Partner Profile: University of Freiburg

The University of Freiburg is one of the oldest and most renowned institutions of higher education in Germany. It is among the best German universities and according to the current World Universities Ranking of THE (Times Higher Education), the University of Freiburg ranks 76th worldwide and 5th nationally. Freiburg, located on the western edge of the Black Forest, is a university town that has been home to students since the Middle Ages. Located less than an hour by train from France and Switzerland, Freiburg is ideally situated and surrounded by green hills and vineyards. Having nearly 30,000 students, the University of Freiburg formed a confederation (EUCOR) with four other institutions in the upper Rhine valley to establish a diverse and robust academic environment (with approximately 150,000 students in total) among the universities of Karlsruhe, Strasbourg, Mulhouse/Colmar, and Basel across three countries: France, Germany and Switzerland.

Founded as a comprehensive university in 1457, the University of Freiburg offers undergraduate and graduate studies as well as doctoral qualification in several important disciplines: the humanities, natural and engineering sciences, medicine, law, and theology. It also provides an ideal environment for innovative interdisciplinary studies. The university has three campuses, the historical city center, institutes quarter, and the engineering campus, intertwined with the city of Freiburg and many individual university buildings are found throughout the city. The university is comprised of 11 Faculties: Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biology, Engineering, Medicine, Humanities, Economics and Behavioral Sciences, Theology, Law, Environment and Natural Resources, and Philology along with 19 Research Centers.

Research collaboration between NC State and the University of Freiburg spans a wide range of disciplines, including: chemistry, physics, materials science, and environmental sciences. Additionally, NC State students can participate in the longstanding Baden-Wuerttemberg (B-W) exchange program for a semester of study at the University of Freiburg.

Learn more about our partnerships in the Global Partners Database.