51 Best universities for Criminology and Criminal Justice in Germany

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Germany ranked based on their research performance in Criminology and Criminal Justice. A graph of 145K citations received by 9.38K academic papers made by 51 universities in Germany was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Hamburg

Hamburg State | Hamburg City

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#78 in Europe

#290 in the World

Enrollment: 43,957
Founded: 1919

2. Heidelberg University - Germany

Baden-Wurttemberg | Heidelberg

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#95 in Europe

#339 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Enrollment: 28,413
Male:Female: 45:55
Founded: 1386

3. University of Munich

Bavaria | Munich

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#103 in Europe

#362 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Enrollment: 52,418
Founded: 1472

4. Free University of Berlin

Brandenburg | Berlin

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#113 in Europe

#385 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 37,908
Founded: 1948

5. University of Cologne

North Rhine-Westphalia | Cologne

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#114 in Europe

#387 in the World

Enrollment: 52,204
Founded: 1388

6. University of Gottingen

Lower Saxony | Gottingen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#115 in Europe

#392 in the World

Enrollment: 31,619
Founded: 1734

7. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

Hesse | Frankfurt

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#122 in Europe

#412 in the World

Enrollment: 43,461
Founded: 1914

8. University of Erlangen Nuremberg

Bavaria | Erlangen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#135 in Europe

#447 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 39,658
Founded: 1743

9. Humboldt University of Berlin

Brandenburg | Berlin

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#146 in Europe

#473 in the World

Enrollment: 36,232
Founded: 1809

10. University of Konstanz

Baden-Wurttemberg | Konstanz

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#150 in Europe

#483 in the World

Enrollment: 10,939
Male:Female: 43:57
Founded: 1966

11. Charite - Medical University of Berlin

Brandenburg | Berlin

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#164 in Europe

#514 in the World

Enrollment: 9,340
Founded: 1710

12. University of Freiburg

Baden-Wurttemberg | Freiburg im Breisgau

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#166 in Europe

#520 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 23,938
Founded: 1457

13. University of Bonn

North Rhine-Westphalia | Bonn

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#169 in Europe

#524 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 38,043
Founded: 1818

14. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Rhineland-Palatinate | Mainz

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#175 in Europe

#540 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Enrollment: 33,132
Founded: 1946

15. University of Marburg

Hesse | Marburg

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#178 in Europe

#544 in the World

Enrollment: 22,612
Founded: 1527

16. University of Bielefeld

North Rhine-Westphalia | Bielefeld

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#185 in Europe

#570 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 23,342
Founded: 1969

17. University of Leipzig

Saxony | Leipzig

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#186 in Europe

#572 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 31,088
Founded: 1409

18. University of Tubingen

Baden-Wurttemberg | Tubingen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#195 in Europe

#609 in the World

Enrollment: 28,238
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1477

19. University of Bremen

Bremen State | Bremen City

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#205 in Europe

#640 in the World

Enrollment: 17,984
Founded: 1971

20. University of Munster

North Rhine-Westphalia | Munster

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#212 in Europe

#665 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 43,728
Founded: 1780

21. University of Potsdam

Brandenburg | Potsdam

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#214 in Europe

#669 in the World

Enrollment: 20,406
Founded: 1991

22. University of Ulm

Baden-Wurttemberg | Ulm

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#234 in Europe

#739 in the World

Enrollment: 10,164
Founded: 1967

23. Kiel University

Schleswig-Holstein | Kiel

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#239 in Europe

#753 in the World

Enrollment: 27,468
Founded: 1665

24. University of Mannheim

Baden-Wurttemberg | Mannheim

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#240 in Europe

#754 in the World

Enrollment: 11,532
Founded: 1907

25. Ruhr University Bochum

North Rhine-Westphalia | Bochum

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#244 in Europe

#768 in the World

Enrollment: 42,954
Founded: 1962

26. Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

Thuringia | Jena

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#246 in Europe

#770 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 17,345
Founded: 1558

27. University of Giessen

Hesse | Giessen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#259 in Europe

#817 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 27,184
Founded: 1607

28. University of Duisburg - Essen

North Rhine-Westphalia | Essen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#264 in Europe

#839 in the World

Enrollment: 43,281
Founded: 2003

29. Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

Saxony-Anhalt | Halle

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#268 in Europe

#844 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 19,387
Founded: 1817

30. University of Wurzburg

Bavaria | Wurzburg

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#274 in Europe

#878 in the World

Enrollment: 27,149
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1402

31. Dresden University of Technology

Saxony | Dresden

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#278 in Europe

#886 in the World

Enrollment: 31,517
Founded: 1828

32. Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf

North Rhine-Westphalia | Dusseldorf

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#286 in Europe

#908 in the World

Enrollment: 37,473
Male:Female: 42:58
Founded: 1965

33. Technical University of Munich

Bavaria | Munich

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#295 in Europe

#933 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 44,000
Male:Female: 63:37
Founded: 1868

34. Saarland University

Saarland | Saarbrucken

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#299 in Europe

#948 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 16,250
Founded: 1948

35. Osnabruck University

Lower Saxony | Osnabruck

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#305 in Europe

#964 in the World

Enrollment: 13,628
Founded: 1974

36. University of Greifswald

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Greifswald

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#307 in Europe

#977 in the World

Enrollment: 10,366
Founded: 1456

37. University of Kassel

Hesse | Kassel

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#308 in Europe

#978 in the World

Enrollment: 21,352
Male:Female: 50:50
Founded: 1971

38. Hannover Medical School

Lower Saxony | Hanover

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#312 in Europe

#990 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 3,843
Founded: 1965

39. University of Trier

Rhineland-Palatinate | Trier

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#349 in Europe

#1093 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 11,564
Founded: 1970

40. RWTH Aachen University

North Rhine-Westphalia | Aachen

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#352 in Europe

#1100 in the World

Enrollment: 47,521
Founded: 1870

41. Technical University of Berlin

Brandenburg | Berlin

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#366 in Europe

#1159 in the World

Enrollment: 34,842
Founded: 1946

42. University of Regensburg

Bavaria | Regensburg

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#389 in Europe

#1235 in the World

Enrollment: 20,702
Founded: 1962

43. University of Erfurt

Thuringia | Erfurt

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#392 in Europe

#1255 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 6,052
Founded: 1994

44. Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg

Saxony-Anhalt | Magdeburg

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#398 in Europe

#1270 in the World

Enrollment: 13,143
Founded: 1993

45. University of Koblenz-Landau

Rhineland-Palatinate | Koblenz

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#400 in Europe

#1272 in the World

Enrollment: 15,757
Founded: 1990

46. Leibniz University of Hanover

Lower Saxony | Hanover

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#404 in Europe

#1279 in the World

Enrollment: 28,018
Founded: 1831

47. Hertie School of Governance

Brandenburg | Berlin

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#414 in Europe

#1305 in the World

Enrollment: 586
Founded: 2003

48. University of Bayreuth

Bavaria | Bayreuth

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#429 in Europe

#1380 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 12,773
Founded: 1972

49. University of Rostock

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Rostock

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#433 in Europe

#1387 in the World

Enrollment: 12,996
Male:Female: 50:50
Founded: 1419

50. Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

Hesse | Frankfurt

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#447 in Europe

#1431 in the World

Enrollment: 15,362
Founded: 1971

51. European University Viadrina

Brandenburg | Frankfurt

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#448 in Europe

#1435 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 5,210
Founded: 1991

The best cities to study Criminology and Criminal Justice in Germany based on the number of universities and their ranks are Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, and Berlin.