Skip to content
Where Is My Uni?
All guides

Study in Donau-Ries district

Donau-Ries is a rural Bavarian district with historic towns, a meteorite-crater landscape and industrial employers.

Find a course nearbyJump to key facts
Aerial view of Harburg Castle and its surroundings
Photo: Carsten Steger (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Donau-Ries is a rural district (Landkreis) in Bavaria with 135,098 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). There is no university in Donau-Ries district itself; the nearest is Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Eichstätt, about 36 km away. Summers average 17.7 °C and winters 0.2 °C, with about 670 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Donau-Ries district in numbers

Population

135,098Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

1,274.57 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

106Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

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

Nearest university

Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, EichstättWhere Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

About 36 km away in a straight line

Average temperature

8.9 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

670 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Sunshine

1,692 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

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

About Donau-Ries district

Donau-Ries combines small-town life with distinctive landscapes. Donauwörth stands where the Wörnitz meets the Danube, while Nördlingen preserves a complete circuit of town walls. Oettingen adds half-timbered buildings and Baroque façades to the region’s historic town centres. (Ferienland DONAURIES (opens in a new tab))

The Ries landscape was formed by a meteorite impact and is now interpreted through the UNESCO Global Geopark Ries, geological trails and museums. It gives the district an unusually tangible connection between its countryside, building materials and geological history. (Regional geology guide (opens in a new tab))

Main towns

Nearest universities

No university in Donau-Ries district itself — these are the nearest (straight-line distance).

There is no university in Donau-Ries. Nearby study options include the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Aalen University, Graduate Campus Hochschule Aalen, Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg and Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt. For commuting, investigate Donauwörth for Augsburg or Ingolstadt and Nördlingen for Aalen: direct regional trains serve these routes, but station-to-campus travel adds to the journey. (Donauwörth timetable (opens in a new tab), Nördlingen timetable (opens in a new tab)) Living here may particularly suit someone with a local placement or a preference for smaller towns. Employer-linked study is a real option: Airbus lists Donauwörth among its dual-study locations, and GEDA offers dual and practice-integrated programmes in Asbach-Bäumenheim. (Airbus (opens in a new tab), GEDA (opens in a new tab))

  • Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

    Eichstätt · 36 km away · 129 courses

  • Graduate Campus Hochschule Aalen

    Aalen, Württemberg · 46 km away · 11 courses

  • Aalen University

    Aalen · 47 km away · 79 courses

  • Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg

    Augsburg · 52 km away · 54 courses

  • Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

    Ingolstadt · 53 km away · 101 courses

Find a course nearby

Housing

Plan around private rentals and housing cooperatives. Wohnbau-Selbsthilfewerk offers both subsidised and unsubsidised housing in Donauwörth, with further properties in Asbach-Bäumenheim, Monheim and Harburg. It asks prospective tenants to apply and contact its office about availability. This provides a useful local search route, but does not establish that the wider market is relaxed or that a suitable room is immediately available. (Wohnbau-Selbsthilfewerk (opens in a new tab))

How to find a place

Cost of living

Transport is one cost you can budget explicitly: the standard Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month in 2026, with €66.80 announced from January 2027. (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)) Bavaria also publishes a discounted €43 monthly ticket for eligible students and trainees in 2026; check the applicable offer with your university or ticket provider. (Bavarian State Office of Finance (opens in a new tab)) There is insufficient verified evidence here to quantify a housing saving over a large university city. Compare rent, heating and the full commuting cost together, especially if a cheaper address would require a car.

Jobs & employers

Local industry provides concrete routes into student employment: Airbus identifies Donauwörth as a location for internships and working-student positions, while Zott offers internships, thesis projects and working-student jobs from its Mertingen base. Availability depends on your subject and the current recruitment round. (Airbus student opportunities (opens in a new tab), Zott student opportunities (opens in a new tab))

