# Study in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany > 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. **Find a course:** https://app.whereismyuni.com/dashboard/map?area=NW ## Cost of living - Rent: ≈ €714 (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). - 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 - **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. ## 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. ## Sources - [MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln)](https://www.iwkoeln.de/studien/michael-voigtlaender-christian-oberst-philipp-deschermeier-mlp-studentenwohnreport-2026.html) - [Wikipedia — North Rhine-Westphalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Rhine-Westphalia) - [Wikipedia — Cologne Cathedral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral) - [Wikipedia — Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zollverein_Coal_Mine_Industrial_Complex) - [Wikipedia — Aachen Cathedral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aachen_Cathedral) - [Wikipedia — Gamescom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamescom) --- Published by [Where Is My Uni?](https://whereismyuni.com) — every German university on one map. Canonical page: https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/north-rhine-westphalia. Last updated November 2026. [How we research](https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/how-we-research).