Which German universities are ranked among the 'best outside of the US'?

When various rankings of universities around the world are compared, a few of Germany's top schools stand out. 

Several Germany-based institutions rank among the top 25 universities in the world outside of the US, according to various rankings.

Online media platform Visual Capitalist recently published a graphic that highlighted the "top 25 universities outside of the US".

It included the top 25 non-US universities according to three separate rankings, including; the Times Higher Education ranking, the QS World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The Times Higher Education ranking included the most universities - more than 2,000 from 115 countries. Of these, a number of German universities secured top spots.

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Germany's top-ranked schools this year

Each of the evaluations had their own scoring system, so Germany's top schools earned different rankings between them.

But three of Germany's top universities scored among the top 25 schools outside of the US in two of the rankings, and one school made it into the top 25 in all three.

The German university that cinched a top spot in all three rankings was the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

TUM was among the top 10 universities in the world out side of the US, according to the Times Higher Education ranking. Referring to itself as a "global marketplace of knowledge", TUM has a high proportion of international students – at 43 percent according to Times Higher Education data.

The other German universities that claimed top 25 positions according to two of the rankings were Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) – also in Munich – and Heidelberg University.

LMU received the highest ratings in its Arts and Humanities department, so it may be a better fit than the technical university for students interested in subjects in these fields. (LMU's website notes that admissions for the coming winter term are open until September 17th.)

Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is the oldest higher education institution found in modern-day Germany. Among the perks of enrolling here is living in the surrounding city of Heidelberg, which is renowned for its scenic old town, and the surrounding forest, in addition to being a happening university hub.

READ ALSO: Weimar to Heidelberg - The best German university towns for foreign students

Germany was historically a world leader in higher education

Germany ranks among the world's leading countries for top-notch universities today, but comes in behind the US and the UK in terms of number of high-rated schools.

Interestingly, Germany was arguably the world leader in higher education at the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, German was the dominant language of science up until around the Second World War. At this time, the Germany's influence on science was ultimately reduced after many researchers and scientists fled Germany to escape persecution by the Nazis.

In the decades since then, the US has become home to many of the world's top universities.

But with the Trump Administration having made massive cuts to funding that US universities rely on, and trying to influence enrolment decisions, there has been speculation that the roles could now be reversed - with students from the US potentially pushed to seek opportunities abroad.

READ ALSO: What Americans need to know about studying in Germany