LMU Munich

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München was founded in 1472 in Ingolstadt, moved to Landshut in 1800 and came to Munich in 1826 at the wish of King Ludwig I. It takes its name from two rulers: Duke Ludwig IX, who founded it, and King Maximilian I Joseph. Today it is a comprehensive university with 18 faculties, from Catholic and Protestant theology to physics and veterinary medicine, and it belongs to the U15 group of German research universities. Its main building on Geschwister-Scholl-Platz recalls the White Rose resistance group, whose members distributed leaflets there in 1943.

LMU's research strength is broad rather than technical. Medicine and the life sciences are concentrated at the Großhadern and Martinsried campus in the south-west of the city, home to the Biocenter, the Gene Center and the university hospital. Economics benefits from the ifo Institute, which is affiliated with the university, and computing from the Munich Center for Machine Learning, which LMU runs with TUM. Science students often join research groups early, and LMU works closely with the Max Planck institutes around Munich.

Most faculties sit in Maxvorstadt and Schwabing, a university quarter of bookshops, cafés and student bars beside the English Garden. Munich is one of Germany's most expensive cities, especially for rooms, so applying for Studierendenwerk housing as soon as you have an admission letter is worthwhile. Student life is shaped by the city's museums, a large university sports programme and easy weekend trips to the Alps.

LMU currently charges no tuition fees, including to students from outside the EU; you pay only a semester fee of about €300, which includes the student services contribution and the semester ticket. Almost all bachelor's degrees are taught in German and need German at about C1, usually shown with the DSH-2 or TestDaF. English-taught programmes are mainly at master's level in the sciences, data and economics. Indian applicants need an APS certificate, and some programmes process international applications through uni-assist rather than directly.