The most popular bachelor's degrees in Germany are Computer Science, Engineering, Law, Business and Economics, and these degrees have a very high NC (numerus clausus). Short answer: the application to top degrees takes 2-3 months, the NC system runs between 1.5 and 3.0 (competitive), graduates start on a salary of €50,000-70,000, and career guarantees are strong. In this guide you will find the 20 most popular bachelor's degrees in Germany, why they are chosen, application requirements, how the NC system works, the top universities, salary and career paths — all based on the experience-based tips of real students (Edurs) studying these degrees in Germany with Toedur.
The Most Popular Degrees in Germany: Why They Are Chosen
In Germany, choosing a major is done according to career and starting salary. Technology, engineering and law offer the highest salary and job security in Germany.
An observation from a Toedur Edur studying Computer Science in Berlin:
The biggest reason for choosing Computer Science was the expectation of an €80,000+ salary and job security. While the semester is still ongoing, internship offers are coming in from Google, Microsoft and Zalando. On the other side, friends studying Philosophy and Archaeology are changing fields with a salary expectation of €25,000-30,000.
Order of Preference:
- High salary → Computer Science, Engineering, Law
- Job security → Economics, Business, Media
- Personal interest → Social Sciences, Philosophy, History
Top 20 Bachelor's Degrees: Order of Preference
The ranking of the most popular degrees in Germany varies by number of applications and job supply.
| Rank | Degree | Category | Average NC | Starting Salary | Job Security | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | Technology | 1.5-2.0 | €60,000-80,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best |
| 2 | Software Engineering | Engineering | 1.8-2.2 | €55,000-75,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High demand |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | Engineering | 2.0-2.5 | €55,000-70,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Always in demand |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | Engineering | 2.5-3.0 | €50,000-65,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Stable |
| 5 | Law | Law | 2.0-2.5 | €50,000-80,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Prestigious |
| 6 | Medicine | Medicine | 1.0-1.5 | €60,000-90,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Doctor |
| 7 | Industrial Engineering | Engineering | 2.2-2.7 | €55,000-70,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Management path |
| 8 | Economics | Economics | 2.5-3.0 | €50,000-70,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Finance |
| 9 | Business Administration | Business | 2.8-3.5 | €45,000-65,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Manager path |
| 10 | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering | 2.3-2.8 | €55,000-70,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Auto + Industry |
| 11 | Media & Communication | Media | 3.0-3.5 | €35,000-50,000 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Creative |
| 12 | Psychology | Health | 1.5-2.0 | €45,000-65,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Research |
| 13 | Marketing | Business | 3.0-3.5 | €40,000-60,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Digital |
| 14 | Physics | Natural Sciences | 2.0-2.5 | €45,000-65,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Research |
| 15 | Statistics/Data Analysis | Mathematics | 2.5-3.0 | €55,000-75,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | New trend |
| 16 | Architecture | Architecture | 3.0-3.5 | €40,000-55,000 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Creative |
| 17 | Biology | Natural Sciences | 2.5-3.0 | €40,000-55,000 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Research |
| 18 | Human Resources | Business | 3.0-3.5 | €40,000-60,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Career |
| 19 | Teaching (Lehramt) | Education | 2.0-3.0 | €45,000-55,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Job guaranteed |
| 20 | Social Work | Social Sciences | 2.5-3.0 | €35,000-50,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Meaningful |
The NC System: How Degree Selection Works
In Germany, the NC (numerus clausus) system sets a grade threshold based on the number of applications to a degree. In high-demand degrees (Computer Science, Law, Medicine) the NC is low (1.5-2.0); in low-demand degrees (Philosophy, Archaeology) the NC is high (3.5+) or NC-frei (unlimited).
How the NC Is Calculated:
- If 1,000 applications come to a degree and there are 200 places,
- NC = the grade at the 80th percentile of the applicants
- Example: when applications are ranked, if the 800th applicant's grade is 2.1, then NC = 2.1
- Those with a grade of 2.0 or better are accepted; those with 2.1 or worse are rejected
- NC Advantage: No uncertainty — the NC is known in advance
- NC Disadvantage: Even if you do well, you are rejected if you are below the NC threshold
A comment from a Toedur Edur studying Computer Science in Munich:
The Computer Science NC was 1.7 this year. My high school grade was 1.8, so I missed it. The following year I reapplied with 1.5 and was accepted. The NC system is fair but strict.
