Hochschulstart

Hochschulstart is the central admissions service for higher education in Germany, responsible for the allocation of study places through the online portal hochschulstart.de. It focuses on programs with restricted admission (numerus clausus, NC), particularly in medical-related fields such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, as well as other courses that employ centralized allocation.

The organization is a joint venture that coordinates the Dialogorientierte Studienplatzvergabe (DoSV), the central procedure for distributing available study places. Hochschulstart is operated by the HRK (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, German Rectors’ Conference) together with the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung. It works with participating universities across Germany to implement the allocation rules established for the DoSV and to provide a single application channel for applicants.

How it works: Applicants register on hochschulstart.de and can select multiple degree programs and universities, typically up to a predefined number. They participate in the DoSV allocation process, where places are offered according to the universities’ quotas and the applicant’s priority and waitlist position. Accepted offers are binding, while declined offers move the applicant up the waitlist or free the slot for others. Not all programs are covered by DoSV; many courses without restricted admission are still decided directly by the universities.

History and context: The DoSV and the centralized Hochschulstart system emerged in the 2000s and were formalized into the current structure to harmonize admissions across states. The system aims to increase transparency and fairness in the allocation of scarce study places and to streamline the application process for prospective students.