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

Donauwörth is the main rail interchange. Published regional timetables show journeys of roughly 30–40 minutes to Augsburg Hbf and around 40–55 minutes to Ingolstadt Hbf, depending on the service. (DB Donauwörth timetable (opens in a new tab)) Nördlingen has direct trains to Aalen Hbf, commonly taking about 42 minutes. These are station-to-station timings; check current works and onward campus connections before committing to a daily commute. (DB Nördlingen timetable (opens in a new tab)) Local buses are supplemented by demand-responsive services. Around Nördlingen and Oettingen, DoRies-mobil requires booking at least one hour ahead; Deutschlandticket holders still pay a reduced fare. (DoRies-mobil FAQ (opens in a new tab)) The Deutschlandticket covers ordinary regional and local transport, but not standard ICE, IC or EC journeys. (Ticket coverage (opens in a new tab))

Main stations
Nearest airport

Nuremberg Airport and Munich Airport

The best choice depends on your address and flight. Donauwörth’s official visitor guide lists both airports at approximately 100 km from the town. (City visitor guide (opens in a new tab)) For Nuremberg Airport, travel to Nürnberg Hbf and transfer to the direct U2 underground service. (Airport transport guide (opens in a new tab))

Weather & seasons

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

Winter

0.2 °C

42 mm rain a month

2 h sun a day

Spring

8.9 °C

52 mm rain a month

5.7 h sun a day

Summer

17.7 °C

78 mm rain a month

7.3 h sun a day

Autumn

8.7 °C

51 mm rain a month

3.4 h sun a day

For winter commuting, allow time for cold mornings and keep a practical indoor alternative to cycling.

Culture, language & food

Local traditions are especially visible at Nördlingen’s Stabenfest, when schoolchildren parade through the old town before celebrations on the Kaiserwiese. (Stabenfest (opens in a new tab))

Expect to build your social life deliberately through clubs, town events and friends. With no local university, this is better approached as small-town living than as a ready-made campus social scene. Check the last connection home before planning evenings elsewhere.

Plan to use German for housing enquiries, administration and local work rather than relying entirely on English. As a practical learning goal, aim for B1–B2 and check each course’s or employer’s actual requirements.

Local food

Places & events

Places to see

Events

  • Panoramic view across Nördlingen from the Daniel tower

    Panoramic view across Nördlingen from the Daniel tower

  • Historic building at Reichsstraße 2 in Donauwörth

    Historic building at Reichsstraße 2 in Donauwörth

Student experiences

First-hand posts from students in Donau-Ries district, read by our team before they appear.

Loading experiences…

Share your experience

Our team reads every post before it appears. Please don't include contact details.

At least 40 characters. 0/2000

Studying in Donau-Ries district: FAQ

Is Donau-Ries a good place to live as a student?

It can suit students with a local placement or a preference for smaller towns, provided the commute works. Airbus explicitly offers internships and working-student opportunities in Donauwörth, making a local employer connection a concrete reason to live here. (Airbus (opens in a new tab))

Is there a university in Donau-Ries?

There is no university in Donau-Ries. Nearby university towns include Eichstätt, Aalen, Augsburg and Ingolstadt.

Can I commute from Donau-Ries to Augsburg or Aalen?

Yes: regional trains from Donauwörth to Augsburg Hbf commonly take about 30–40 minutes, while Nördlingen to Aalen Hbf commonly takes about 42 minutes. Add the journey to your actual campus and check the current timetable. (Donauwörth timetable (opens in a new tab), Nördlingen timetable (opens in a new tab))

Is Donau-Ries inexpensive for students?

A reliable recent student-rent benchmark was not verified, so a definite saving over a university city cannot be promised. Local cooperative housing is worth investigating, including Wohnbau-Selbsthilfewerk’s subsidised and unsubsidised properties. (Housing portfolio (opens in a new tab))

What student jobs are available in Donau-Ries?

Verified routes include aerospace internships and working-student roles at Airbus in Donauwörth and student employment at Zott in Mertingen. Check the employers’ current recruitment pages for subject requirements and availability. (Airbus (opens in a new tab), Zott (opens in a new tab))

Does the Deutschlandticket cover DoRies-mobil?

It provides a discount rather than a completely free ride: Deutschlandticket holders still pay the reduced DoRies-mobil fare. Journeys must be booked at least one hour in advance. (District FAQ (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

Ready to find your course in Donau-Ries district?

Open the map on Donau-Ries district: every university, every course, filtered by degree, subject, language and cost — free.

Find a course nearby
Find a course nearby