Delft University of Technology
Technische Universiteit Delft
The Netherlands' largest technical university, founded in 1842, with world-leading engineering and architecture.
- Students
- 21,410
- International
- 35%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 14.8:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €20,563
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 1842
About TU Delft
Delft University of Technology was founded on 8 January 1842 by King William II as a Royal Academy for civil engineers, and it is now the largest university of technology in the Netherlands. Its eight faculties cover Architecture and the Built Environment; Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science; Aerospace Engineering; Applied Sciences; Civil Engineering and Geosciences; Industrial Design Engineering; Technology, Policy and Management; and Mechanical Engineering.
TU Delft is known above all for engineering and architecture: THE ranks it 16th in the world for Engineering in 2026. Most of the university sits on one campus in the south of Delft, organised around the Mekelpark promenade and the TU Delft Library, a 1997 Mecanoo building with a grass roof and a steel cone. Research facilities include flight simulators and one of Europe's largest high-voltage laboratories.
Delft suits students with strong maths and physics who want a rigorous engineering education in a small, historic canal city between Rotterdam and The Hague. Note that most Bachelor's programmes are taught in Dutch: only Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Earth, Climate and Technology, and Nanobiology are fully in English.
Challenge the Future
University motto
Why students choose TU Delft
THE ranks TU Delft 16th in the world for Engineering in 2026.
Four fully English-taught Bachelor's: Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Earth, Climate and Technology, and Nanobiology.
EU/EEA students pay the Dutch statutory fee of 2,771 euro in 2027/28.
A single technical campus with specialist facilities such as flight simulators and a large high-voltage laboratory.
Admissions
Entry in September 2027
Selectivity
Regular Bachelor's programmes admit applicants who hold a diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO with the required subjects (some after a mandatory matching activity). Four programmes are Numerus Clausus with a selection procedure and limited places: Aerospace Engineering; Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences; Clinical Technology; and Computer Science and Engineering.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary diploma | Equivalent to the Dutch pre-university VWO diploma, with programme-specific subjects: e.g. Mathematics and Physics for Aerospace Engineering; Mathematics for Computer Science and Engineering; Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology combinations for Clinical Technology |
|---|---|
| IB, European Baccalaureate, A-levels | Accepted with additional conditions set out on TU Delft's admission requirements page |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 90 For English-taught Bachelor's: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, Cambridge C1 Advanced, or TOEFL iBT 90 (tests before 21 January 2026) / band 5 on the new TOEFL scale (from 21 January 2026). IELTS Online and IELTS Indicator are not accepted. |
Deadlines
- Numerus Clausus programmes (Aerospace Engineering; Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences; Clinical Technology; Computer Science and Engineering) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027, 23:59 CET
Application window 15 October to 15 January. Selection results are announced mid-April. Non-EU/EFTA applicants can take part in placement until 15 June, EU/EFTA applicants until 15 August.
- Regular Bachelor's programmes (international diploma) Non-binding In ~6 months1 April 2027, 23:59 CEST
Application window 15 October to 1 April; the application must be complete, paid and submitted.
- Confirmation statement In ~8 months1 June 2027, 23:59 CEST
Full tuition payment is due by 1 July.
TU Delft's dates page lists recurring day-and-month deadlines for the coming intake; years here assume September 2027 entry.
How to apply
Register the programme in Studielink and complete the application in TU Delft's portal (Osiaan), uploading all documents and paying the application fee before the deadline. Numerus Clausus applicants then take part in the programme's selection procedure and may add one backup programme.
What admissions looks for
- A diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO with the exact subjects your programme requires (typically Mathematics and often Physics).
- A complete application: all documents uploaded, fee paid and submitted in both Studielink and Osiaan before the deadline; incomplete applications are not considered.
- For Numerus Clausus programmes, performance in the programme's selection procedure.
- Sufficient English (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent) for English-taught programmes.
Tips for applying to TU Delft
- 1 If you want Aerospace Engineering or Computer Science and Engineering, apply by 15 January 2027; these are selective with limited places.
- 2 Use your one backup option: a second Numerus Clausus programme by 15 January or a regular programme by 1 April.
