What is NC and how does it affect your master's application?

NC (Numerus Clausus) means a program has restricted admission. It is not a fixed grade limit but a cut-off that results from that semester's applicant pool and the program's selection rules. There is no single Germany-wide NC value.

#How an NC comes about

• If there are more applicants than places, the program ranks applicants according to its selection rules.
• The value of the last admitted applicant becomes that semester's "NC" and can change next time. Previous years' values are no guarantee.
• In programs without restricted admission, the program's admission requirements are what counts.

#Effect on your master's application

• Every master's program sets its own requirements: subject fit of your bachelor's, grade, language and documents.
• In a program with an NC, meeting the requirements may not be enough on its own; you enter a ranking.
• Your foreign grade is converted with the modified Bavarian formula into the German scale, where 1.0 is the best grade.

#What to do

• Check the program page for admission restrictions and selection rules.
• Don't rely on one program; compare the requirements of several. The university decides.

Source: KMK grade conversion rule