# Study in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

> 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.

**Find a course:** https://app.whereismyuni.com/dashboard/map?area=NW&city=Dortmund

## Cost of living

- Rent: no figure in the 2026 rent study
- 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 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

- **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.

## 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.

## Sources

- [TU Dortmund University](https://www.tu-dortmund.de)
- [Juicy Beats festival](https://www.juicybeats.net/en/news/juicy-beats-2026-is-happening/)
- [MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026 (IW Köln)](https://www.iwkoeln.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Studien/Gutachten/PDF/2026/MLP_Studentenwohnreport_2026.pdf)

---

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/dortmund. Last updated November 2026. [How we research](https://whereismyuni.com/study-in/how-we-research).