Bielefeld University
Universität Bielefeld
A 1969 reform university where almost every faculty sits under one giant roof and tuition is free.
- Students
- 25,000
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1969
- QS World Ranking
- 1001-1200
- 2027 edition
About Bielefeld
Bielefeld University opened on 17 November 1969 and was conceived as a 'reform university': the plan was to overhaul German higher education by tying teaching closely to research and by encouraging disciplines to work across boundaries. It calls itself a full university (Volluniversität) with 14 faculties covering the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, technology and, more recently, medicine. The university's own figures (31 December 2024) give about 25,000 students.
Its guiding idea is 'Transcending Boundaries'. Research is grouped into four thematic research worlds: inequality and uncertainty in a changing world; structures and complexity in a material world; mathematics applied to economics and the natural sciences; and intelligent systems and inclusive AI. The Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), founded on an idea of the sociologist Helmut Schelsky, hosts visiting research groups from many fields.
Most Bachelor's courses are taught in German, so international undergraduates need German at roughly C1 level. A range of Master's programmes and international tracks are taught in English, including Data Science, Mathematics, Quantitative Economics and Linguistics. Tuition is not charged; students pay a semester fee that includes a travel ticket valid across North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond. The university suits students who want a research-oriented, interdisciplinary programme in a mid-sized German city.
Why students choose Bielefeld
No tuition fees: the university states that only a semester fee (EUR 351.65 for winter 2026/27) is payable, and it includes a semester ticket.
Its Bachelor's model allows wide combinations of subjects and a broad catalogue of elective courses, with a uniform module system.
English-taught Master's programmes and international tracks such as Data Science, Mathematics, Quantitative Economics and Sustainable Chemistry need no German.
The interdisciplinary Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) and four cross-faculty research worlds give students access to research that crosses subject lines.
Admissions
Winter semester 2026/27 and summer semester 2026 deadlines (latest published)
Selectivity
Germany has no single admit rate. Programmes with a numerus clausus (NC) are competitive and admit by grade; programmes without NC are open and require only that the entry qualification is recognised. Bielefeld does not publish an overall acceptance rate.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school certificate | Must be assessed as equivalent to the German Abitur through a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist; Fachhochschulreife does not entitle to study at Bielefeld University |
|---|---|
| Studienkolleg or TestAS route | If your certificate is not directly recognised: Studienkolleg Feststellungsprüfung, or TestAS (standard score of at least 90) plus VPD, or the DAAD programme VORsprung (STEM Bachelor's) |
| German language for German-taught Bachelor's | TestDaF TDN 4 in all four parts (or total 16 with TDN 4 in writing), DSH-2 or DSH-3, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule (befriedigend), Goethe-Zertifikat C2, or DSD II |
| English language | Bachelor's courses are taught in German, so German is the main requirement. For English-language Master's programmes and international tracks, the university asks for English at CEFR level B2 under its own guidelines; British and American Studies (MA) asks for TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 7.0 unless English is the first language. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2026 (previous cycle), programmes with NC Non-binding Passed1 December 2025 to 15 January 2026
Previous cycle (SuSe 2026); the same pattern is expected but the 2027 dates were not yet published.
- Summer semester 2026 (previous cycle), programmes without NC Non-binding Passed1 December 2025 to 15 May 2026
Previous cycle (SuSe 2026).
- Winter semester 2026/27 (previous cycle), programmes with NC Non-binding Passed1 June to 15 July 2026
Previous cycle (WiSe 2026/27); VPD from uni-assist needed first. Dates for winter 2027/28 were not yet published.
- Winter semester 2026/27 (previous cycle), programmes without NC Non-binding Next deadline · In 40 days1 June to 15 November 2026
WiSe 2026/27 window; enrolment for open-admission programmes is possible until 15 November.
These are the most recent dates published on the university's dates and deadlines page (winter semester 2026/27 and summer semester 2026). Dates for 2027 entry were not yet published when checked, so treat them as the previous cycle and confirm on the page. Some subjects are allocated through hochschulstart.de (DoSV) and follow that platform's deadlines.
How to apply
International Bachelor's applicants with a foreign qualification first request a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist, then apply through Bielefeld's application portal within the deadlines. Some programmes are allocated through the DoSV procedure and require registration at hochschulstart.de. After admission, you enrol online, upload documents and show proof of health insurance through the electronic M10 procedure. Applicants without a German-taught entrance qualification also prove German language skills.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification recognised as equivalent to the German Abitur, confirmed by uni-assist.
- Proof of German at roughly C1 level for German-taught programmes.
- For NC programmes, a competitive grade; for programmes without NC, a complete and timely application.
- For English-taught Master's programmes, subject-specific prior degrees and English at B2 or higher.
Tips for applying to Bielefeld
- 1 Start the uni-assist VPD request before the Bielefeld deadline, because Bielefeld will not process a foreign-certificate Bachelor's application without it.
- 2 Check whether your programme has NC: the application window is much shorter (to 15 July for winter) for NC programmes than for programmes without NC (to 15 November).
