Skip to content
Where Is My Uni?
All guides

Study in Soest district

Soest is a Westphalian district of historic towns, university campuses, farmland and lakeside escapes, with student bases in Soest and Lippstadt.

Find a course in SoestJump to key facts
View across the Großer Teich in Soest
Photo: Arnoldius (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Soest is a rural district (Landkreis) in North Rhine-Westphalia with 300,297 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). It has 2 universities: South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (Soest), Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (Lippstadt). Summers average 18 °C and winters 3 °C, with about 745 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Soest district in numbers

Population

300,297Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

1,328.64 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

226Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

2Where Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences

Typical student rent

€357.14 per monthSource (opens in a new tab)

Warm rent listed for Kasernenweg 7 in Soest by Studierendenwerk Dortmund on its undated residence page, checked November 2026. The page lists single apartments and two-person shared flats without separate prices; this is a residence price, not a town-wide average.

Average temperature

10.3 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

745 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Sunshine

1,593 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

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

About Soest district

Kreis Soest combines the fertile farmland of the Hellweg Börde with the hillier landscape towards the Sauerland. Soest is the district seat; Lippstadt is its largest town. Think of it as several distinct towns and rural communities rather than one continuous urban area. (District background (opens in a new tab))

Soest’s old town is known for half-timbered houses, green sandstone churches and surviving fortifications. Lippstadt adds contemporary light installations beside its waterways, while the Möhnesee reservoir offers a different setting for a day away from campus. (City of Soest (opens in a new tab), Lippstadt light promenade (opens in a new tab), Möhnesee tourism (opens in a new tab))

Main towns

Universities here

Universities in Soest district, biggest first.

The district has university campuses in both Soest and Lippstadt: South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences in Soest and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences in Lippstadt. Start your housing search in the town where your course is taught. (South Westphalia housing guidance (opens in a new tab), HSHL student information (opens in a new tab)) The RB89 connects the two towns with Hamm and Paderborn, making rail commuting an option; allow separately for travel between the station and campus. (Eurobahn (opens in a new tab)) This is worth considering if you prefer a smaller campus-town setting and are happy to organise social life around fellow students and local activities.

Find a course in Soest

Housing

Do not assume that a smaller town means an immediately available student room. Studierendenwerk Paderborn, which operates accommodation in Lippstadt, publishes a general waiting time of one to two semesters across its housing service; this is not a Lippstadt-specific guarantee. Apply early and search privately alongside your application. (Studierendenwerk Paderborn (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

A concrete housing benchmark is the €357.14 monthly warm rent published for Kasernenweg 7 in Soest. (Studierendenwerk Dortmund (opens in a new tab)) For transport, the standard Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month in 2026. (RLG (opens in a new tab)) Before buying it separately, check your enrolment package: HSHL includes a Deutschlandsemesterticket in its semester contribution. (HSHL (opens in a new tab)) Budget separately for food, health insurance, your deposit and any utilities excluded from the rental agreement. There is insufficient comparable local evidence here to quantify savings against a large German city.

Jobs & employers

The district offers industrial and technical employment alongside business services. Infineon’s Warstein site explicitly offers internships, working-student positions and thesis opportunities; FORVIA HELLA also maintains student recruitment routes. These are useful starting points for relevant experience alongside an applied-sciences degree. (Infineon careers (opens in a new tab), FORVIA HELLA student careers (opens in a new tab)) HSHL’s job portal lets you search for part-time work, internships and project or thesis placements by subject or location. (HSHL job portal (opens in a new tab))

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

The RB89 links Soest, Bad Sassendorf, Lippstadt and Geseke with Hamm and Paderborn. (Eurobahn RB89 (opens in a new tab)) As timetable examples, allow about 11 minutes from Soest to Lippstadt on RB89, 18 minutes from Soest to Hamm on RB89, and 50 minutes from Soest to Dortmund on RB59; these are station-to-station times, before campus transfers. (DB Soest timetable (opens in a new tab)) Lippstadt–Paderborn regional services take approximately 14–25 minutes. (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)) The Deutschlandticket covers ordinary local buses and second-class regional trains, but generally excludes IC, EC and ICE services. (RLG (opens in a new tab)) For a village address, check the complete weekday and evening journey before signing a lease.

