Zeppelin University (German: Zeppelin Universität, ZU) is a small and highly selective private research university on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The university is accredited by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg. The university was established in 2003 and is known for its avant-garde character as well as for its sophisticated method of selecting students. It is named after the German general and airship constructor Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, whose foundation is a prominent financier of the university.
Campus
Zeppelin University has two campuses in Friedrichshafen: the Lake Campus at the shores of Lake Constance, and the nearby ZF Campus, which was completed in 2015. The ZF Campus was funded by a donation of 20 million Euro from ZF Friedrichshafen. Both campuses are modern, designed by well-known architects, and contain classrooms, lecture halls, offices, cafeterias, a library, a fitness studio and a co-working wing for students.
In 2018 the ZF Campus was named one of four new exceptional constructions in Germany by the German Architecture Museum. The university was also awarded with the "Deutscher Hochschulbaupreis 2018" by the Deutsche Universitätsstiftung.
Rankings
Zeppelin University is a small and exclusive private university and offers fewer programs than traditional universities in Germany. Because it is relatively new and small, it typically goes unranked in international comparisons.
In the most reputable German ranking, the CHE, the Zeppelin University achieved the best result of all German universities in the political science/social sciences for its teaching offerings and general study situation in 2021/22.
In the previous year, the bachelor's and master's degree programs of the ZU in economics ranked first among all German universities in the CHE ranking, together with Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
In the CHE Ranking 2018/2019, the Bachelor's and Master's programs of the ZU in Politics, Administration & International Relations were among the best-ranked in Germany.
In the CHE Ranking 2017/2018, ZU was ranked among the top 3 German universities for the Bachelor's and Master's programs in Economics.
In 2015/2016, the Center for Higher Education Development ranked Zeppelin University's Master's program in Political Science as the third-best among all German universities.
In the CHE Ranking 2014/15, the ZU's bachelor's degree programs in Economics, Cultural and Communication Studies, and Political and Administrative Science occupied positions in the top group among German universities. The ranking particularly lauds the supervision ratio, study situation, subject selection, and students' intellectual freedom.
In 2014/15 CHE Master's University Ranking, Zeppelin University's Master's program in Economics and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz formed the top group among Germany's universities.
In the Handelsblatt Karriere magazine, in edition 07/08 dated 27 April 2007, Zeppelin University appeared in a university ranking for the first time. Its economics program reached eighth place in the german-speaking area back then.
Academic profile
The university offers 16 Bachelor's and Master's tracks, including executive Master's education. Students can graduate with the academic degree of Bachelor of Arts and a consecutive or non-consecutive Master of Arts or Master of Science.
Zeppelin University only offers four years undergraduate study programs. One year is intended to be used as a "Humboldt year", a one-year research project at a partner university. To enable this, the university's academic calendar closely mirrors international academic calendars.
Partner universities
Zeppelin University has partnerships with around 85 universities, some of which are:
University of California, Berkeley
Sciences Po
Copenhagen Business School
University of Twente
Goldsmiths College
Maastricht University
Tuition fees and scholarships
Tuition for undergraduate programs in the nominal study period of four years cost between 36,720 to 42,000 euro. For postgraduate programs, the tuition costs between 13,320 and 23,160 euros for the two-year program.
Students not in receipt of a scholarship are offered low-interest loans by Sparkasse Bodensee. More than two-thirds of students avail of such loans. Alternatively, students can apply for grants from ZU-Bildungsfonds.