The Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) is the largest higher education institute in Munich. It has a particular focus on scientific research. Another university with its attention turned to research, but with a range of degrees availble, is the Universitat Konstanz, located on the banks of Lake Constance, where Germany connects to Austria and Switzerland. Universitat Karlsruhe is a technical school that mainly teaches engineering, natural sciences and economics; Carl Benz, the inventor of the car, once worked there. Other leading German institutions include Universitat Gottingen in lower Saxony, Freie Universitat in Berlin and the Technische Universitat in Munich.
The vast majority of universities in Germany get their funding from the government, while others are financially backed by the Catholic or Protestant church. While largely dominated by public education, Germany still possesses 80 private universities and colleges, but their fees are high, and so only three percent of Germans enroll in a private university or college.
Guidlines and laws for university education are not decided by the German government. This power is in the hands of each of the country's 16 states. Many German Universities regulate themselves, with only little interference from the state. As a result of this system, different universities have diverse laws and regulations.
German students start coursework with basic classes to learn the foundations of a particular subject. After two years, they move on to take an exam, and if they pass it, they begin their main coursework, focusing in-depth on their chosen area of study. After three years, students sit for a final examination. Passing it will earn them one of four degrees, diplom, magister artium, staatsexamen or bachelor of science, depending on their specific curriculum.