In short
Bielefeld has 4 universities and colleges offering 303 degree courses (162 Bachelor's, 137 Master's), and 22% of them are taught in English or bilingually. A student flat costs about €504 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. The Fachhochschule des Mittelstands is private and charges fees.
Bielefeld is a quiet, practical city with a big university and a strong economy of family-owned companies. Bielefeld University is known for sociology, history, biology and interdisciplinary research, and HSBI adds engineering, design and social work. Rents are below the middle of the 38 cities in the MLP 2026 study, and the Teutoburg Forest starts at the edge of town.
Universities in Bielefeld
Every university and college in Bielefeld in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of Bielefeld University (opens in a new tab)
Bielefeld University
University 173 courses
- Website of Hochschule Bielefeld - University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI) (opens in a new tab)
Hochschule Bielefeld - University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI)
University of applied sciences 73 courses
- Website of Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM) (opens in a new tab)
Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM)
University of applied sciences 48 courses
- Website of Fachhochschule der Diakonie - Diaconia - University of Applied Sciences (opens in a new tab)
Fachhochschule der Diakonie - Diaconia - University of Applied Sciences
University of applied sciences 9 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Bielefeld costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- ≈ €504 / 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 below the middle of the 38 cities in the MLP 2026 study: about €504 for a 30 m² flat and €427 for a shared-flat room (MLP 2026).
- The light-rail line 4 runs straight to the university and the HSBI campus next door.
- Bertelsmann and Miele are headquartered in nearby Gütersloh, a short train ride away.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Bielefeld.
Dr. Oetker
Food
The baking and frozen-pizza company is headquartered in Bielefeld.
DMG MORI
Machine tools
Machine-tool maker with its German headquarters in Bielefeld.
Schüco
Building technology
Window and façade systems maker headquartered in Bielefeld.
Bethel
Health & social care
One of Europe's largest charitable foundations, based in Bielefeld.
Culture & people
Bielefeld is famous in Germany for a joke: the "Bielefeld conspiracy" claims the city does not exist. Locals take it with humour. East Westphalians are known as reserved at first and loyal once you know them.
Bielefeld University's main building, a single huge complex holding almost every faculty, is a landmark of 1970s architecture. Students spend free time hiking and biking in the Teutoburg Forest, at the Obersee lake or in the bars of the old town and Siegfriedplatz.
Events & festivals
Leineweber-Markt
Late May / June
The region's biggest city festival, with free concerts across the centre.
Sparrenburgfest
July
A medieval festival at the Sparrenburg castle.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
Stalls across the old town and Jahnplatz.
Places to see
Sparrenburg
Castle
13th-century castle above the city with views over Bielefeld.
Teutoburg Forest
Nature
Wooded hills with the Hermannsweg hiking trail running past the city.
Kunsthalle Bielefeld
Museum
Modern art museum in a building by Philip Johnson.
Botanical Garden
Garden
A free garden on the forest slope above the city centre.
Getting around
Bielefeld's light rail and buses (moBiel) and regional trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket included in the semester contribution at public universities. ICE trains on the Berlin–Ruhr line stop at Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof, Hanover is under an hour away, and the nearest airports are Paderborn/Lippstadt, Münster/Osnabrück and Hanover.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Bielefeld, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Bielefeld: FAQ
Is Bielefeld cheap for students?
Yes, compared with most German university cities. A 30 m² student flat costs about €504 a month and a shared-flat room about €427, below the mid-range figure of about €565 across the 38 cities studied (MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026).
Which universities are in Bielefeld?
Bielefeld has 4 universities in our catalogue, including Bielefeld University, Hochschule Bielefeld (HSBI), the private Fachhochschule des Mittelstands and the Fachhochschule der Diakonie.
Can I study in English in Bielefeld?
Options are limited: 22% of Bielefeld's 303 degree courses are taught in English or bilingually, mostly Master's programmes at Bielefeld University.
Do I pay tuition fees in Bielefeld?
Not at public universities: Bielefeld University and HSBI charge no tuition for EU or non-EU students. Private universities charge fees.
More guides in North Rhine-Westphalia
Sources
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- Bielefeld University (opens in a new tab)
- Leineweber-Markt (Bielefeld Marketing) (opens in a new tab)
- Sparrenburgfest (Bielefeld Marketing) (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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