Founded in 1914 as a citizens’ university, Goethe University Frankfurt is a major public research university offering comprehensive programs, with strengths in humanities, social sciences, law, economics, medicine, and natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biosciences, geosciences, computer science).
Goethe University Frankfurt opened in 1914 as a foundation university, financed largely by the donations of citizens, merchants and bankers of the city, not by the state. This origin, unusual in Germany, gave it a liberal spirit and an openness to new subjects such as economics, sociology and social medicine. In 1932 it took the name of Johann Wolfgang Goethe, born in Frankfurt in 1749. Today it has about 46,000 students and 7,000 staff, and it is one of the largest universities in the country.
The Frankfurt School of critical theory arose here. The Institute for Social Research, founded in 1923, gathered Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse and later Jürgen Habermas, who developed an influential line of thought in sociology and philosophy. The university campus has moved over time. The Westend campus occupies the former IG Farben building, designed by Hans Poelzig and completed in 1931, which served as the headquarters of the US forces after the war and became a university site in the early 2000s.
The natural sciences have a notable record. Max von Laue, who won the 1914 Nobel Prize in Physics for the diffraction of X-rays, became a professor at Frankfurt in the year the university opened. In 1922, Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach carried out the Stern-Gerlach experiment here, which showed the quantisation of the spin of atoms and contributed to Stern’s 1943 Nobel Prize. Today the science departments are at Campus Riedberg, in the north of the city, and medicine is at Niederrad, next to the university hospital.
Frankfurt is strong in law, economics and finance, helped by its role as the financial centre of Germany and the seat of the European Central Bank. Other strengths are physics, chemistry, biosciences, computer science, humanities and Islamic and Jewish studies. Most degree programmes are taught in German, and a growing number of master’s courses are in English. Public universities in Hesse charge no tuition for most students, only a semester contribution, which includes a regional transport ticket. Check the current tariff.
Housing in Frankfurt is expensive, and the student services offer dormitory rooms, but places are limited.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of German U15, TGU (Triangle of German Universities). Located in a major financial and research hub.
Research:
Theoretical physics and astrophysics, Structural biology and drug research, Environmental science and biodiversity, AI and data science, Financial mathematics.
Famous Alumnis:
Numerous Nobel laureates including Max von Laue, Otto Stern, Max Born (faculty/alumni).
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7000
Current students***:
46000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Strong research university in a major international city, good links with research institutes (Max Planck, Senckenberg).
Cons
Engineering faculties are not its primary focus compared to dedicated TUs.
Best For
Major research university with strong programs in physics, biosciences, chemistry, and computer science.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics can consider Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and it is slightly larger, at about 52,000 students against roughly 46,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Universität Leipzig sits close to this institution on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Also strong in astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, Universität zu Köln makes a sensible second look at home; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and has almost the same size, at about 48,000 students.
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg follows much the same lines as this institution, with astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics as common ground, and it is smaller, enrolling about 29,000 students against roughly 46,000 here, and is also a public institution.
On content, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster and this university are close, as both teach astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Jagiellonian University (Poland) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it is slightly smaller, at about 40,000 students against roughly 46,000 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Wrocław in Poland pursues a similar profile in astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, and it is smaller, enrolling about 25,000 students against roughly 46,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For a study option in France with a comparable spread of astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, Université de Strasbourg is the reference point: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers food science and civil engineering as well.
Peking University, based in China, is built around astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics much like this university, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers engineering as well.
On content, Université Paris-Saclay in France and this university are close, as both teach astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers aerospace and food science as well.
*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 Goethe University Frankfurt?
In Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany, with campuses at Westend, Riedberg, Bockenheim and Niederrad.
When did it open?
In 1914, as a foundation university financed largely by citizens of the city.
When did it take Goethe's name?
In 1932. Goethe was born in Frankfurt in 1749.
How large is it?
About 46,000 students and 7,000 staff.
What is the Frankfurt School?
A school of critical theory linked to the Institute for Social Research, founded in 1923, with Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse and later Jürgen Habermas.
What is special about the Westend campus?
It occupies the former IG Farben building, designed by Hans Poelzig and completed in 1931.
What was the Stern-Gerlach experiment?
A 1922 experiment at Frankfurt by Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach that showed the quantisation of the spin of atoms.
Which Nobel laureate became a professor in 1914?
Max von Laue, who won the 1914 Nobel Prize in Physics.
What language are courses in?
Mostly German, with a growing number of master's courses in English.
What does it cost?
Most students pay no tuition, only a semester contribution that includes a regional transport ticket. Check the current tariff.
*: 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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