The university has historically best been known for its Institute for Social Research (founded 1924), the institutional home of the Frankfurt School, a preeminent 20th century school of philosophy and social thought.
Sveučilište je poznato po svom Institutu za društvena istraživanja (osnovano 1924.), institucionalnom domu Frankfurtske škole, jedne od najvažnijih filozofskih i škola društvenih nauka u 20. stoljeću.