In short
Dortmund has 3 universities and colleges offering 249 degree courses (113 Bachelor's, 136 Master's), and 38% of them are taught in English or bilingually. 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 International School of Management is private and charges fees.
Dortmund is a large, unpretentious city in the eastern Ruhr area, where football is close to a religion. TU Dortmund University is strong in engineering, computer science and logistics, and FH Dortmund adds practical degrees. Life is more affordable than on the Rhine, and the whole Ruhr region is on your doorstep.
Universities in Dortmund
Every university and college in Dortmund in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of TU Dortmund University (opens in a new tab)
TU Dortmund University
University 150 courses
- Website of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (opens in a new tab)
Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts
University of applied sciences 57 courses
- Website of International School of Management (ISM) (opens in a new tab)
International School of Management (ISM)
University of applied sciences 42 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Dortmund costs, from the latest figures we could source.
- Rent for a student flat
- No figure yetNot covered by the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 — check the local Studierendenwerk.
- 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
- Dortmund is not in the MLP rent study, but Ruhr cities are generally cheaper than Cologne or Düsseldorf; neighbouring Bochum is about €448 for a 30 m² flat (MLP 2026).
- TU Dortmund's campus is outside the centre, connected by the H-Bahn suspended monorail and S-Bahn.
- Tickets for Borussia Dortmund home games sell out fast; the university sports clubs and local amateur clubs are the easier way into football culture.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Dortmund.
Signal Iduna
Insurance
Insurance group with headquarters in Dortmund and Hamburg.
adesso
IT services
IT consultancy headquartered in Dortmund.
Wilo
Engineering
Pump manufacturer headquartered in Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund
Sport
The listed football club employs staff in media, events and business.
Culture & people
Dortmund was built on coal, steel and beer, and it still has a working-class directness. People are friendly and informal, and the city is one of the most diverse in Germany. Football shapes the weekend rhythm, with more than 80,000 fans at home games and the Yellow Wall terrace as the city's symbol.
The Kreuzviertel near the centre is the student and café district. Industrial heritage sites such as the Zollern colliery and the Phoenix-See lake, a former steelworks, show how the city has changed.
Events & festivals
Juicy Beats
July
Electronic and pop music festival in the Westfalenpark.
ExtraSchicht
June
A Ruhr-wide night of industrial culture at former mines and steelworks.
Christmas market
Late Nov – Dec
Known for its giant Christmas tree built from hundreds of smaller trees.
Places to see
Signal Iduna Park
Football
Germany's largest football stadium, home of Borussia Dortmund.
German Football Museum
Museum
The national football museum opposite the main station.
Dortmunder U
Culture
A former brewery building turned into a centre for art and creativity.
Phoenix-See
Lake
An artificial lake on the site of a former steelworks.
Westfalenpark
Park
Large park with the Florian TV tower and a rose garden.
Getting around
Dortmund's light rail, trams and buses (DSW21) and regional trains across the Ruhr are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket, included in the semester contribution at public universities. The main station is an ICE hub, Dortmund Airport has budget flights and is linked by express bus, and Düsseldorf Airport is about an hour away by train.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Dortmund, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Dortmund: FAQ
Which universities are in Dortmund?
Dortmund has 3 universities in our catalogue: TU Dortmund University, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FH Dortmund) and the private International School of Management (ISM).
Can I study in English in Dortmund?
Partly: 38% of Dortmund's 249 degree courses are taught in English or bilingually, mainly Master's programmes.
Is Dortmund expensive for students?
Dortmund is not covered by the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026, but Ruhr cities are among the more affordable in western Germany; neighbouring Bochum averages about €448 for a 30 m² flat.
Do I pay tuition fees in Dortmund?
Not at public universities: TU Dortmund and FH Dortmund charge no tuition for EU or non-EU students. The private ISM charges fees.
More guides in North Rhine-Westphalia
Sources
- TU Dortmund University (opens in a new tab)
- Juicy Beats festival (opens in a new tab)
- MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln) (opens in a new tab)
- University and course numbers: the Where Is My Uni? catalogue, rebuilt from official university data.
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