Study Book Science in Germany (2026/27)

Book Science in Germany

Germany’s Book Science programs offer international students a unique chance to explore the past, present, and future of human knowledge transmission in the birthplace of Gutenberg’s printing press and Europe’s largest publishing market, worth €9.3 billion annually. Studying at leading institutions such as Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Leipzig University’s historic Book Studies Institute, or Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, students examine books as cultural artifacts, technological innovations, and economic products. The curriculum spans book history from medieval manuscripts to digital publishing, editorial processes, typography and design, publishing economics, and digital humanities, while also addressing contemporary transformations such as e-books, audiobooks, and AI-generated texts.

Related subjects

Application Deadlines

Numerus Clausus

NC-Free

Best-ranked German Universities in Book Science

QS Ranking

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

Ranking Criteria

Arts & Humanities

LMU - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

3 programs

133

Goethe University Frankfurt

1 program

304

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

2 programs

401-450

FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

1 program

Fees & Costs

German Students

Degree

Tuition Fee

Bachelor

No tuition fees

Master

No tuition fees

Disclaimer: You should use this text as a general guide, but it cannot serve as a guarantee. Keep in mind that there is no universal tuition fee that applies to all study programs and all student groups. Hence, we urge you to always individually double-check the specific fees of the specific study programs on their official websites.

Deadlines

Below are the most frequent application deadlines for Book Science study programs in Germany.

Non-EU Students

Winter Semester

Summer Semester

	Admission-restricted courses	Admission-free courses
Master	15 July	No information
Bachelor	No courses	15 July

Master

Admission-restricted courses

15 July

Admission-free courses

No information

Bachelor

Admission-restricted courses

No courses

Admission-free courses

15 July

See all deadlines

Specific courses may have different application deadlines. Please always double-check the information individually.

Numerus Clausus (Admission Restriction)

For degree courses with a numerus clausus, part of the study places are allocated according to the grade point average (GPA) of the previous degree. Selection is generally based on how many applicants apply for a place. The higher the grade, the more difficult it is to get onto the course. The German grading system ranges from 1.0 (very good) to 6.0 (unsatisfactory).