Philipps-Universität Marburg was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous of Hesse and carries his name today. It was set up as a Protestant university, and it is now a public university of the state of Hesse.
The university is organised in 16 departments (Fachbereiche) that run from law, economics, theology and history through mathematics, physics, chemistry, pharmacy, biology and geography to medicine and education, and it has a university hospital. Student numbers were about 21,000 in 2024/25 and in 2025/26, according to figures from the university and from encyclopaedic sources.
Eleven Nobel Prize winners are linked to Marburg, among them Emil von Behring (Medicine, 1901), Otto Hahn (Chemistry, 1944), Karl Ziegler (Chemistry, 1963) and Jules Hoffmann (Medicine, 2011). The full list also includes Ferdinand Braun (Physics, 1909), Albrecht Kossel (Medicine, 1910), Hans Fischer (Chemistry, 1930), Otto Loewi (Medicine, 1936), Adolf Butenandt (Chemistry, 1939), Boris Pasternak (Literature, 1958) and Georg Wittig (Chemistry, 1979). Prospective students and researchers can find the current degree programmes, language requirements and application dates on the university’s official website, which also lists the departments in detail.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Fluid Dynamics, 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:
Historic university with a strong tradition in research. Collaborations with Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology.
Research:
Synthetic microbiology and biotechnology, Nanoscience and surface physics, Tumor biology and immunology, Medicinal chemistry and drug research.
Famous Alumnis:
Emil von Behring (Nobel laureate), Otto Hahn (studied), Karl Ziegler (Nobel laureate)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3000
Current students***:
22000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Old and prestigious university, strong in chemistry, physics, and life sciences, particularly microbiology.
Cons
Engineering faculties are limited.
Best For
Historic university renowned for research in chemistry, physics, life sciences, and biotechnology.
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen is a public university with Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Chemistry & Materials Science and Physics & Technology.
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, public, matches Marburg's chemistry, pharmacy and life-science profile with Physics & Astronomy and Life Sciences & Biomedicine.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen is a public university in Göttingen with Physics & Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences & Neuroscience and Mathematics & Computer Science.
Universität Konstanz in Konstanz is a public university listing Chemistry & Nanoscience, Physics & Materials Science and Computer Science.
Universität Greifswald, public and located in Greifswald, covers Physics & Material Science, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Environmental & Earth Sciences.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Szeged (Hungary) is a public university with medicine, pharmacy, science and informatics, arts and law.
University of Barcelona (Spain), public, lists Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Medicine.
University of Turku (Finland) is a public university whose fields include humanities, education, medicine, science, law and social sciences.
Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria) is a public university devoted to human medicine, dentistry and molecular medicine.
*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 the University of Marburg established?
Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous founded it in 1527. It was set up as a Protestant university.
Is Marburg a private or a public university?
It is a public university of the state of Hesse.
How many departments are there?
The university has 16 departments. They include law, economics, theology, mathematics and computer science, physics, chemistry, pharmacy, biology, geography and medicine.
How many students attend?
About 21,000 students were enrolled in 2024/25 and in 2025/26.
Which Nobel laureates are connected with Marburg?
Eleven laureates are linked to it, including Emil von Behring (1901), Otto Hahn (1944), Karl Ziegler (1963) and Jules Hoffmann (2011). The list also includes Boris Pasternak, who won the Literature prize in 1958.
Does Marburg have a university hospital?
Yes, medicine is one of the 16 departments and the university is linked to a university hospital. Check the official site for the clinical campus layout.
Where can applicants find application and fee details?
The university's English-language pages explain the degree programmes, language requirements and application dates.
Biomedical Sensors, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Medical Devices, Microfluidics
*: 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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