Maritime Systems & Ocean Technology, Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Electrical Engineering & Information Technology
Founded in 1419, the University of Rostock describes itself as the oldest university in the Baltic Sea region. It is based in Rostock, a city of more than 200,000 residents on the Baltic coast in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Teaching is organised in nine faculties: agricultural and environmental sciences, computer science and electrical engineering, law, mechanical engineering and marine technology, mathematics and natural sciences, medicine, theology, humanities, and economic and social sciences. An Interdisciplinary Faculty connects researchers from several of these fields, and University Medicine forms part of the structure.
According to the university’s welcome centre, about 14,000 students are currently enrolled, and Wikipedia reports a similar figure of 13,766. In the Academic Ranking of World Universities, Rostock was placed in the 501-600 band in every edition from 2021 to 2025. The combination of marine technology, engineering and life sciences gives the university a coastal profile that is reflected in its faculty structure.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, 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:
Oldest university in the Baltic Sea region. Focus on maritime research and interdisciplinary studies.
Research:
Marine technology and ocean engineering, Regenerative medicine and biomaterials, Agricultural and environmental sciences, Information and communication technology.
Famous Alumnis:
Tycho Brahe (briefly attended), Heinrich Schliemann (doctorate)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1800
Current students***:
13000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Historic university with a strong maritime focus, good research in specific areas like life sciences and maritime systems.
Cons
Located in Rostock (Northeastern Germany).
Best For
Historic university with strengths in maritime systems, life sciences, and engineering.
Universität Greifswald is a public university in the same federal state, with physics, biochemistry and environmental and earth sciences among its listed fields.
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, public and on the Baltic coast, lists marine sciences, nanoscience and life sciences, close to Rostock's maritime emphasis.
Universität Bremen, a public university, is known in the directory for marine and environmental sciences, materials science and computer science.
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg combines renewable energy, marine and environmental sciences and engineering as a public university.
Technische Universität Hamburg is a public technical university with mechanical engineering, process engineering and logistics, which overlaps with Rostock's engineering faculties.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Norway's University of Bergen is a public university with marine science and climate research among its main fields, matching Rostock's coastal orientation.
Canada's Memorial University of Newfoundland is a public institution specialising in marine and ocean technology, earth sciences and engineering.
In Sweden, University of Gothenburg lists marine science, political science and business, and is a public coastal university.
University of Southampton in the United Kingdom is a public university whose engineering, ocean and earth science and computer science echo Rostock's maritime and technical mix.
University of Galway in Ireland is public and lists biomedical engineering, marine science and data analytics.
*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
How old is the University of Rostock?
It was founded in 1419, and the university itself describes this as making it the oldest in the Baltic Sea region. That age places it among the early universities of the German-speaking world.
Which faculties make up the University of Rostock?
There are nine faculties, including agricultural and environmental sciences, law, medicine, theology, humanities, economic and social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, computer science with electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering with marine technology. An Interdisciplinary Faculty links researchers across them.
Where is the University of Rostock located?
It is in the city of Rostock on the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The city has more than 200,000 residents.
What is the size of the student body?
The welcome centre of the university gives about 14,000 enrolled students. Figures vary slightly between sources and years.
Is there a university hospital in Rostock?
Yes, University Medicine Rostock is the medical faculty and one of the nine faculties. Medical teaching and research are organised there.
How does Rostock rank in the Shanghai ranking?
The Academic Ranking of World Universities lists it in the 501-600 band for each year from 2021 to 2025. The university has a stable position in that ranking over the period.
Where can international applicants find information?
The university's welcome centre pages in English explain study, research and teaching options in Rostock. Fees and application deadlines should be checked on the official site for the current year.
*: 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.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
