FC Nürnberg were crowned champions for a record eighth time after a group stage and a final, having previously won the title in 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1936 and 1948.
[1] On the strength of this title, the club participated in the 1961–62 European Cup, where 1.
Runners-up Borussia Dortmund made its fourth appearance in the national title game, having lost the championship in 1949 and won it in 1956 and 1957.
The format used to determine the German champion was the same as the one used in the 1960 season.
The remaining eight clubs then played a home-and-away round in two groups of four, with the two group winners entering the final.