Skip to content
Where Is My Uni?
All guides

Study in Leverkusen

Leverkusen is an industrial city shaped by the chemical sector.

Find a course nearbyJump to key facts
Schloss Morsbroich in Leverkusen-Alkenrath
Photo: TipFox (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Leverkusen is a district-free city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 168,581 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). There is no university in Leverkusen itself; the nearest is ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln in Köln, about 9 km away. Summers average 19.3 °C and winters 4.3 °C, with about 1,020 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Leverkusen in numbers

Population

168,581Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

78.87 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

2,137Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

NoneWhere Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

Nearest university

ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln, KölnWhere Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

About 9 km away in a straight line

Typical student rent

€465–486 per monthSource (opens in a new tab)

Published total monthly rent for the apartment category at Bahnstadtchaussee 29, Leverkusen-Opladen, in Kölner Studierendenwerk's price schedule effective April 2025. This is a residence-specific figure, not a citywide average or confirmation of a current vacancy.

Average temperature

11.6 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

1,020 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Sunshine

1,587 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

33 a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

About Leverkusen

Leverkusen lies between Cologne and Düsseldorf in the Rhine corridor. Everyday life is spread across several centres: Wiesdorf is the main shopping centre, while Opladen and Schlebusch have their own shops and services (city guide (opens in a new tab), WFL Leverkusen (opens in a new tab)).

Chemical industry is central to the city's working life: Currenta operates the Leverkusen CHEMPARK, and Covestro has production, research and administrative activities here. Away from the industrial sites, Neuland-Park provides gardens and outdoor exercise areas near the Rhine (Currenta (opens in a new tab), Covestro (opens in a new tab), City of Leverkusen (opens in a new tab)).

Neighbourhoods

Nearest universities

No university in Leverkusen itself — these are the nearest (straight-line distance).

No university is listed within Leverkusen in the supplied Where Is My Uni? catalogue; its nearest listed institutions are in Cologne, including ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln and Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. Leverkusen is therefore worth considering as a commuting base for those institutions: DB lists some direct journeys from Leverkusen Mitte to Köln Hbf taking approximately 12–15 minutes, before onward travel to your teaching building (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)). Compare the complete journey from each prospective room, including evening services. This may suit students who want access to Cologne while living near local industrial employers or Opladen's pubs and concert venues (Currenta (opens in a new tab), city nightlife guide (opens in a new tab)).

  • ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln

    Köln · 9 km away · 3 courses

  • Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln

    Köln · 12 km away · 54 courses

  • Katholische Hochschule Nordrhein-Westfalen - Catholic University of Applied Sciences

    Köln · 12 km away · 22 courses

  • Kolping Hochschule

    Köln · 12 km away · 13 courses

  • Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln

    Köln · 13 km away · 1 courses

Find a course nearby

Housing

Start looking early. The city's 2025 housing report describes a strained rental market, with particular difficulty finding affordable accommodation on a low income. Leverkusen should not be treated as an automatically easy housing alternative to Cologne (Leverkusen housing report (opens in a new tab)). There is purpose-built student accommodation at Bahnstadtchaussee 29 in Opladen (Kölner Studierendenwerk (opens in a new tab)).

The typical student rent we found, and what that figure covers, is in the key facts.

How to find a place

Student residences

Cost of living

Two useful budget anchors are the €465–486 monthly apartment rents published for Bahnstadtchaussee 29 from April 2025 and the standard Deutschlandticket price of €63 per month in 2026 (Studierendenwerk price schedule (opens in a new tab), VRS (opens in a new tab)). Check whether your university already provides a semester transport ticket before buying another subscription. For private accommodation, distinguish Kaltmiete from the total payment including bills. No reliable like-for-like student budget comparison with Cologne was established, so compare actual offers rather than assuming a fixed saving.

Jobs & employers

The local economy offers a clear connection to chemicals, materials and industrial services. Covestro's Leverkusen site combines research, production and administration, while Currenta advertises working-student roles, internships and thesis opportunities across its business (Covestro (opens in a new tab), Currenta student careers (opens in a new tab)). For casual work, Bayer 04's careers page also points to hospitality and stadium-catering opportunities; some of these are employed through partner companies (Bayer 04 careers (opens in a new tab)).

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

Local wupsi buses connect neighbourhoods with the city's centres and rail interchanges; the operator also provides rental bikes (City of Leverkusen (opens in a new tab)). DB lists selected direct Leverkusen Mitte–Köln Hbf journeys at approximately 12–15 minutes, while the RB48 connects Opladen and Leverkusen-Manfort with Cologne (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab), RB48 timetable (opens in a new tab)). These are station-to-station journeys: allow additional time for your campus. Check live departures, particularly during engineering work; VRS lists disruption affecting the RE1, RE5 and S6 corridor through 4 December 2026 (VRS service information (opens in a new tab)). The Deutschlandticket covers second-class local and regional public transport (VRS ticket information (opens in a new tab)).

Main stations
Nearest airport

Cologne Bonn Airport

A public-transport route is via Köln Hbf, changing to the S19 for the airport. Check the complete connection for your travel date (DB airport guide (opens in a new tab)).

