Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is the only German university of its size with almost all its facilities located on a single campus situated near the city center. The campus also accommodates the Mainz University of Applied Sciences as well as four leading research institutes, namely the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, the Helmholtz Institute Mainz, and the Institute of Molecular Biology.

JGU is home to one-of-a-kind large-scale research facilities such as the TRIGA light water research reactor and the MAMI electron accelerator that attract scientists from around the world. The well-equipped facilities at JGU are supplemented by a network of numerous non-university research institutes located nearby. The proximity of these institutes combined with the close working relationships established with all these different partners has made it possible for academics to take advantage of facilities other than their own.

Research, learning, and life – the Gutenberg Campus Mainz is not only a site of lively academic culture, but it also offers a variety of leisure activity options. In addition to student dorms, childcare facilities, sports venues, and various cultural facilities, there are also shops, restaurants, and cafés located all over the campus. And the JGU Botanic Garden is the ideal place to get a short break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life at the university.

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate has begun a series of major reconstruction projects on both the Gutenberg Campus and the campus of the Mainz University Medical Center. Since 2005, some €600 million has been spent on numerous new buildings and renovation projects; further construction projects are currently being planned.