Numerus Clausus (NC), from Latin meaning 'closed number,' is how German universities label study programs that consider applicants' academic performance during admission. This system is typically used when the number of applications significantly exceeds the institution's capacity. By limiting student numbers, the university aims to maintain educational quality.
According to Deutsche Welle, today four out of ten study programs carry the NC label. However, researchers at the Center for Higher Education Development in Germany noted that nationwide, the number of restricted-admission programs has slightly decreased.
This trend has affected Bavaria and Bremen the most. But with Bremen, one should not rush to praise: this Hanseatic city, the smallest federal state in Germany, ranks second in the number of programs that do not accept all applicants—almost two-thirds of all specialties. Hamburg surpasses Bremen in this regard. Here, universities offer 72 percent of programs with the NC label. The Saarland rounds out the top three (six out of ten programs are NC).
It is easiest to get into universities in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Thuringia. Here, more than three-quarters of study programs are open to all.
Overall, and this is the second conclusion drawn by researchers, there are wide disparities in conditions for applicants across the country. For example, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on faculties of linguistics and cultural studies, the share of restricted-admission programs is about 7 percent, while in Hamburg it is about 94 percent.
An obvious trend is that most applications go to faculties of law, economics, and social sciences. Consequently, grade restrictions apply to more than half of the specialties offered in these fields. In the humanities, by contrast, there is the greatest freedom: 70 percent of specialties have no competition.
Interestingly, universities have fewer study programs with the NC label (40 percent) than universities of applied sciences (almost 46 percent). Master's programs restrict admission less often than bachelor's programs. In the winter semester 2016/2017, every third prospective master's student and every second potential bachelor's student will encounter Numerus Clausus.
For applicants from abroad, there are separate quotas (within 5-10 percent of all study places), meaning foreigners participate in a separate certificate competition. But they cannot ignore the Numerus Clausus label either.
For restricted-admission specialties, the probability of rejection is higher. If you have decided to apply for a program with NC anyway, the uni-assist service, which processes applications from abroad, recommends applying to several universities at once.
The average grade of the certificate should be calculated according to the German grading system. For our applicants, the arithmetic mean of grades in the school certificate is added to the arithmetic mean of grades obtained during years of study at a university in the home country. Recall that students who have completed two years of full-time or three/four years of part-time or distance learning at a domestic university can apply to study at a German university.