The very first semester at the University of Oldenburg began on 1 April 1974.

In the summer semester of 1974, 2,507 young people began their studies in Oldenburg. They could choose between eight degree programmes (social sciences, economics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, spatial planning, education) and sixteen teaching degree programmes as part of the "single-phase teacher training" pilot project. The latter was one of the major reform programmes with which a fundamental reorganisation of the education system was to be implemented at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s. This model was only put into practice at our university in 1974. However, this came to an end in 1979, as it was no longer politically desirable.

Over the decades, the university has grown considerably: around 15,500 students were enrolled in 2024. The university now offers around 180 degree programmes across six Schools. These include "perennial favourites" such as Special Education, German Studies and Economics, as well as special Master's degree programmes such as Marine Sensory Science, Slavic Studies and Health Services Research. More and more students are opting for one of the 16 degree programmes taught in English, for example Molecular Biomedicine, Renewable Energy or Applied Economics and Data Science.