Main stations
Nearest airport

Paderborn–Lippstadt Airport and Dortmund Airport

Compare both airports against your actual address. Paderborn–Lippstadt Airport lists its distance from Lippstadt as 26 km; public transport runs via Paderborn Hbf, with the S60 airport bus taking about 20 minutes. (Airport access (opens in a new tab)) Dortmund Airport can be reached using RB59 to Holzwickede and the AirportShuttle; the airport publishes separate shuttle-ticket arrangements. (Eurobahn (opens in a new tab), Dortmund Airport (opens in a new tab))

Weather & seasons

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

Winter

3 °C

58 mm rain a month

1.8 h sun a day

Spring

9.9 °C

52 mm rain a month

5.5 h sun a day

Summer

18 °C

76 mm rain a month

6.7 h sun a day

Autumn

10.4 °C

62 mm rain a month

3.4 h sun a day

Expect cool winters, changeable spring weather and generally mild summers with occasional hot days. Rain is possible throughout the year, so waterproof layers are useful for walking or cycling to class. Spring is a good time to explore Soest’s ramparts during the blossom season. (City of Soest (opens in a new tab)) Autumn brings an especially noticeable local occasion when the Allerheiligenkirmes takes over Soest’s centre in November. (City of Soest (opens in a new tab))

Culture, language & food

Local identity is visible in public traditions: Soest’s Allerheiligenkirmes brings fairground rides into the old town, while Werl remains a destination for Marian pilgrimage. These offer very different ways to get to know the area beyond campus. (City of Soest (opens in a new tab), Werl pilgrimage basilica (opens in a new tab))

For meeting other students, start with organised campus activities: HSHL’s welcome programme includes an AStA get-together and pub tour. (HSHL welcome programme (opens in a new tab)) Lippstadt’s light-art promenade provides another evening activity. (City of Lippstadt (opens in a new tab)) Treat this as a campus-and-town social setting; a large late-night club scene should not be your main reason for choosing it.

Do not assume that an English-taught course makes everyday arrangements English-speaking. HSHL warns that rental advertisements are usually in German and some landlords speak little or no English. (HSHL student information (opens in a new tab)) As a practical learning target, aim for B1 German for routine conversations and work towards B2 if you want more confidence with applications and workplace communication; these are recommendations, not universal admission or employment requirements.

Local food

  • Soester Pumpernickel

    A dark rye bread strongly associated with Soest; its long, low-temperature baking gives it a characteristic sweetness. (Soest tourism (opens in a new tab))

  • Soester Bullenauge

    A local alcoholic speciality combining mocha liqueur with cream, particularly associated with the Allerheiligenkirmes. (Soest tourism (opens in a new tab))

Places & events

Places to see

Events

  • Lippstadt town hall and its surroundings

    Lippstadt town hall and its surroundings

  • Aerial view of the Möhnesee dam from the reservoir side

    Aerial view of the Möhnesee dam from the reservoir side

Student experiences

First-hand posts from students in Soest district, 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 Soest district: FAQ

Is Soest district a good place to live as a student?

It is worth considering if your course is based in Soest or Lippstadt and you prefer a smaller-town setting. Living in your campus town is the simplest starting point; the RB89 also links both towns with Hamm and Paderborn. (Eurobahn (opens in a new tab))

Is there a university in Soest district?

Yes. South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences has a campus in Soest, and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences has a campus in Lippstadt. (South Westphalia University (opens in a new tab), HSHL (opens in a new tab))

How long is the train journey from Soest to Lippstadt?

The published DB timetable shows RB89 journeys of approximately 11 minutes between Soest and Lippstadt stations. Add the journey to your campus and check live services before travelling. (DB timetable (opens in a new tab))

Is Soest expensive for students?

Studierendenwerk Dortmund lists a monthly warm rent of €357.14 for its Kasernenweg 7 residence in Soest, checked November 2026. This is a specific dormitory price, not an average private-market rent or a complete student budget. (Residence page (opens in a new tab))

What student jobs are available in Soest district?

Technical internships and working-student positions are recruitment routes at Infineon in Warstein and FORVIA HELLA. Search by location and check current requirements rather than assuming a vacancy is available. (Infineon (opens in a new tab), FORVIA HELLA (opens in a new tab))

Can I commute from Lippstadt to Paderborn?

Yes. Deutsche Bahn lists direct regional journeys taking approximately 14–25 minutes between Lippstadt and Paderborn Hbf. Travel from the main station to your university adds time. (Deutsche Bahn (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 Soest district?

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

Find a course in Soest
Find a course in Soest