President Professor Dr Anja Steinbeck greeted the first-year students at the traditional welcome event: “I wish you all a successful start and an interesting, inspiring time at HHU.” In her address, she emphasised that studying primarily teaches you how to work scientifically and analytically: to review knowledge independently, identify interconnections and conflicting objectives, draw informed conclusions, develop new ideas and act responsibly – all skills, which are key to solving complex problems and critically scrutinising populist or oversimplified answers. She also called upon the students to actively practice the values, which our namesake Heinrich Heine stands for – freedom, equality, tolerance and open-mindedness – during their studies and on campus. And she called for open, respectful dialogue free from hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism.
Together with the Vice President for Quality in Studies and Teaching Professor Dr Axel Görlitz and the Chair of the General Student’s Committee (AStA) Elias Warnke, the President took part in a relaxed panel discussion, providing an overview of studies and day-to-day university life at HHU. Johanna Warszawa from cm3 campus media services moderated the varied programme. In addition to an entertaining quiz, in which the members of the audience were able to test their university knowledge, beatboxer Marvelin provided impressive beats to ensure a great atmosphere.
At the information bazaar in the foyers of the lecture theatres in buildings 22.01 and 23.01 following the welcome event, all central University institutions were on hand to provide first-year students with a wide range of information and advice.
Preliminary figures at the start of the winter semester 2025/2026 (reference date: 10 October 2025)
At the reference date, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) had a total of 27,478 students; at the reference date in the prior year, this figure was 27,707. As in the previous year, international students account for around 14%.
A total of 3,618 new students (students in their first semester at university) had enrolled by 10 October 2025, almost the same number as in the previous year (2024: 3,647 students at the reference date). Accordingly, new students once again account for 13% of the total number of students, while students from abroad who are starting their studies at HHU currently account for 15%.
At the reference date, the five most popular study programmes among students were the Computer Science bachelor’s degree programme and the State Examination for Medicine, followed by the State Examination for Law and the Biology and Business Administration bachelor’s programmes.
Alongside those students studying for bachelor’s degrees and State Examinations, 850 master’s students are also starting their studies in the winter semester. The majority of these students (360) are enrolled at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, followed by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (216), the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics (166) and the Medical Faculty (108).
With 11,205 students in total, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is the largest faculty at HHU with 41% of all regular students currently enrolled here. The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is next with 26% (7,148 students), then the Medical Faculty with 15% (4,169 students), the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics with 10% (2,750 students) and the smallest faculty – the Faculty of Law – with 8% of all students (2,205 students).
Currently, students can still apply for places in the bachelor’s study programme Biology, the bachelor’s minor subject Japanese Studies and the master’s study programme Economics via the local clearing procedure.
The newly established Heinrich Heine College Year has also been launched successfully: 31 participants have enrolled for the two-semester orientation programme at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Alongside gaining study experience, the programme also focuses on a practical approach and early career orientation.
Please note: All these figures refer to regular students including cross-registered students (headcount and excluding students from clearing). The figures relating to first-year students and their breakdown by faculty and subject are provisional statistics only (trend) at the reference date of 10 October 2025. These figures change daily as clearing procedures are not yet complete. Final statistics are expected in December 2025.
