In short
Aachen has 2 universities and colleges offering 307 degree courses (150 Bachelor's, 148 Master's), and 41% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €574 a month (30 m² flat incl. utilities, MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026). Tuition for non-EU students: €0 — Public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia charge no tuition, including for non-EU students; you pay a semester contribution that includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
Aachen is a mid-sized city dominated by students and engineers: RWTH Aachen University is one of Germany's largest technical universities and a University of Excellence, and FH Aachen adds applied engineering. The old town is compact and historic, and the Netherlands and Belgium are a bus ride away. 41% of courses are taught in English or bilingually.
Universities in Aachen
Every university and college in Aachen in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of RWTH Aachen University (opens in a new tab)
RWTH Aachen University
University 203 courses
- Website of Fachhochschule Aachen (opens in a new tab)
Fachhochschule Aachen
University of applied sciences 104 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Aachen costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €574 / month30 m² flat 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 is close to the middle of the 38 cities in the MLP 2026 study: about €574 for a 30 m² flat and €526 for a shared-flat room (MLP 2026), but the start of the winter semester is very competitive.
- Many RWTH engineering programmes are demanding from the first semester; plan your time and use the study groups.
- Try Printen, Aachen's spiced gingerbread, and cross into Maastricht or Liège for a day out.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Aachen.
Grünenthal
Pharma
Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Aachen.
Ford Research & Innovation Center
Automotive
Ford's European research centre is in Aachen.
Lindt & Sprüngli
Food
German headquarters and a large chocolate factory in Aachen.
RWTH Aachen Campus
Research & industry
Companies run joint research centres with the university on its campus.
Culture & people
Aachen was Charlemagne's favourite residence around 800, and his cathedral was Germany's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today the city is shaped by its students, who make up a large part of the population, and by its location: Dutch and Belgian neighbours, three languages and a lot of cross-border shopping.
The Pontstraße is the student street for bars and cheap food. Locals celebrate Carnival in Rhineland style, and the city's hot springs, among the warmest in Central Europe, made it a spa town for centuries.
Events & festivals
CHIO Aachen
Early summer
One of the world's leading equestrian shows, held every year in the Soers.
Charlemagne Prize
Ascension Day
International prize for services to European unity, awarded in the town hall.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
Around the cathedral and town hall, with Printen stalls everywhere.
Places to see
Aachen Cathedral
UNESCO
Charlemagne's palace chapel from around 800 and his burial place.
Town Hall and Market
Old town
Gothic town hall built on the ruins of Charlemagne's palace.
Elisenbrunnen
Spa
Classical pavilion where you can taste the warm, sulphurous spring water.
Three-Country Point
Border
Where Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium meet, on the Vaalserberg.
Lousberg
Park
Wooded hill above the city with views over Aachen.
Getting around
Aachen runs on buses (ASEAG) rather than trams; buses and regional trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket included in the semester contribution. Cologne is about 40 minutes away by ICE or regional train, high-speed trains run to Brussels, and Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports are about an hour or more by train. Buses also run across the border to Vaals, Maastricht and Eupen.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Aachen, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Aachen: FAQ
Which universities are in Aachen?
Aachen has 2 universities in our catalogue: RWTH Aachen University, one of Germany's leading technical universities and a University of Excellence, and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
Can I study in English in Aachen?
Yes. 41% of Aachen's 307 degree courses are taught in English or bilingually, especially engineering and computer science Master's programmes at RWTH.
Is Aachen expensive for students?
About average for Germany: a 30 m² student flat costs about €574 a month and a shared-flat room about €526 (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026), against a mid-range figure of about €565 across the 38 cities studied.
Do I pay tuition fees at RWTH Aachen?
No. RWTH and FH Aachen are public and charge no tuition for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution, which includes the Deutschland-Semesterticket.
Which companies hire students in Aachen?
Grünenthal, Ford's European research centre, Lindt and the many companies on the RWTH Aachen Campus hire engineering and science students as working students and interns.
More guides in North Rhine-Westphalia
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- Aachen Cathedral, UNESCO World Heritage (opens in a new tab)
- RWTH Aachen University (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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