What CGPA Is Required for a Master's in Germany? (2026-2027, with Real Programmes)

How much CGPA is required for MS in Germany?

It depends on the programme. German universities convert your CGPA to the German scale, where 1.0 is the best grade and 4.0 is a pass, and each programme sets its own minimum. Among the 8 programmes in the table below, the published minimums range from 2.0 to 3.0. Many programmes publish no minimum grade at all.

Each programme below states its minimum grade on its own official page, which we checked on 28 October 2026. The CGPA columns use the Modified Bavarian Formula with a maximum of 10 and two common pass marks. Your university's own pass mark changes the result, so convert your own grade with our CGPA converter.

These are minimums for being considered, not admission guarantees. Selection programmes also look at your subjects, credits, motivation and sometimes interviews.

What German grade is my CGPA?

Most German universities and uni-assist use the Modified Bavarian Formula: German grade = 1 + 3 × (Xmax - X) ÷ (Xmax - Xmin). X is your CGPA, Xmax the best possible grade and Xmin your university's minimum pass mark. With Xmax 10 and Xmin 4, an 8.0 CGPA becomes 1.0 + 3 × 2 ÷ 6 = 2.0.

The pass mark matters: the same 7.0 CGPA is 2.5 with a 4.0 pass mark but 2.8 with a 5.0 pass mark. Use the value your university publishes, and see our CGPA to German GPA converter and CGPA to percentage guide.

How much CGPA for a public university in Germany?

There is no separate CGPA rule for public universities. Every programme in the table above is at a public university or a public university of applied sciences, and their published minimums run from 2.0 to 3.0 on the German scale. What matters is the cut-off of the specific programme you apply to, and whether its admission is open, restricted or selective.

Read more in our guide on how to shortlist German universities.

Can I do a Master's in Germany with a low GPA?

Often, yes, if you choose programmes carefully. Some programmes accept a German grade of 3.0, about 6.0 CGPA with a 4.0 pass mark, and many publish no minimum grade. The University of Passau's Computer Science and AI Engineering pages also accept applicants in the best 70% of their cohort. A matching subject background matters as much as the number.

How to approach it:

1. Convert your grade first with your university's real pass mark.
2. Look for programmes whose published minimum you meet, or that publish none, and check that your subjects and credits match.
3. Prefer open-admission programmes if your grade is near a cut-off, because they admit everyone who meets the rules.
4. Check alternatives on the page, such as Passau's best-70%-of-cohort rule, which needs a document from your university.
5. Strengthen the rest of the file: subject match, English, a clear motivation letter.

For a real example of how a full application season played out, see our German admission timeline case study.

Which programmes have no minimum grade?

Many programmes do not publish a minimum grade. Of the 50 programme pages currently live on our site, 29 list no minimum grade in our database, which is built from DAAD, Hochschulkompass and university pages. No published minimum does not mean any grade is accepted: restricted and selection programmes still rank applicants, often by grade.

Browse them on our English-taught Master's in Germany pages, and always confirm the rules on the programme's own page before you apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 7 CGPA enough for Germany?

For some programmes, yes. With a 4.0 pass mark, 7.0 CGPA converts to 2.5, which meets the published minimum of programmes in our table that ask for 2.5, 2.7 or 3.0. With a 5.0 pass mark it converts to about 2.8.

Is 6 CGPA enough for a Master's in Germany?

It is limited. With a 4.0 pass mark, 6.0 CGPA is about 3.0, which meets Paderborn's published minimum for its Computer Science Master's. Many programmes ask for better, so check each programme.

Do German universities accept percentage instead of CGPA?

Yes. The same formula works with percentages: use 100 as the maximum and your university's pass mark, often 40 or 35, as the minimum.

Sources

• uni-assist: Glossary, grading system (Modified Bavarian Formula)
• Rhine-Waal University: International Management and Psychology (M.Sc.)
• Rhine-Waal University: Information Engineering and Computer Science (M.Sc.)
• Hochschule Nordhausen: Computer Engineering for IoT Systems
• Hochschule Nordhausen: Mechatronics
• University of Passau: M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence Engineering
• University of Passau: M.Sc. Business Administration
• University of Passau: M.Sc. Computer Science
• Paderborn University: Computer Science (Master)
• Minimum grades checked on each programme page on 28 October 2026