The Lower Saxony Higher Education Act(Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz, NHG) is the most important legal regulation of the state's higher education law. As a state-run university, the MHH is under the responsibility of the state. On the one hand, it is an institution of the state and thus performs public tasks, e.g. health care. At the same time, however, it is a corporation under public law. As a corporation, the MHH is legally entitled to self-administration and can regulate its own affairs by issuing regulations, among other things. The NHG lays down numerous further provisions on the structure and tasks of the various university bodies and committees.

Higher education law also includes questions of examination law and university admission law. In practice, there are also close links to research and research contract law.