Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

About

Located in Erlangen and Nuremberg, Germany, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg is widely recognized as one of the country's top research universities, particularly renowned for its cutting-edge innovations in materials science, optics, and microelectronics. The university offers a growing portfolio of English-taught master's degree programs, making it increasingly accessible to international degree-seeking students without prior German proficiency. Its vibrant international student community is supported by a dedicated International Office that assists with visa processing, housing placement, and integration programs upon arrival. What sets FAU apart is its unique dual-city footprint in Franconia, which seamlessly blends the historic, compact charm of Erlangen with the industrial dynamism of Nuremberg to foster close collaborations with global tech giants and research institutes. International students benefit greatly from this robust industry integration, which provides exceptional internship and networking opportunities directly tied to their academic studies.

Background

The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg (German: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, FAU) is a public research university in the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The name Friedrich-Alexander is derived from the university's first founder Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and its benefactor Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. With around 40,000 students and over 275 degree programs in five faculties, FAU is one of the 15 largest universities in Germany. It is the third largest university in Bavaria. It was established in Bayreuth in 1742 and moved to Erlangen in 1743. FAU expanded to Nuremberg in 1961 and to Fürth in 2004. About two-thirds of students mainly use the campus in Erlangen and one-third use the one in Nuremberg. In the winter semester of 2024/25, around 50 percent of the nearly 40,000 students were female, and around 9,200 came from abroad. As a comprehensive university, FAU offers a wide range of subjects across 272 degree programs, including 82 bachelor's degrees, 98 master's degrees, and 92 degrees leading to a state...

Location

Quick facts

Nearby universities