IB Diploma and University Admission in Germany: Subjects, Points and the Grade Formula

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Germany accepts the IB Diploma as a university entrance qualification, but only if the subject choices follow a fixed pattern. The rules come from an agreement of the education ministers of the German states (KMK), first signed in 1986; the version dated 15 June 2023 applies to diplomas from the 2025 exam session onwards. The risk for an IB student is choosing subjects in the first year of the Diploma Programme that close doors two years later, so this is worth reading before subjects are chosen.

The conditions

• Twelve years of school. The diploma must come after at least twelve consecutive years of full-time schooling.
• Six subjects, three at Higher Level. All six must be taken for the full two years.
• Two languages at level A or B. At least one continued foreign language must be taken as Language A or as Language B at Higher Level. A language ab initio can only be the sixth subject.
• One social science from group 3, for example History, Geography, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy or Global Politics.
• One natural science: Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
• Mathematics. Both current courses, Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation, are accepted.
• A sixth subject from the list named in the agreement, for example Visual Arts, Music, Latin, Computer Science or another language, science or social science.
• Among the three Higher Level subjects there must be a language, mathematics or one of Biology, Chemistry and Physics (rule for exams from 2025).

Why the level of mathematics matters

Since the 2021 exams, mathematics at Higher Level gives access to all fields of study. Mathematics at Standard Level gives access only to non-STEM subjects, at universities and at universities of applied sciences alike. Engineering, computer science, natural sciences and similar programmes are then closed.

There is one exception: graduates of the schools listed in the annexes of the agreement meet the mathematics condition regardless. Whether your school is on the list is a question for your IB coordinator.

Grades

• The diploma needs at least 24 points in the six subjects, and every subject must be graded 4 or higher.
• One grade of 3 can be offset by a grade of 5 or higher in another subject at the same level, as long as the total stays at 24 or more.
• With more than one failing grade the IB may still award the diploma, but Germany does not accept it for direct access.

How IB points become a German grade

German universities rank applicants by a grade from 1.0 (best) to 4.0. The conversion is:

German grade = 1 + 3 × (42 − your points) ÷ (42 − 24)

Only the six subjects count, so the maximum is 42. Bonus points from the core do not add anything: 42 points or more give 1.0. Only the first decimal is kept and the rest is cut off, not rounded. Examples: 37 points give 1.8, 33 points give 2.5, 30 points give 3.0.

If the conditions are not met

• You can take an additional examination; in practice this means a preparatory year at a Studienkolleg ending with the Feststellungsprüfung. See Studienkolleg and foundation years.
• After one successful year of university study elsewhere, the diploma can be recognised for a matching subject area.

Documents

Universities and recognition offices need the official diploma or the Transcript of Grades issued by the IB, not a certificate written by the school. They also ask for term reports that show the level (HL or SL) of each subject in both years. Applicants who apply through uni-assist can ask their IB coordinator to release the results to the institution online. The decision is taken by the recognition office or the university, not by the DAAD.

Language and next steps

Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German and require DSH-2 or TestDaF 4; the IB itself does not replace this. Our catalogue lists 114 bachelor's programmes taught in English. The general application route is described in how to get into a university in Germany, and fees in how much it costs to study in Germany.

Official sources

• DAAD: recognition of the IB Diploma in Germany (in German)
• KMK: foreign and international school certificates, with the text of the agreement
• uni-assist

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.