Studying Without an Admission Quota: Studying at Zeppelin University

Do you want to go to college, but an admission quota stands between you and your desired program? At Zeppelin University (ZU), you don’t have to worry about that. As a private, state-recognized university on Lake Constance, we don’t rely on high school GPA requirements—we focus on what really matters: your personality, your motivation, and your ideas. Studying without an admission cap isn’t an exception here—it’s the standard for all our bachelor’s degree programs.

• All bachelor’s degree programs at ZU have open admission; there is no numerus clausus.
• Selection process instead of high school grades: Admission is determined by the personalized selection process“Pioneers Wanted!”, not by your grade point average.
• Three fields of study: Business (CME), Politics (PAIR), and Psychology, Business & Politics (PEP).
• State-recognized & system-accredited: Your degree is equivalent to that of a state university.
• Top ratings: 4.5/5 stars on StudyCheck and consistently high rankings in the CHE rankings.
• Financial aid available: Scholarships and student funds such as BrainCapital or Deutsche Bildung make studying possible regardless of your financial situation.

The Numerus Clausus (NC) is an admissions restriction that ties admission to a degree program to a student’s high school graduation average. A degree program without an NC means that admission is open to all applicants. Your high school graduation exam score does not determine admission; instead, other criteria such as motivation, personality, or an interview are considered.

At ZU, all degree programs are NC-free, because we believe that your grades do not fully reflect who you are. Our Bachelor’s programs are all open to all applicants, whether you’re interested in business, politics, or psychology.

• Admission-Restricted (with NC): There are more applicants than available spots, and the Abitur grade determines who is admitted.
• Open admission (without NC): The high school graduation exam score is not a criterion for exclusion. A high school diploma is required. At ZU, there is an additional personal selection process.

ZU offers three interdisciplinary bachelor's degree programs, all of which have no admission requirements:

The Bachelor’s degree in Economics for anyone who wants to study business administration without an admission quota but is looking for more than just traditional business administration: management, economics, and entrepreneurial thinking, combined with politics and culture.

More information about the CME program

Political Science and Public Administration with an international focus—ideal for anyone who wants to shape society without their high school graduation exam scores determining their path.

More information about the PAIR degree program

Would you like to study psychology without an admission cutoff score? While psychology is one of the most competitive majors at public universities (often with an admission cutoff score of 1.0 to 1.3), the PEP program at ZU combines the fundamentals of psychology with business and politics—with no admission restrictions whatsoever.

More information about the PEP program

A spot in a degree program without an admission cutoff score doesn’t mean there’s no selection process—quite the opposite. In our admissions process, the focus isn’t on your grades, but on you as a person. Instead of a grade-based screening, you’ll go through our own admissions process,“Pioneers Wanted!”

Here’s how it works:

1. Submit your application: Upload your resume, transcripts, and answers to our application questions online.

2. Invitation to the selection day: After reviewing your documents, we’ll invite you to Friedrichshafen. If you’re unable to travel there, you can also participate digitally.

3. Experience the selection day: A campus tour, a discussion session with students, and a roughly 35-minute selection interview with three university representatives.

4. Decision: The decision is based on your resume, your motivation, and the personal impression you make—not your high school GPA.

It’s about a genuine dialogue: We want to find out if you’re a good fit for ZU and if ZU is a good fit for you.

Yes. If you want to pursue a degree with a low high school GPA, you have a real chance at ZU, provided your motivation and personality impress the admissions committee. To be honest: Good grades certainly don’t hurt, and during the interview you should be able to show that you’re genuinely interested in your chosen subjects and want to engage in academic work. But an average of 2.8 or 3.2 isn’t a deal-breaker for us, unlike in programs with limited enrollment at public universities. Many successful ZU students and alumni would never have been able to study their desired major at public universities with the high school grades they had.

If you’re interested in studying privately, you’ll benefit in several ways with us:

• No admission quota, but rather a personalized selection process: It’s not your high school graduation exam score that matters, but who you are and what you bring to the table.

• Small groups, direct support: Personal contact with professors instead of anonymous, large-scale lectures.

• A unique spirit: ZU is characterized by a committed, respectful community among students. “Just give it a try” is our motto here.

• Campus on Lake Constance: Classes are held at the SeeCampus in Friedrichshafen, right on the lake.

• Strong network: University partnerships, such as with ESMT Berlin, open direct pathways from the bachelor’s program to internationally oriented master’s programs.

• Diverse Funding Options: Scholarships and student funds make studying possible regardless of parents’ income (more on this below).

There are degree programs without admission requirements in many fields of study. At Zeppelin University, all bachelor’s programs are admission-requirement-free: Corporate Management & Economics (CME), Politics, Administration & International Relations (PAIR), and Psychology, Economics & Politics (PEP).

At public universities, psychology programs almost always have strict admission quotas. At ZU, you can study psychology in combination with business and politics through the PEP bachelor’s program—with no admission quota at all.

Not automatically: At ZU, the personal admissions process takes precedence over high school graduation exam scores. However, students who are motivated and a good fit for the university have significantly better chances than they would under a system based solely on grades.

As a foundation-funded university, ZU charges tuition. However, scholarships and student funds such as BrainCapital or Deutsche Bildung can be used to finance your studies in full or in part, including on an income-contingent basis after you begin your career.

Yes. Zeppelin University isstate-recognized and system-accredited; its bachelor’s and master’s degrees are equivalent to those awarded by state universities.

In Germany, universities without an admission quota are primarily private, state-recognized institutions of higher education with their own selection processes. Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen is one such institution: All bachelor’s degree programs have no admission requirements; admission is determined by the personalized selection process“Pioneers Wanted!” rather than by high school graduation exam scores. This means that the path to your desired degree program is open even without top grades on the high school graduation exam.

At Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, you can study right on the shores of Lake Constance without an admission quota. The SeeCampus is located right on the shore, and all bachelor’s programs in business, politics, and psychology have no admission cutoff. Instead of an admission cutoff, admission is determined by a personalized selection process, so studying with a view of the lake isn’t a matter of your high school graduation exam scores.