Technical University of Munich

The Technical University of Munich (TUM, Technische Universität München) is a public research university founded in 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as the Royal Bavarian Polytechnic of Munich. Today it is the largest technical university in Germany, with 51,954 students — of whom an exceptional 45% are international — and an annual budget of €2,171 million including its university hospital. TUM is organised into seven schools across numerous campuses in Munich, Garching, Freising-Weihenstephan, Straubing, Heilbronn, Ottobrunn, and Singapore.

TUM holds the title of University of Excellence — awarded three consecutive times under Germany's Excellence Initiative, the most rigorous university distinction in the country. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, TUM is ranked #22 globally — the highest ever for a German university, first time in the top 25, and confirmed as #1 in Germany for the 11th consecutive year and the best university in the entire European Union. THE World University Rankings 2026 rank TUM #27 globally and #1 in Germany. TUM also ranks 13th globally in the Times Higher Education Employability Ranking 2025 — and 5th in Europe.

Research at TUM is world-leading. Its researchers and alumni include 19 Nobel laureates and 26 Leibniz Prize winners. TUM has produced over 185,000 scientific publications and collaborates with the Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association, and Fraunhofer Institutes. Research focus areas include AI, quantum computing, aerospace, sustainability, and biomedicine. In the QS Subject Rankings 2026, TUM places in the top 20 globally in Engineering (19th) and Natural Sciences (23rd), and top 25 in Data Science & AI (20th) and Computer Science (31st).

TUM is known as "The Entrepreneurial University". Its innovation ecosystem — TUM, UnternehmerTUM, and TUM Venture Labs — has been named Europe's #1 Startup Hub for three consecutive years by the Financial Times, generating around 80 new companies every year. Alumni-founded companies include MAN, Siemens, and Linde. The Erlenmeyer flask — ubiquitous in chemistry labs worldwide — was named after a TUM founding professor. Undergraduate programs are primarily taught in German; over 40 master's programs are fully taught in English, making TUM strongly accessible for international students.