The award is based on evaluations submitted by students and alumni on the portal. "Our students and graduates have given us the title 'Most Popular University in Germany'. It is therefore a real compliment for our work – coming from those who experience it directly", says a delighted KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien. "The fact that we have been awarded the title for the fourth time confirms the success of our continuous efforts to ensure the high quality of teaching, the exceptionally intensive and personal support of our students and the respectful co-existence and cooperation at the KU. It is not only an award for the University, but above all for the commitment of all teaching staff and all students who are involved in student groups, the Student Representative Council and university life."
Sascha Grünwald, chairperson of the Student Representative Council, confirms: "We have the opportunity to play an active role in university life. This is also a great motivating factor. In addition, we as the Student Council have a good connection to all contact persons at the University." Grünwald is certain: Individual support and guidance during their studies is the main reason for student satisfaction.
The student portal StudyCheck is one of the portals with the greatest reach in Germany. According to Studycheck, just over 87,000 experience reports for 2025 form the basis for the latest ranking. There are currently over 830 ratings for the KU on the portal, 98 percent of participants of the ranking 2026 would recommend the University for studying there. The KU's degree programs received an average of 4.2 stars in the current ranking. The teaching staff are rated with an average of 4.5 stars, while the Library achieves a top score of 4.6 stars. Furthermore, the KU is among the top group of universities with the "Digital Readiness" rating, which is awarded for the digitalization of the University.
On Studycheck.de, students and alumni can rate their degree program and award ratings in various categories – up to five stars. The comments from KU students read like a song of praise for their University. For example, student Patrizia writes about the Master's in Business & Psychology: "As the KU only has a small number of students, we can build a very good relationship with our lecturers. This means you can work very well with them and in small research groups, everyone benefits from mutual feedback. This collaboration also enabled me to surpass myself in my Bachelor's thesis and achieve the best possible result."
Her fellow student Nejla, who is studying for a Bachelor's degree in Education, confirms this positive impression: "Since I recently changed universities to join the KU and can now make a direct comparison with another university, I'm particularly struck by how much better everything is organized here. The content is much more practice-oriented, especially in Education, rather than heavily theoretical, which made it much easier for me to get started. The lecturers also contribute a lot to this. They always have an open ear, answer questions patiently and support you wherever they can. It definitely takes a lot of pressure off your shoulders and makes you feel that you are in good hands during your studies."
Michael, who is studying for a digital Bachelor's degree in Catholic Theology, sums up his impression as follows: "Overall, I am very happy and enthusiastic about this study offer – it's just a shame that I didn't discover this course much earlier!"
Studycheck's award is part of a series of positive results in surveys on study quality such as the CHE ranking or the Bavarian Graduate Survey. In the graduate survey published in 2025 by the Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning, alumni from the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes were surveyed. 81.5 percent of respondents from the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes would recommend studying at the KU. 80 percent are satisfied with their studies. In comparison, the average recommendation rate for all other Bavarian universities surveyed was 68.9 percent, with satisfaction at 67.9 percent.
Virtual Open Week and Open Day on campus
Anyone who would like to find out more about the courses on offer and the study conditions at the KU has several opportunities in the near future. The Virtual Open Week will take place from March 2 to 6, 2026. Interested prospective students can find out more about studying at the KU from the comfort of their own home. Furthermore, the KU will be opening its doors to the campus on Saturday, April 18, 2026, for anyone who would like to get a personal impression of Germany's most popular University. Here, you will have ample opportunity to exchange ideas with students and lecturers. You can find the program of our Virtual Open Week at www.ku.de/schnupperwoche. The detailed program for the on-campus Open Day will be published here at the end of March: www.ku.de/infotag.
