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Study in Ortenaukreis district

Ortenaukreis combines Rhine-side towns with Black Forest countryside.

Find a course in OrtenaukreisJump to key facts
Gengenbach town centre with the town hall and Obertor
Photo: GFHund (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Ortenaukreis is a rural district (Landkreis) in Baden-Württemberg with 444,858 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). It has 2 universities: Offenburg University of Applied Sciences (Offenburg), Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl (Kehl, Rhein). Summers average 19.1 °C and winters 2.9 °C, with about 1,005 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Ortenaukreis district in numbers

Population

444,858Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

1,860.29 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

239Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

2Where Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

Offenburg University of Applied Sciences and Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl

Typical student rent

From €365/monthSource (opens in a new tab)

Warm rent for a small single room in a five-person shared flat in the new Campus Offenburg buildings on St.-Martin-Straße, as listed by Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald; checked November 2026. Includes electricity, heating, water, refuse and internet. Stepped rent increases apply.

Average temperature

10.8 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

1,005 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Sunshine

1,729 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

59 a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

About Ortenaukreis district

Ortenaukreis stretches from the Rhine into the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg. It combines towns on the Rhine plain with wooded valleys and mountain landscapes (Ortenaukreis (opens in a new tab)).

Your experience depends strongly on your town: Offenburg is a rail interchange, Kehl has direct links with Strasbourg, and Gengenbach offers a historic centre. Wine, fruit growing and Black Forest food are part of the region’s identity (Offenburg (opens in a new tab), Kehl (opens in a new tab), Gengenbach (opens in a new tab), Ortenau Tourism (opens in a new tab)).

Main towns

Universities here

Universities in Ortenaukreis district, biggest first.

The district has Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, with study locations in Offenburg and Gengenbach, and Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl, specialising in public administration (Offenburg University (opens in a new tab), Hochschule Kehl (opens in a new tab)). Choose housing around your actual teaching location: Gengenbach has a direct regional rail connection with Offenburg, while Kehl lies on the Offenburg–Strasbourg route (DB (opens in a new tab), TGO (opens in a new tab)). This is worth considering if you want town life with access to countryside; check the complete journey from any prospective room to campus before signing.

  • Offenburg University of Applied Sciences

    University of applied sciences · Offenburg · 59 courses

    Website (opens in a new tab)

  • Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl

    Other institution · Kehl, Rhein · 3 courses

Find a course in Ortenaukreis

Housing

Start looking early. In September 2026, Hochschule Offenburg described housing in Offenburg and its surroundings as tight and reported that some incoming international students still lacked suitable, affordable accommodation (University housing appeal (opens in a new tab)). The rent below is a residence example, not an average for the private market.

The typical student rent we found, and what that figure covers, is in the key facts.

How to find a place

Student residences

Cost of living

Useful budget anchors, checked in November 2026, are the Campus Offenburg shared-room example from €365 per month and the Deutschlandticket at €63 per month (SWFR (opens in a new tab), TGO (opens in a new tab)). Hochschule Offenburg lists a standard semester contribution of €170. Separate tuition of €1,500 per semester can apply to non-EU/EEA international students, with exemptions; international master’s programmes also have a listed service fee, so check your programme’s full charges (University fees (opens in a new tab)). These figures are not a complete monthly budget: allow separately for food, insurance and personal spending.

Jobs & employers

Engineering, media and printing, and tourism are useful sectors to investigate. Herrenknecht’s Schwanau careers portal includes internships and working-student roles; Burda operates journalism and printing activities in Offenburg; Europa-Park’s Rust portal includes seasonal part-time hospitality work (Herrenknecht (opens in a new tab), Burda (opens in a new tab), Europa-Park (opens in a new tab)). Treat these as search routes rather than promises of a vacancy matching your timetable.

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

Use TGO for local bus and rail information. The Schwarzwaldbahn connects Offenburg with Gengenbach and the Kinzig valley; the Europabahn connects Offenburg, Appenweier, Kehl and Strasbourg (DB Schwarzwaldbahn (opens in a new tab), TGO Europabahn (opens in a new tab)). DB’s November 2026 examples show approximately 29 minutes from Offenburg to Strasbourg by regional train and 27–31 minutes to Freiburg by ICE; the latter is not a regional-train commuting time (DB Strasbourg (opens in a new tab), DB Freiburg (opens in a new tab)). The Deutschlandticket covers German local and regional public transport, not ICE, IC or EC services. Do not assume it covers your journey into Strasbourg: TGO explicitly excludes the Tram D leisure extension and offers separate cross-border EUROPASS tickets (Deutschlandticket (opens in a new tab), EUROPASS (opens in a new tab)). Check the current timetable and the final bus or walk to campus.

