Skip to content
Where Is My Uni?
All guides

Study in North Rhine-Westphalia

Germany's most populous state, with Cologne, Aachen, Münster and the Ruhr cities a short train ride apart — and no tuition.

Find a course in North Rhine-WestphaliaRead the guide
Cologne Cathedral
Photo: Cologne Cathedral — Raimond Spekking (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0

In short

North Rhine-Westphalia has 69 universities and colleges offering 4,629 degree courses (2,107 Bachelor's, 2,343 Master's), and 25% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €714 a month (30 m² flat in Cologne incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — Public universities charge no tuition for regular degrees; you pay only the semester contribution (about €100–400, usually including the semester ticket).

Germany's most populous state: a chain of big cities along the Rhine and the Ruhr, more universities than any other state and short train hops between them. It is lively, down-to-earth and close to Amsterdam and Brussels.

University cities

Every city in North Rhine-Westphalia with a university. Cities with a guide link to it.

  • Cologne

    11 universities 668 courses 20% in English

  • Essen

    4 universities 471 courses 27% in English

  • Münster

    4 universities 457 courses 13% in English

  • Bochum

    4 universities 346 courses 29% in English

  • Bonn

    2 universities 323 courses 48% in English

  • Paderborn

    3 universities 316 courses 21% in English

  • Aachen

    2 universities 307 courses 41% in English

  • Bielefeld

    4 universities 303 courses 22% in English

  • Dortmund

    3 universities 249 courses 38% in English

  • Wuppertal

    1 university 231 courses 8% in English

  • Düsseldorf

    7 universities 229 courses 33% in English

  • Siegen

    1 university 147 courses 37% in English

  • Gelsenkirchen

    3 universities 120 courses 6% in English

  • Krefeld

    1 university 89 courses 9% in English

  • Iserlohn

    1 university 66 courses 9% in English

  • Höxter

    1 university 48 courses 17% in English

  • Sankt Augustin

    1 university 39 courses 41% in English

  • Hagen

    1 university 36 courses 3% in English

  • Bottrop

    1 university 34 courses 15% in English

  • Kleve

    1 university 34 courses 74% in English

  • Detmold

    1 university 30 courses 3% in English

  • Witten

    2 universities 29 courses 10% in English

  • Hamm

    1 university 24 courses 25% in English

  • Alfter

    1 university 22 courses 0% in English

  • Lemgo

    2 universities 6 courses 83% in English

  • Lippstadt

    1 university 2 courses 50% in English

  • Nordkirchen

    1 university 1 course 0% in English

  • Neuss

    1 university 1 course 0% in English

  • Kerpen, Rheinland

    1 university 1 course 0% in English

Cost of living

What studying in North Rhine-Westphalia costs, from the latest figures we could source.

Rent for a student flat
≈ €714 / month30 m² flat in Cologne incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026
Tuition for non-EU students
€0 / semesterPlus the semester contribution every student pays. The rules are summed up in In short.
Proof of funds for a visa
€992 / monthThe proof of funds German missions currently ask of student-visa applicants (€11,904 a year) — confirm with the German embassy or consulate handling your application.

Good to know

  • Rent varies a lot: about €714 for a 30 m² flat in Cologne but only €448 in Bochum, the cheapest student city in western Germany (MLP 2026).
  • Commuting between Rhine-Ruhr cities by train is normal for students — living in one city and studying in another is common.
  • RWTH Aachen is one of Germany's best-known engineering universities, right on the Dutch and Belgian borders.

Industries & employers

Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around North Rhine-Westphalia.

  • Bayer

    Pharma & chemicals

    Headquartered in Leverkusen, between Cologne and Düsseldorf.

  • Deutsche Telekom · DHL Group

    Telecom & logistics

    Both headquartered in Bonn.

  • E.ON · RWE

    Energy

    Both headquartered in Essen.

  • Henkel

    Consumer goods

    Headquartered in Düsseldorf.