University Ranking: Which University Should You Choose?
After choosing a major, the choice of university is secondary. In Germany the quality of all universities is similar — being ranked brings little benefit.
| Rank | University | City | Research | Industry Ties | Employment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TU München (TUM) | Munich | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | BMW, Siemens | 95%+ |
| 2 | RWTH Aachen | Aachen | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | VW, Daimler | 95%+ |
| 3 | KIT Karlsruhe | Karlsruhe | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Porsche, Infineon | 95%+ |
| 4 | TU Berlin | Berlin | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Siemens, Tesla | 90%+ |
| 5 | Uni Stuttgart | Stuttgart | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Daimler, Bosch | 95%+ |
| 6 | TU Braunschweig | Braunschweig | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | VW, Continental | 90%+ |
| 7 | TU Dortmund | Dortmund | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Bosch, ThyssenKrupp | 90%+ |
| 8 | Humboldt Universität | Berlin | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Siemens, IBM | 85%+ |
| 9 | TU Hamburg | Hamburg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Airbus, Maersk | 85%+ |
| 10 | Uni Heidelberg | Heidelberg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | SAP, Pharma | 85%+ |
Salary: Starting Point and Career by Degree
Choosing a major = choosing a salary. Technology and engineering, software and finance offer the highest salary.
| Degree | Gross Start | After 5 Years | After 10 Years | Manager (15 years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | €60,000-80,000 | €80,000-120,000 | €120,000-180,000 | €150,000-250,000 |
| Software Engineering | €55,000-75,000 | €75,000-110,000 | €110,000-170,000 | €140,000-220,000 |
| Law | €50,000-80,000 | €70,000-120,000 | €100,000-200,000 | €120,000-300,000 |
| Medicine | €60,000-90,000 | €80,000-150,000 | €120,000-250,000 | €150,000-350,000 |
| Industrial Engineering | €55,000-70,000 | €70,000-100,000 | €100,000-150,000 | €120,000-200,000 |
| Economics | €50,000-70,000 | €65,000-100,000 | €90,000-150,000 | €110,000-200,000 |
| Business Administration | €45,000-65,000 | €60,000-90,000 | €80,000-130,000 | €100,000-180,000 |
| Media/Communication | €35,000-50,000 | €45,000-70,000 | €60,000-100,000 | €80,000-150,000 |
| Social Work | €35,000-50,000 | €45,000-60,000 | €55,000-80,000 | €65,000-110,000 |
Degree Selection Criteria: The Right Decision
Choosing a major is the most important decision. Prepare and choose.
DEGREE SELECTION CRITERIA:
- Salary or interest? If you want a high salary → Computer Science, Law. If you want interest → Social Sciences.
- Is job security important? Yes → Engineering, Medicine, Teaching. No → Art, Philosophy.
- Do you want to do research? Yes → Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (the PhD path). No → Computer Science, Business.
- Sector preference? Automotive → Mechanical, Electrical. Finance → Economics, Accounting. Technology → Computer Science.
- Will you do a Master's? Yes → choose a Master's-friendly degree (Engineering). No → choose a direct-career degree (Business).
- Do you want an international career? Yes → Computer Science, Law, the MBA path. No → Social Sciences.
Checklist: Bachelor's Application and Degree Selection
A bachelor's application starts with choosing a major. It requires 2-3 months of preparation.
PREPARATION (12 MONTHS BEFORE):
- I identified the 5 degrees I'm interested in
- I researched each degree's salary and career path
- I identified my top 5 universities
- I checked my high school grade (GPA calculation)
- I learned the NC figures (last year vs this year)
- I raised my German level to B2
APPLICATION (4-6 MONTHS BEFORE):
- I registered on the hochschulstart.de portal
- I selected my first choices (1-6 degrees)
- I applied to each university (hochschulstart.de)
- I prepared my application documents (translation, notarization)
- I paid the application fee
- I set up an application tracking system
ACCEPTANCES (1-3 MONTHS LATER):
- Acceptance/rejection letters arrived
- I ranked my preferences (how many acceptances I need)
- I checked the conditional acceptances (e.g. high school grade)
- I made my university choice
BEFORE STARTING:
- I started enrollment (Immatrikulation)
- I found health insurance
- I looked for housing (the university city)
- I attended the degree orientation (Induction)
- I set up social networks (WhatsApp, Discord)
WhatsApp Line