- 3 Check the language of instruction before applying: most Delft Bachelor's are taught in Dutch, and only four are fully in English.
- 4 Take your English test early and in person; online IELTS and TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
EU/EEA students pay the statutory rate and may qualify for Dutch student finance through DUO. Students who started a TU Delft Bachelor's in 2025-26 on the institutional rate keep a transitional rate of 18,175 euro for 2026-27 and 2027-28.
- 2,694 euro
- Statutory rate 2026/27
- 19,906 euro
- Institutional Bachelor's rate 2026/27
Academics
Aerospace Engineering BSc
One of four fully English-taught Bachelor's, a Numerus Clausus programme with its own selection, and backed by facilities such as flight simulators.
Computer Science and Engineering BSc
Fully English-taught, selective (Numerus Clausus), and taught in the EEMCS faculty; THE ranks Delft 45th for Computer Science.
Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences BSc
QS ranked Delft 3rd in the world for Architecture in 2024, and Bachelor's admission is by Numerus Clausus selection.
Nanobiology BSc
One of the four fully English-taught Bachelor's, with a mandatory matching activity before enrolment.
Earth, Climate and Technology BSc
One of the four fully English-taught Bachelor's, focused on the Earth system, climate and the technology to work with them.
Research
- Europe's second-largest high-voltage laboratory and flight simulators are among the facilities THE highlights.
- The TU Delft Library, designed by Mecanoo (1997), won the Dutch National Steel Prize in 1998 and hosts the 4TU.Centre for Research Data.
- Alumnus Jaap Haartsen developed Bluetooth, and alumnus Simon van der Meer won the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Schools & faculties
- Architecture and the Built Environment
- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS)
- Aerospace Engineering (AE)
- Applied Sciences (AS)
- Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG)
- Industrial Design Engineering (IDE)
- Technology, Policy and Management (TPM)
- Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Student life
Student life in Delft combines a compact technical campus with a small canal city. The campus is organised around the car-free Mekelpark promenade, with the TU Delft Sports and Culture centre on site. Delft is small enough to cycle everywhere, and Rotterdam and The Hague are close by for bigger-city life. The grass-roofed TU Delft Library, whose sloping roof you can walk up, is the campus landmark, and the Prometheus statue at the Mekelpark entrance is the university's symbol.
- Mekelpark, an 832-metre car-free promenade, links the faculty buildings.
- The grass-roofed TU Delft Library, with its steel cone, is the campus landmark.
- The TU Delft Sports and Culture centre is on campus.
- Statue of Prometheus at the Mekelpark entrance, the university's symbol.
Location
Delft is a small, historic city of canals and brick houses in South Holland, between Rotterdam and The Hague. The TU Delft campus lies in the south of the city, a short bike ride from the old centre. Housing is tight across the region, so international students should search early.
Nearest airport: Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM)
Notable alumni
- JV Jacobus van 't HoffChemist, first Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1901)
- SV Simon van der MeerPhysicist, 1984 Nobel Prize in Physics for stochastic cooling
- JH Jaap HaartsenElectrical engineer who developed Bluetooth
- AV Adriaan van WijngaardenComputer scientist and co-designer of ALGOL
- HH Herman HertzbergerArchitect
- KV Karien van GennipDutch politician, former state secretary for economic affairs
Frequently asked questions
What is TU Delft's QS ranking for 2027?
TU Delft is listed 48th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 table, and 57th in the THE World University Rankings 2026.
Which TU Delft Bachelor's are taught in English?
Only four are fully in English: Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Earth, Climate and Technology, and Nanobiology. Other Bachelor's are taught in Dutch.
What are TU Delft's numerus fixus programmes and deadline?
Aerospace Engineering; Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences; Clinical Technology; and Computer Science and Engineering. The application deadline is 15 January (23:59 CET), and selection results come out in mid-April.
How much is tuition at TU Delft?
For 2027/28 the statutory rate for EU/EEA students is 2,771 euro and the institutional Bachelor's rate for non-EU/EEA students is 20,563 euro.
What IELTS score does TU Delft require?
IELTS Academic 6.5 overall for English-taught Bachelor's programmes, or TOEFL iBT 90 (older scale) or Cambridge C1 Advanced. IELTS Online is not accepted.
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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