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These 10 German universities are best at landing you a job

The Local Germany
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These 10 German universities are best at landing you a job
The opening of a new complex at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management on October 26th. Photo: DPA.

A new Times Higher Education (THE) ranking shows which universities in Germany produce the most employable graduates.

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In the survey published by THE on Thursday, 150 institutions spanning 33 countries across the globe were ranked by top recruitment managers for graduate employability.

Featured in the annual ranking, which is in its seventh edition, are 11 German institutions in total - including three that made it into the top 50, with the Technical University of Munich taking the lead for Germany in eighth place.

Internationally, German universities are getting a better and better reputation, according to THE. But when it comes to "conveying digital competence" there's a bit of room for improvement.

Nevertheless, because professional experience is built into degree programmes in Germany, it is "one of the best represented countries in the employability ranking."

Here are the best universities across the country in terms of being able to land you a job after graduation.

1. Technical University of Munich (TUM)

Located in the capital of Bavaria, this higher education institute placed eighth worldwide and was rated the best in Germany. It even ranked above prestigious universities such as Yale University and Oxford University - and was placed right behind Stanford at number seven.

Similar to the THE 2016 ranking, TUM is the only institution outside the US, UK or Japan which made it into the top ten.

Wolfgang Herrmann, TUM’s president, credits this success to the deep relationships between the university and industry in Bavaria, such as its connections to companies like Siemens and BMW.

“There is no other technical university that has such a rich economic environment and especially a technical economic environment [as] we do here in Munich,” Herrmann said in a statement.

TUM prides itself on its creativity, scientific innovation and entrepreneurial spirit; its scientists made 165 inventions in 2014, 69 patents were submitted in 2015 and more than 800 startups have been launched by students and staff over the past decade.

So don’t fret if you’re concerned your diploma from this university may not have as well-known a name on it as some of the others on the list; on graduation day, your chances for success are likely equal if not greater.

2. University of Munich (Ludwig Maximilian University)

With a degree in hand from this university, you might be able to increase your chances of finding a job that's right for you.

Similar to the 2016 THE Global University Employability ranking, this institute placed 31st worldwide, beating out the UK's University of Manchester (34th) and Duke University (37th) in the US.

Also known as LMU, the institute dates back to 1472 and traces its roots back to the 15th century.

Famous alumni and professors from LMU include Pope Benedict XVI, Werner Heisenberg and playwright Bertolt Brecht.

According to THE, the university places an emphasis on the natural sciences such as biology and physics, while other top subjects include space science and medicine.

3. Goethe University Frankfurt

 

#goetheuni

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This leading academic institute in the financial hub of Germany has risen in the global THE ranking compared to last year: whereas it came in 50th place in 2016, this year it was bumped up to 47th place - nudging slightly further ahead than the University of Sydney (48th) and the University of Melbourne (50th).

Named after Germany's most beloved writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the location in the country’s banking centre lends itself to global connections, as part of its "international campus" initiative.

THE notes that Goethe University has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary approaches and is particularly well regarded for its work in physics, medicine, business administration and economics.

4. Heidelberg University

Ranked number 54, Heidelberg University was founded in 1386 and is thus the oldest of Germany’s academic institutions.

Five German chancellors have attended Heidelberg - including Helmut Kohl, who oversaw German reunification - as well as influential thinkers like Hannah Arendt.

Academics at the Baden-Württemberg institute have founded sub-disciplines such as psychiatric genetics, environmental physics and modern sociology, THE report. Further notable subjects offered by the university are space science and neuroscience.

READ ALSO: Why Heidelberg is Germany’s most inspiring city

5. Humboldt University of Berlin

The alma mater of influential thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels placed 58th worldwide, meaning that this is Berlin’s best bet for students looking to find meaningful work in the cosmopolitan capital city after graduation.

THE calls Humboldt one of the most prestigious universities in Europe with a “world class reputation in arts and humanities.”

The institution’s academic clout is evidenced by the fact that it has educated no fewer than 29 Nobel prizewinners, THE writes, including a prize for physics, literature and economics.

6. Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

 

#FSBachelor BSc 2017 Snapchat / Instagram Competition ?This symbolizes Frankfurt for me: @bussesimon ? #ready4fs

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Is it any surprise that an institution dedicated to business and finance located in the country’s banking hub is considered to have highly employable graduates?

At number 64, up from 67 last year, the Frankfurt School is a fairly new institute compared to the other German ones on the list.

Established in 1957, the institution has come to be well regarded in Germany for its business administration and business IT programmes and its overall reputation has grown too.

"Graduates of this programme are also best prepared for starting successful careers," said professor Udo Steffens when German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche named it the fourth best German university for business administration in 2015.

7. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Photo: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Ranking in 80th place, this university in the southern state of Baden-Würtemmberg beat out Michigan State University (81st) just by a nose. The school is also rather young, though it already had a history of research before its founding.

Established in 2009, the institute began as a merger of the University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Center.

Other previous THE world university rankings moreover show that KIT has fared well in areas additional to its likelihood of landing students a job; the university is highly regarded for its computer science programme and it's one of the top global institutions in the 2017 best young universities list.

8. University of Göttingen

Göttingen in Lower Saxony is known for being a historic yet student-friendly town and at number 87, up from 92 last year, it still makes it into the top 100 worldwide.

More than 40 Nobel Prize winners have conducted research, studied or taught at the university, and its prestige has helped to give the town the moniker of "city of science".

Featuring a wide range of degree programmes, particularly in the humanities, the institute “prioritizes creativity” and students are “encouraged to engage in creative thinking as well as acquiring methodological knowledge," writes THE.

9. Technical University of Berlin

Founded in 1879, the Technical University (TU) placed 89th in the global ranking.

It has a particular reputation for mechanical engineering and engineering management, as well as mathematics and chemistry.

TU Berlin also has a wealth of programmes on offer that, according to THE, specialize in the technical industry, such as process sciences, electrical engineering and transport systems.

It's also home to two innovation centres from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and its science library of three million books and journals gives scholars and guests unlimited access.

10. Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität)

This institution is the only one on the list that has slightly dipped this year compared to last year.

Slipping to 120th place compared to 115th place in 2016, the university is nonetheless deemed one of the best across the country in producing the most employable graduates.

Established in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War in west Berlin, the Free University boasts having employed professors who have won four Nobel Prizes in fields ranging from literature to economics.

Notable to mention as well is that one of the institution's libraries, the Philological Library, was designed in the shape of a human brain by internationally known Brtitish architect Norman Foster.

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