Leuphana University admission process

If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably trying to make sense of an admissions process that looks quite different from most German universities or from what you’d find in other countries. Leuphana University doesn’t just look at your grades. It evaluates your cognitive abilities, your extracurricular track record, and in some cases, how well you present yourself in person. Here’s exactly how it works.

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Step 1: Apply online (May to July)

Applications open in mid-May and close in mid-July. You apply directly through Leuphana, not via a central portal like Hochschulstart.de. In your application, you choose your Major and Minor from over 100 possible combinations. Note: bachelor’s programmes only start in the winter semester, so there is one application window per year. You can find all deadlines and the application portal on the official Leuphana application website.

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Step 2: Quota distribution

Applicants with the strongest Abitur grades (25 %) receive a direct admission offer (the ‚best quota‘). Most of the remaining places go to the main quota, where the study skills test matters. There are also special quotas (hardship cases, international applicants) and a 10% waiting-time quota.

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Step 3: The points system

Leuphana awards up to 59 points in total in the main quota. Your final score determines your place in the ranking:

→ Up to 30 points for your university entrance qualification grade (Abitur)

→ Up to 5 points for extracurricular achievements

→ Up to 24 points for the study skills test (and interview, where applicable)

Real example: An applicant with an Abitur grade of 2.2 (18 points), a gap year abroad (2 points), and a strong test result (16 points) reaches 36 points — enough for many programmes.

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Step 4: Selection days

If you are allocated to the main quota, you will be invited to the selection days, where you sit the study skills test in person on campus in Lüneburg. Alternatively, you can take the test online as the ITB-ASET (subject to a fee). The test lasts just under two hours and assesses cognitive abilities across three areas. Sample questions for both versions of the test are available on the official Leuphana admission days page.