Skip to content
Where Is My Uni?
All guides

Study in Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt is a Bavarian university city on the Danube.

Find a course in IngolstadtJump to key facts
The ornate gable of Ingolstadt’s Old Town Hall facing Rathausplatz
Photo: Franconia (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Ingolstadt is a district-free city in Bavaria with 141,185 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). It has one university: Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (Ingolstadt). Summers average 18.3 °C and winters 0.5 °C, with about 696 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Ingolstadt in numbers

Population

141,185Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

133.35 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

1,059Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

1Where Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

Typical student rent

€334/month, plus electricitySource (opens in a new tab)

Monthly rent including operating-cost advance payments for a furnished E1 ‘Maisonette’ single apartment at Münzbergstraße 26. Personal electricity is additional. Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg tariff effective 1 January 2026, checked November 2026; this is a residence example, not a citywide average.

Average temperature

9.3 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

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

Sunshine

1,754 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

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

About Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt is an independent city in Upper Bavaria, with neighbourhoods rather than separate district towns. Its historic centre sits beside the Danube, with surviving gates and fortifications shaping the streetscape (city profile (opens in a new tab), German National Tourist Board (opens in a new tab)).

The city combines industrial employment with an old-town setting: Audi has its headquarters and vehicle production here, while Klenzepark provides public green space across the river from the centre (Audi (opens in a new tab), City of Ingolstadt (opens in a new tab)).

Neighbourhoods

Universities here

Universities in Ingolstadt, biggest first.

Ingolstadt is a study destination in its own right, with Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt’s business faculty, WFI, based in the city (THI (opens in a new tab), KU campus (opens in a new tab)). Check your programme’s teaching location before signing a lease: reaching KU’s Eichstätt campus involves an intercity journey, with rail access through Eichstätt Bahnhof to Eichstätt Stadt (Eichstätt transport information (opens in a new tab)). Ingolstadt is worth considering if you want local study options alongside an automotive employment base (Audi (opens in a new tab)).

Find a course in Ingolstadt

Housing

Start early: KU reports that affordable accommodation is particularly difficult to find immediately before the spring and autumn semesters, and recommends beginning your search at least three months ahead (KU housing guidance (opens in a new tab)). Published residence rents provide useful budget examples, but they do not establish the price of a private flat or guarantee availability.

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 fixed costs include the €334 monthly residence example above, plus electricity (Studierendenwerk rent list (opens in a new tab)), and VGI’s €43 monthly Deutschlandticket for eligible THI and KU students, as listed in November 2026 (VGI (opens in a new tab)). THI’s student-services contribution is €82 per semester from winter semester 2026/27 (THI financing (opens in a new tab)). Separately, students from outside the EU/EEA starting at THI from summer semester 2026 generally face tuition of €800 per semester for bachelor’s programmes or €1,200 for master’s programmes; exemptions and transitional arrangements apply (THI tuition information (opens in a new tab)). Budget separately for food, insurance, deposits and other personal costs.

Jobs & employers

Automotive manufacturing is a major part of the local economy, with Audi’s headquarters and production site in Ingolstadt (Audi (opens in a new tab)). Student opportunities also extend into commercial work: MediaMarktSaturn’s Ingolstadt careers page includes working-student roles in digital marketing and customer operations (MediaMarktSaturn careers (opens in a new tab)). Treat these as areas to investigate, not a promise of an available job when you arrive.

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

VGI covers local public transport. The Deutschlandticket is valid on local buses and regional trains in second class, but excludes ICE/IC/EC services and the Airport Express (VGI ticket rules (opens in a new tab)). From Ingolstadt Hbf, DB lists direct Munich journeys of roughly 40 minutes by ICE and some regional services of about 45 minutes; allow extra time to reach your station and final destination (DB connections (opens in a new tab)). BRB’s RB14 route links Ingolstadt with Eichstätt Bahnhof and Eichstätt Stadt; check the current timetable and disruption notices before committing to a daily commute (BRB RB14 (opens in a new tab)).

Main stations
Nearest airport

Munich Airport

The practical major airport connection is the hourly Airport Express from Ingolstadt Nordbahnhof, ZOB and Kurt-Huber-Straße to Munich Airport. It requires a separate ticket (VGI Airport Express (opens in a new tab)).