- 3 Consider the TestAS or VORsprung route if your certificate does not directly qualify you for university entry.
- 4 Request the electronic M10 health insurance notification (sender number H0000644) early; paper certificates are not sufficient for enrolment.
- 5 If you lack German, you can enrol as a language course student while you prepare.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
There are no tuition fees to cover. The university points international students to scholarships such as the Studienfonds OWL, DAAD and Stipendiumplus, degree-completion scholarships twice a year, and scholarships for students with a refugee background. The AStA student union offers social loans and can refund the semester fee in financial hardship.
- EUR 351.65 (Germany-wide semester ticket EUR 226.80, Studierendenwerk EUR 106.00, general contribution EUR 18.85)
- Semester fee, winter 2026/27
- About EUR 2.70 (university estimate)
- Canteen meal
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters: winter 1 October to 31 March (courses 12 October 2026 to 5 February 2027) and summer 1 April to 30 September
Data Science (MSc)
Taught in English with no German required; always needs a VPD via uni-assist.
Quantitative Economics (MSc) and Mathematical Economics (MSc)
English-taught Master's programmes that draw on Bielefeld's mathematics research world.
Physics (International Track) (MSc)
An international track that does not require German.
World Studies: Orders, Politics, Cultures (MA)
Interdisciplinary English-language Master's programme listed among the international offerings.
Medicine (State examination)
Delivered by the Medical School OWL, which is expanding on the new Campus South.
Research
- Four research worlds: inequality and uncertainty, structures and complexity in a material world, mathematics, and intelligent systems and inclusive AI.
- The Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), which the university describes as embodying its 'Transcending Boundaries' principle.
- Medical School OWL, with new buildings (anatomy building R6, teaching building R5) on the growing Campus South.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Faculty of Educational Science
- Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology
- School of Public Health
- Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies
- Faculty of Mathematics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Sociology
- Faculty of Business Administration and Economics
- Faculty of Technology
- Medical School OWL
Student life
Bielefeld's campus is dominated by a single large main building that houses most faculties, the library and the main hall, so students from different subjects cross paths daily. The university describes itself as family-friendly and open to diversity, and it lists services such as career counselling, language courses and a student app. The semester fee includes a ticket for regional travel, which makes trips around North Rhine-Westphalia cheap. A large modernisation of the main building is under way, and a Campus South is being built towards the Teutoburg Forest.
- The semester fee includes the Germany-wide semester ticket and NRW-Ticket.
- The main building is being modernised in stages, with the first phase completed in 2024.
- University canteen meals cost about EUR 2.70 according to the university.
- German summer courses and the PunktUm service are listed as language-learning options for international students.
- The university sports service and AStA student union run social and welfare support.
Housing. Studierendenwerk halls of residence start at about EUR 260 a month, and private rooms and flats are usually EUR 260 to 390 a month according to the university's estimate.
Location
Bielefeld is a city in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia. The university sits on the western side of the city next to the Teutoburg Forest, about ten minutes by tram (line 4) from the city centre according to Wikipedia. Intercity trains between Cologne/Bonn and Berlin stop regularly in Bielefeld. It is a mid-sized, green and relatively affordable place to study compared with larger German cities.
Nearest airport: Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport (PAD), the closest regional airport
Notable alumni
- CK Claudia KemfertEnergy economist at the German Institute for Economic Research; studied economics at Bielefeld
- SL Sabine Leutheusser-SchnarrenbergerFormer German Federal Minister of Justice (FDP); studied law in Göttingen and Bielefeld
- MB Marieluise BeckFormer Green member of the Bundestag; studied history and sociology in Bielefeld and Heidelberg
- KD Kerstin DautenhahnSocial robotics researcher at the University of Waterloo; diploma in biology from Bielefeld in 1990
- DW Detlef WeigelDevelopmental and evolutionary biologist; undergraduate studies in biology and chemistry at Bielefeld and Cologne
- RK Rüdiger KrechSenior official at the World Health Organization; earned his MPH and DrPH at Bielefeld
Frequently asked questions
Does Bielefeld University charge tuition fees?
No. The university states that tuition fees are no longer charged, so degree students pay only a semester fee, EUR 351.65 for winter 2026/27, which includes a semester ticket.
Do international students need uni-assist to apply to Bielefeld?
Yes for Bachelor's degrees, the first state examination in law and the Data Science MSc: applicants with a foreign qualification must first request a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist.
What language do I need to study at Bielefeld?
Most courses are in German, so German-taught programmes require proof such as TestDaF TDN 4 in all parts, DSH-2 or telc C1 Hochschule. English-taught Master's programmes and international tracks need English at roughly B2 instead.
What is Bielefeld University's acceptance rate?
It does not publish one. Programmes with a numerus clausus admit by grade and are competitive; programmes without NC are open to applicants with a recognised qualification.
What are the application deadlines?
For winter semester 2026/27 the window was 1 June to 15 July 2026 for NC programmes and 1 June to 15 November 2026 for programmes without NC. Dates for 2027 entry were not yet published, so check the university's deadlines page.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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