In short
Essen has 4 universities and colleges offering 471 degree courses (202 Bachelor's, 239 Master's), and 27% 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.
Essen is the Ruhr area in a nutshell: industrial heritage turned into museums and parks, big company headquarters and a down-to-earth, mixed population. The University of Duisburg-Essen is one of Germany's largest universities, and Folkwang University of the Arts trains musicians, dancers and designers. You can reach a dozen other cities by train in under an hour.
Universities in Essen
Every university and college in Essen in our catalogue, biggest first.
- Website of Universität Duisburg-Essen (opens in a new tab)
Universität Duisburg-Essen
University 359 courses
FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management
University of applied sciences 63 courses
- Website of Folkwang University of the Arts (opens in a new tab)
Folkwang University of the Arts
Art & music college 42 courses
- Website of Hochschule der bildenden Künste (HBK) Essen (opens in a new tab)
Hochschule der bildenden Künste (HBK) Essen
Art & music college 7 courses
Cost of living
What studying in Essen 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
- Essen is not in the MLP rent study, but Ruhr cities are generally cheaper than Cologne or Düsseldorf; neighbouring Bochum is the cheapest western city in that study (≈ €448).
- The University of Duisburg-Essen has two campuses about 20 minutes apart by train; check where your programme is taught before choosing a flat.
- Rüttenscheid ("Rü") is the popular area for cafés and bars; the south of the city is green and close to the lake.
Industries & employers
Big names that hire graduates, and offer internships and working-student jobs, in and around Essen.
E.ON
Energy
One of Europe's largest energy-network operators, headquartered in Essen.
RWE
Energy
Power producer investing heavily in renewables, headquartered in Essen.
thyssenkrupp
Industrial
Steel and industrial group, headquartered in Essen.
Evonik
Chemicals
Specialty-chemicals group headquartered in Essen.
Aldi Nord
Retail
The discount supermarket chain is headquartered in Essen.
Culture & people
For more than a century Essen lived from coal and steel; the last mines in the region closed in 2018. People in the Ruhr are known for being straightforward and welcoming, and the region is one of the most diverse in Germany. The local dialect, Ruhrdeutsch, is blunt and friendly.
Industrial sites now host concerts, museums and festivals, and the south of the city around the Baldeneysee is surprisingly green. Essen was European Green Capital in 2017. Currywurst and football (Rot-Weiss Essen) are serious matters here.
Events & festivals
Essen.Original
Late summer
Free city-centre festival with music and street performance on several stages.
SPIEL Essen
October
The world's largest fair for board games, at Messe Essen.
Essen Light Weeks
Nov – Dec
Light installations across the city centre during the Christmas season.
ExtraSchicht
June
A Ruhr-wide night of industrial culture, including at Zollverein.
Places to see
Zollverein
UNESCO
A former colliery, now home to the Ruhr Museum and Red Dot Design Museum.
Baldeneysee
Lake
A reservoir on the Ruhr river for swimming, sailing and cycling.
Villa Hügel
Villa
The Krupp family's former mansion above the lake.
Museum Folkwang
Museum
Major art museum with permanent-collection entry free.
Grugapark
Park
A large park and botanical garden in the south of the city.
Getting around
Essen's light rail, trams and buses (Ruhrbahn) and the regional S-Bahn and RE trains are covered by the Deutschland-Semesterticket, included in the semester contribution at public universities. Essen Hauptbahnhof is an ICE hub, Düsseldorf Airport is about half an hour away by train, and Duisburg, Bochum and Dortmund are each a short regional train ride away.
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Essen, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Essen: FAQ
Which universities are in Essen?
Essen has 4 universities in our catalogue: the University of Duisburg-Essen, one of Germany's largest universities, Folkwang University of the Arts and the HBK Essen art school.
Can I study in English in Essen?
Yes, partly: 27% of Essen's 471 degree courses are taught in English or bilingually, many of them Master's programmes at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Is Essen expensive for students?
Essen is not covered by the MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026, but rents in the Ruhr area are generally lower than in Cologne or Düsseldorf; nearby Bochum is the cheapest city in western Germany in that study.
Do I pay tuition fees in Essen?
No. Public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia charge no tuition for EU or non-EU students; you pay only the semester contribution.
Which companies hire students in Essen?
E.ON, RWE, thyssenkrupp, Evonik and Aldi Nord are all headquartered in Essen and offer internships and working-student jobs.
More guides in North Rhine-Westphalia
Sources
- Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, UNESCO (opens in a new tab)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (opens in a new tab)
- Essen.Original and Ruhr festivals overview (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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