Weather & seasons

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

Winter

0.5 °C

47 mm rain a month

2 h sun a day

Spring

9.5 °C

53 mm rain a month

6 h sun a day

Summer

18.3 °C

80 mm rain a month

7.7 h sun a day

Autumn

9.1 °C

52 mm rain a month

3.5 h sun a day

Expect cold winters with frequent frost, brighter spring days and warm summers that still need rainwear. Layers are useful through spring and autumn, and summer is not reliably dry. Klenzepark offers an outdoor break beside the Danube when the weather suits (City of Ingolstadt (opens in a new tab)); the Christmas market gives the colder part of the year a local social focus (Kulturamt (opens in a new tab)).

Culture, language & food

The local nickname “Schanzer” comes from Ingolstadt’s history as a Bavarian fortress. That history remains visible in the old town’s gates and defensive buildings (city history (opens in a new tab), German National Tourist Board (opens in a new tab)).

For evenings, there are concrete options beyond campus: the Zwölf bar serves locally brewed beer, while the annual Jazztage brings performances to venues across the city. These are useful starting points for exploring the local social scene (Zwölf (opens in a new tab), Kulturamt (opens in a new tab)).

English can support your studies on an English-taught programme, but learning German will make everyday life and job hunting easier. THI recommends basic A1/A2 German even for students studying in English and offers German-language courses through its Language Centre (THI language guidance (opens in a new tab)). As a practical personal target, work towards B1/B2 for greater independence; this is advice, not a universal admission or employment requirement.

Local food

  • Locally brewed Helles and wheat beer

    Beer is a practical way to explore local food culture: Zwölf serves Helles and wheat beer and brews with Yankee & Kraut in Ingolstadt (brewery and bar (opens in a new tab)).

  • Weißwurst breakfast

    This Bavarian breakfast tradition is served locally at Gasthaus Daniel; it is a regional custom rather than an Ingolstadt invention (Gasthaus Daniel (opens in a new tab)).

Places & events

Places to see

Events

  • The medieval Kreuztor gate in Ingolstadt

    The medieval Kreuztor gate in Ingolstadt

  • A view of Klenzepark in Ingolstadt

    A view of Klenzepark in Ingolstadt

Student experiences

First-hand posts from students in Ingolstadt, 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 Ingolstadt: FAQ

Is Ingolstadt a good place to live as an international student?

It is worth considering if you want local higher education alongside an automotive employment base: THI is based here, and Audi has its headquarters and production in the city (THI (opens in a new tab), Audi (opens in a new tab)). Finding accommodation early should be a priority (KU housing guidance (opens in a new tab)).

Is there a university in Ingolstadt?

Yes. Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt is based in the city, and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt has its business faculty, WFI, in Ingolstadt (THI (opens in a new tab), KU campus (opens in a new tab)).

How do I get from Ingolstadt to Eichstätt for university?

Use the regional rail connection towards Eichstätt Bahnhof and onward to Eichstätt Stadt. Check whether your chosen service requires a change, and allow time from the station to your teaching building (BRB route and timetable (opens in a new tab)).

How much does student accommodation in Ingolstadt cost?

One published example is €334 per month for an E1 Maisonette apartment at Münzbergstraße 26 under the tariff effective January 2026, including operating-cost advances but excluding personal electricity. This is a specific residence price, not an average private-market rent (Studierendenwerk tariff (opens in a new tab)).

What student jobs can I find in Ingolstadt?

Examples include working-student roles in e-commerce, digital marketing and customer operations at MediaMarktSaturn, plus university assistant opportunities through KU. Availability, campus location and language requirements must be checked for each role (MediaMarktSaturn careers (opens in a new tab), KU careers (opens in a new tab)).

Can I use the Deutschlandticket between Ingolstadt and Munich?

Yes, on eligible regional trains in second class; it does not cover ICE, IC or EC trains. It also does not cover Ingolstadt’s direct Airport Express bus to Munich Airport (VGI ticket rules (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 Ingolstadt?

Open the map on Ingolstadt: every university, every course, filtered by degree, subject, language and cost — free.

Find a course in Ingolstadt
Find a course in Ingolstadt