Weather & seasons

Long-term averages from the German Weather Service station Köln-Stammheim (8 km from the district centre), 1991–2020.

Winter

4.3 °C

92 mm rain a month

1.8 h sun a day

Spring

11.4 °C

68 mm rain a month

5.4 h sun a day

Summer

19.3 °C

91 mm rain a month

6.7 h sun a day

Autumn

11.7 °C

88 mm rain a month

3.4 h sun a day

Expect relatively mild but damp winters, brighter spring days and warm summers with occasional hot spells. Rain remains relevant throughout the year, so a waterproof layer is useful for walking or cycling to transport stops. Neuland-Park offers outdoor exercise and garden walks when the weather suits, while November brings the Jazztage concert programme (City of Leverkusen (opens in a new tab), EVL (opens in a new tab)).

Culture, language & food

Local social life includes neighbourhood carnival societies and a strong pub tradition. Opladen's Neustadt is a particular focus for going out, while Scala and Topos provide live music. Expect a social scene built around pubs, clubs and events rather than assuming every neighbourhood has student nightlife (city carnival guide (opens in a new tab), city nightlife guide (opens in a new tab)).

Football and industrial history are visible parts of local identity through Bayer 04 and the preserved scythe-making works at Freudenthaler Sensenhammer. Contemporary art has a home at Schloss Morsbroich (Bayer 04 (opens in a new tab), Sensenhammer (opens in a new tab), Schloss Morsbroich (opens in a new tab)).

English-language housing information is available from Kölner Studierendenwerk, which is useful when arranging your move (Studierendenwerk (opens in a new tab)). Do not assume every landlord, workplace or appointment can operate in English. As a practical learning target, aim for B1–B2 German to handle housing conversations and widen your job options; this is advice, not a verified local employment or admission requirement. Check your programme's teaching language separately.

Local food

Places & events

Places to see

  • Schloss Morsbroich

    Art museum

    A baroque palace housing contemporary art, with further exhibitions in its historic outbuildings (city guide (opens in a new tab)).

  • Neuland-Park

    Nature

    Gardens, lawns and outdoor exercise facilities near the Rhine, useful for a walk or a break from studying (City of Leverkusen (opens in a new tab)).

  • Freudenthaler Sensenhammer

    Industrial museum

    A former scythe factory in Schlebusch, with exhibitions about production and workers' lives, plus scheduled forging demonstrations (city guide (opens in a new tab)).

Events

  • Neuland-Park viewed from the west-southwest

    Neuland-Park viewed from the west-southwest

  • Front of the Freudenthaler Sensenhammer industrial museum in Schlebusch

    Front of the Freudenthaler Sensenhammer industrial museum in Schlebusch

Student experiences

First-hand posts from students in Leverkusen, read by our team before they appear.

Loading experiences…

Share your experience

Our team reads every post before it appears. Please don't include contact details.

At least 40 characters. 0/2000

Studying in Leverkusen: FAQ

Is Leverkusen a good place to live as a student?

It can suit students who are comfortable commuting: selected direct trains from Leverkusen Mitte reach Köln Hbf in approximately 12–15 minutes, with campus travel still to add. Opladen also has an established pub and live-music scene (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab), city nightlife guide (opens in a new tab)).

How do I get from Leverkusen to Cologne for university?

Use direct trains from Leverkusen Mitte or the RB48 from Opladen and Leverkusen-Manfort, then continue to your teaching building. Check current departures and engineering notices before relying on a particular journey (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab), RB48 timetable (opens in a new tab)).

Is Leverkusen cheap for students?

Do not assume accommodation will be easy to find: the city's 2025 housing report describes a strained rental market. A specific benchmark is the €465–486 monthly apartment rent published for Bahnstadtchaussee 29 from April 2025, rather than a citywide student average (housing report (opens in a new tab), Studierendenwerk prices (opens in a new tab)).

Are there student residences in Leverkusen?

Yes. Kölner Studierendenwerk operates Bahnstadtchaussee 29 in Opladen, offering furnished apartments and a two-person shared flat; check eligibility and availability with the operator (official residence page (opens in a new tab)).

What student jobs can I find in Leverkusen?

Currenta provides a route into working-student roles and internships in industrial services. Bayer 04's careers page also links to matchday hospitality and stadium-catering opportunities through partner employers (Currenta (opens in a new tab), Bayer 04 careers (opens in a new tab)).

Can I live in Leverkusen without a car?

It is worth considering, particularly if your accommodation has a convenient connection to Leverkusen Mitte or Opladen. wupsi operates local buses and rental bikes, and the Deutschlandticket covers second-class local and regional public transport (City of Leverkusen (opens in a new tab), VRS (opens in a new tab)).

More guides

Sources & photo credits

Last updated November 2026. Population and area: Destatis. Weather: Deutscher Wetterdienst. Universities and courses: our catalogue. Everything else was researched from the sources below and checked — how we research these guides.

Sources

Photo credits

Ready to find your course in Leverkusen?

Open the map on Leverkusen: every university, every course, filtered by degree, subject, language and cost — free.

Find a course nearby
Find a course nearby