Germany.
How many students does it have?
3,997 in 2024, from 80 nations.
How many staff does it have?
More than 11,000.
How many beds does the hospital have?
1,520.
How many organ transplants were made in 2024?
334 solid organ transplants.
How much third-party funding did it raise in 2024?
About 111.9 million euros.
Who is the president?
Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner.
What does it cost?
Tuition for public universities in Germany is low or free. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Biomedical Sensors, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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