# Study in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia > 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. **Find a course:** https://app.whereismyuni.com/dashboard/map?area=NW&city=Essen ## 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. - 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 - **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. ## 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. ## Sources - [Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/975) - [University of Duisburg-Essen](https://www.uni-due.de) - [Essen.Original and Ruhr festivals overview](https://rausgegangen.de/en/blog/the-best-festivals-in-the-ruhr-area) - [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/essen. Last updated November 2026. 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