Main stations
Nearest airport

Strasbourg Airport

A nearby international airport option; the most convenient airport depends on your town and flight. Offenburg lists both Strasbourg and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports at roughly 45 minutes by car. Strasbourg Airport has a rail link to Strasbourg station taking about eight minutes, with a pedestrian connection between its station and terminal (City of Offenburg (opens in a new tab), Strasbourg Airport (opens in a new tab)).

Weather & seasons

Long-term averages from the German Weather Service station Ohlsbach (2 km from the district centre), 1991–2020.

Winter

2.9 °C

74 mm rain a month

1.9 h sun a day

Spring

10.7 °C

81 mm rain a month

5.7 h sun a day

Summer

19.1 °C

100 mm rain a month

7.6 h sun a day

Autumn

10.8 °C

79 mm rain a month

3.6 h sun a day

Expect warm summers, cool winters and rain throughout the year; pack both summer clothes and a waterproof layer. The supplied low-elevation climate record is best treated as a guide to valley conditions rather than every mountain outing. Autumn brings Offenburg’s wine festival and Lahr’s Chrysanthema, followed by Gengenbach’s Advent display as the winter semester progresses (Weinfest (opens in a new tab), Chrysanthema (opens in a new tab), Gengenbach Advent (opens in a new tab)).

Culture, language & food

Local traditions include the Swabian-Alemannic carnival known as Fasend. Gengenbach’s celebrations feature named carnival figures, processions and gatherings in pubs; wine celebrations are another part of the calendar (Gengenbach Tourism (opens in a new tab), Ortenauer Weinfest (opens in a new tab)).

For meeting people, Hochschule Offenburg organises World Café gatherings and a buddy programme. Beyond campus, Kehl’s summer cultural programme includes free concerts and cabaret at the Rosengarten’s lakeside stage (University (opens in a new tab), Kehl (opens in a new tab)).

English-taught study options exist at Hochschule Offenburg, but they do not establish that everyday services or employers operate in English (University (opens in a new tab)). As a practical learning target, work towards conversational German for housing, appointments and job applications; B1–B2 is useful preparation, not a district-wide admission requirement. Offenburg publishes local German-course and language-café options (City language guide (opens in a new tab)).

Local food

Places & events

Places to see

  • Gengenbach old town

    Old town

    Explore the historic streets, towers and gates around the town hall, which also provides the setting for the Advent display (Gengenbach Tourism (opens in a new tab)).

  • Garten der zwei Ufer and Passerelle des Deux Rives, Kehl

    Riverside park

    A park spanning the German and French banks of the Rhine, linked by a pedestrian and cycle bridge (City of Kehl (opens in a new tab)).

  • Mummelsee and Hornisgrinde

    Nature

    A glacial cirque lake beside the Black Forest High Road, with walking opportunities around the lake and towards the Hornisgrinde (Tourist information (opens in a new tab)).

Events

  • Buildings around Offenburg’s market square

    Buildings around Offenburg’s market square

  • Morning view across Mummelsee from its western shore

    Morning view across Mummelsee from its western shore

Student experiences

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Studying in Ortenaukreis district: FAQ

Is Ortenaukreis a good place to live as a student?

It is worth considering if your course is in Offenburg, Gengenbach or Kehl and you value access to countryside. Choose your town around the campus and transport route, and begin the housing search early: Hochschule Offenburg reported continuing accommodation pressure in September 2026 (University (opens in a new tab)).

Is there a university in Ortenaukreis?

Yes. Offenburg University of Applied Sciences has locations in Offenburg and Gengenbach, while Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl focuses on public administration (Offenburg University (opens in a new tab), Hochschule Kehl (opens in a new tab)).

Can I commute between Offenburg and Gengenbach?

Yes. Both towns are served by the direct Schwarzwaldbahn regional service; include the journey between each station and your accommodation or campus when comparing housing (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)).

How expensive is student housing in Offenburg?

SWFR lists a small single room in a five-person shared flat in its new Campus Offenburg buildings from €365 per month including utilities and internet, checked November 2026. This is a residence-specific starting price, not a private-market average, and stepped increases apply (SWFR (opens in a new tab)).

Can I use the Deutschlandticket to visit Strasbourg?

Do not assume the German ticket covers your cross-border journey: TGO excludes the Tram D leisure extension from the Deutschlandticket. Its EUROPASS is a separate option covering the TGO area and Strasbourg Eurométropole (Deutschlandticket conditions (opens in a new tab), EUROPASS (opens in a new tab)).

What student jobs can I look for in Ortenaukreis?

Useful starting points include technical and HR working-student roles at Herrenknecht in Schwanau and seasonal hospitality work at Europa-Park in Rust. Check each role’s location, hours and language requirements (Herrenknecht careers (opens in a new tab), Europa-Park careers (opens in a new tab)).

More guides

Sources & photo credits

Last updated November 2026. Population and area: Destatis. Weather: Deutscher Wetterdienst. Universities and courses: our catalogue. Everything else was researched from the sources below and checked — how we research these guides.

Sources

Photo credits

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