History
- Jan. 1975: Opening of the art collections
- June 1971: Opening of the Botanical Gardens (today one of the ten largest in Germany)
- June 1965: Ceremonial opening of the university/November: start of teaching
- July 1961: Decision of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia: Bochum chosen as the site for the first new university in the Federal Republic of Germany
Education
Located in the midst of the dynamic, hospitable metropolitan area of the Ruhr, in the heart of Europe, the Ruhr-Universität with its 20 faculties is home to 5,000 employees and over 33,000 students from 130 countries. All the great scientific disciplines are united on one compact campus. In a few minutes you can walk from philosophy to biology, from astronomy to civil engineering or medicine. The main lecture hall, the cafeteria and the university library are all just a stone's throw away.
Research
Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) is one of Germany’s leading research universities with a growing international reputation. Its institutional strategy “Research Campus RUB” (RCR), which made it to the final selection round of the Excellence Initiative in 2007 and has been fully implemented since then, further develops RUB’s unique meritocratic academic culture by merging cutting-edge research with advanced, research-oriented study and teaching.RUB draws its academic strength from its can-do attitude and the diversity of academic disciplines on its campus. Research Campus RUB was designed specifically to encourage collaboration and to enable students and researchers to interact more effectively.
Career
There's life after uni! And RUB graduates do not have to enter it unaided: they have a competent team of advisors to support them. The Career Service facilitates the start of your career with information, advisory, and qualification services, and helps contacting potential employers.One click is enough to browse around this comprehensive range of services: for example, on the website there are internship and job positions listed and there is information material to download. Additionally, the Career Point, located in the Business Studies Faculty Library, is open to students of all subjects from Mondays to Saturdays.
Ruhr University Bochum Key Statistics & Highlights
- #201 Ranking
- 2 PhDs
- 34 Scholarships
- 772 Academic Staff
- 38,893 Students
- 534 Students (int'l)
- 19,447 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
Ruhr University Bochum Overview
Ruhr University Bochum Scholarships
Ruhr University Bochum Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to Ruhr University Bochum. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
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Ruhr University Bochum Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | 201 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
Climbed 50 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 251 | 301 | 251 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
By TopUniversities
Climbed 1 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 375 | 396 | 395 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 389 | - | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
- Academic Facilities
- Administrative Departments and Offices
- Service Facilities
Housing services
- House of Nations
- Kubus
- Uni-Forum
- One-family Terraced House Overberg Strasse
Library services
Aim – a seamless library system
The future design of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum's (RUB) library system is consistently oriented towards the mission statement “universitas”.Strategy – oriented around the needs of the peopleImplementation – continuous developmentThe range of media available in the libraries is to be continuously expandedMedical services
The University hospitals of the Ruhr University of Bochum, German Universitätsklinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, abbreviated UK RUB is a syndicate of six university hospitals and associated facilities of the Ruhr University of Bochum. Founded in 2008 by the merger of formally independent hospitals the UK RUB is now a major provider of health in the Ruhr Metropolitan Region.
Campus life
The RUB is much more than a place of learning, teaching and research. It is located in the heart of an exciting region which, is one of Europes largest urban centres. Nevertheless, it is surrounded by greenery: directly to the south of the RUB, the Ruhr Valley opens up with its popular recreational destination around the Kemnader lake. If you like to be active in your spare time, the universitys range of sports has just the right thing for every taste, or you can join a theatre group or the university orchestra, learn photography or painting. Spectators also get their moneys worth: there are regular performances on campus, concerts by the Bochum Symphony Orchestra and organ recitals.
Sports facilities
- Track & Field court and athletic facilities Markstraße
- Athletic facilities at the campus (CaSpo)
- Boathouse Kemnade
- Swimming bath of the university
- Elburg (Netherlands)
- Valmorel (France)
- Further facilities
Student clubs
As a campus university, the RUB provides ideal conditions for getting involved and help to shape university culture and politics. Anyone who would like to represent student interests can, for example, stand for the student parliament, join a faculty council, or one of the numerous other bodies. In addition, active students are always being sought for the on-campus student radio, the university cinema, or the cultural office boSKop who are interested in the cultural life at the RUB. Involvement pays, and not only personally, because there is also the opportunity to gather a lot of useful experience with a view to one’s own professional future while still at the university.
Ruhr University Bochum Campus Locations
Ruhr University Bochum Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 23 reviews
- 5 Star 7 Reviews
- 4 Star 9 Reviews
- 3 Star 3 Reviews
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 3 Reviews
The quality of the university.
The Ruhr University of Bochum in western Germany is one of the best and biggest universities of Europe. The city is beautiful and study area is amazing. You don�t need to pay to go to the university.
Interdisciplinary international experience
This university is very welcoming to students from all over the world. With top academics, it is the perfect place to study for students looking for an international experience in the heart of Germany. My MA in ethics, economics, and politics is the perfect degree for anyone looking for interdisciplinary problem-solving learning.
The Charm of Bochum
The Ruhr University of Bochum (RUB) is often said to be one of the ugliest universities in Germany. I've studied there for two semesters already but I can tell you, that is the charm of Ruhr University Bochum. Yes, you will see one block-like-building next to the other but doesn't this mass of grey represent a part of 'Ruhrpott' culture in Germany? Not to mention, the university also has green spots and even its own Chinese garden. So if appearance doesn't matter much to you, and you value good education and nice professors, this university is suitable. It offers a wide range of programmes. My master's degree for example gives me a lot of freedom in which courses I want to take, thus giving me the ability to go after my interests. One downside to the RUB, however, is that some professors need a long time to hand in grades. So sometimes you'll have to write their secritary etc. Overall I had a good experience at RUB so far though.