  • Ford

    Automotive

    German headquarters and an EV plant in Cologne.

  • Rewe · Aldi

    Retail

    Rewe is based in Cologne; Aldi Nord in Essen and Aldi Süd in Mülheim an der Ruhr.

Culture & people

People in the Rhineland are known for being open and chatty — strangers talk at the bar, and the local rule 'Et hätt noch immer jot jejange' (it has always turned out fine) sums up the mood. Cologne drinks Kölsch, Düsseldorf drinks Altbier, and the rivalry is half the fun.

The Ruhr is a former coal and steel region turned into a landscape of universities, culture venues and parks in old industrial sites. Football matters everywhere — Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, Cologne and Gladbach — and carnival season brings costumes and street parties to the Rhine cities.

Events & festivals

  • Carnival in Cologne, Düsseldorf & Bonn

    11 Nov & Feb–March

    Season opens on 11.11 at 11:11; street carnival peaks with the Rose Monday parades.

  • gamescom, Cologne

    August

    The world's largest video-game trade fair, with public days for everyone.

  • ExtraSchicht

    June

    One night when dozens of mines, steelworks and industrial sites across the Ruhr open with art and music.

  • Christmas markets

    Advent

    Cologne alone has several, including one right below the cathedral.

Places to see

  • Cologne Cathedral

    UNESCO

    Germany's most-visited landmark, a Gothic cathedral that took more than 600 years to finish.

  • Hohenzollern Bridge

    Landmark

    The railway bridge over the Rhine covered in love locks, with the best view of the cathedral.

  • Zollverein, Essen

    UNESCO

    A Bauhaus-style coal mine complex, now a museum, design school and event space.

  • Prinzipalmarkt, Münster

    City

    Gabled merchant houses in Germany's bicycle capital, where the Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648.

  • Aachen Cathedral

    UNESCO

    Charlemagne's palace chapel and Germany's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord

    Park

    A former ironworks turned into a park with climbing walls, a diving gasometer and night lighting.

Getting around

NRW has Germany's densest rail network: S-Bahn and regional express trains link Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Essen, Dortmund and Bochum, often in under an hour. Practically all public universities include the Deutschland-Semesterticket in the semester contribution, so these trips are covered.

Düsseldorf and Cologne Bonn are the main airports, with Dortmund and Münster/Osnabrück for shorter routes. From Cologne, direct trains reach Brussels in under two hours and Amsterdam in under three.

Student experiences

First-hand posts from students in North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 North Rhine-Westphalia: FAQ

Do international students pay tuition in North Rhine-Westphalia?

No. Public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia charge no tuition for regular degrees, for EU and non-EU students alike; you pay only the semester contribution, which includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.

Is North Rhine-Westphalia expensive for students?

It depends on the city: a 30 m² student flat costs about €714 a month in Cologne and €663 in Münster, but only about €448 in Bochum and €504 in Bielefeld (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026).

Can I study in English in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Yes — 25% of the 4,629 degree courses listed for North Rhine-Westphalia on Where Is My Uni? are taught in English or bilingually.

How many universities are in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Where Is My Uni? lists 69 universities in North Rhine-Westphalia — more than in any other state — with 2,107 bachelor's and 2,343 master's programmes.

What is the best university city in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Cologne is the biggest student city, Aachen is the place for engineering, Münster is a relaxed cycling town with a large university, and Bochum and Dortmund offer the lowest rents.

How do I get around North Rhine-Westphalia as a student?

By train: the Deutschland-Semesterticket included at practically every public university covers S-Bahn and regional trains between all Rhine-Ruhr cities, plus local transport across Germany.

Every district in North Rhine-Westphalia

A guide to each district and district-free city in North Rhine-Westphalia: universities, housing, jobs, transport and weather.

Sources

Ready to find your course in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Open the map on North Rhine-Westphalia: every university, every course, filtered by degree, subject, language and cost — free.

Find a course in North Rhine-Westphalia
Find a course in North Rhine-Westphalia