Marine Sciences, Nanoscience & Materials Science, Life Sciences & Health Technologies
Kiel University, officially the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, dates from 1665. In its own description it is Schleswig-Holstein’s oldest and largest university and the only fully-fledged university in the state, and other sources likewise call it the state’s only comprehensive university.
Eight faculties make up the structure: Theology; Law; Business, Economics and Social Sciences; Medicine; Arts and Humanities; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences; and Engineering. Research is organised around four priority areas: Kiel Life Science, Kiel Marine Science, Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science, and Societal, Environmental and Cultural Change.
The marine focus was visible in the Cluster of Excellence The Future Ocean, funded in the German Excellence Initiative from 2006 to 2019. More recent clusters are Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation and ROOTS, which studies social, environmental and cultural connectivity in past societies. The university enrols more than 24,000 students.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of German U15, SEA-EU European University of the Seas. Strong collaborations with GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.
Research:
Oceanography and climate research, Marine biology and biotechnology, Nanoscience and surface science, Inflammation research and medical technology.
Famous Alumnis:
Max Planck (born in Kiel, Nobel laureate)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3500
Current students***:
27000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Leading university for marine sciences in Germany, strong in nanoscience and life sciences, located in a major port city.
Cons
Comprehensive university, specific research strengths.
Best For
Comprehensive university with strong focus on marine sciences, nanoscience, and life sciences.
Universität Bremen is a public university with marine and environmental sciences and materials science, the closest northern German match for Kiel's ocean research.
Universität Rostock lists maritime systems and ocean technology alongside life sciences, a public Baltic coast university.
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg combines renewable energy and environmental physics with marine sciences, a public university in the north-west.
Universität Hamburg offers climate and earth system science, physics and nanoscience, and informatics, a large public university in the same region.
Universität Greifswald lists physics and materials science and biochemistry, another public university on the Baltic Sea.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Bergen in Norway is a public university listing marine science and climate research, mirroring Kiel's marine profile.
Dalhousie University (Canada) is a public institution with ocean studies, health professions and law, a coastal comprehensive university.
University of Gdańsk in Poland is a public university with oceanography and marine biology plus biotechnology, on the Baltic like Kiel.
University of Gothenburg (Sweden) is a public university whose fields include marine science, political science and business.
Aarhus University in Denmark is a public university covering natural sciences, bioscience and nanoscience, matching Kiel's nano and life science areas.
*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
When was Kiel University established?
It was founded in 1665 and is the oldest university in Schleswig-Holstein. It is known by the abbreviation CAU, after its full German name.
What makes Kiel a comprehensive university?
It covers eight faculties from theology and law through medicine and agricultural sciences to engineering. It is the only university in the state with such a complete range.
What are the main research areas?
Four priority areas are named: Kiel Life Science, Kiel Marine Science, Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science, and Societal, Environmental and Cultural Change. Students interested in ocean research should look at the marine science area first.
Has Kiel won Excellence Initiative funding?
Yes, the Cluster of Excellence The Future Ocean was funded from 2006 to 2019. Current clusters include Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation and ROOTS.
How many students are enrolled?
More than 24,000 students attend the university, with figures varying by semester. The university website publishes the current statistics.
Where are admission requirements listed?
Requirements, deadlines and any fees depend on the degree programme and are published on the official CAU pages. Applicants from abroad should check language requirements per programme.
Climate Change, Environmental Impact, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Marine Ecosystems, Marine Life Impact, Renewable Energy
*: 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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