Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
A technical university merged with a national research centre, where Heinrich Hertz first proved radio waves exist.
- Students
- 23,083
- International
- 25%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,000
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1825
About KIT
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology was created on 1 October 2009 by merging the Universität Karlsruhe (TH), founded in 1825 as a polytechnic school, with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a national research centre founded in 1956. The result is both a university and a large-scale research centre in the Helmholtz Association, with a university campus (Campus South) in the city and a research campus (Campus North) outside it.
KIT had 23,083 students in winter 2025/26, more than 14,000 of them in engineering, and offers 45 bachelor's programmes across 11 KIT Departments, from Mechanical Engineering and Informatics to Architecture and Business and Economics. Its 2025 budget was 1,216.2 million euros, with 437.1 million from third-party funding, and it produced 68 spin-offs that year. KIT describes itself as a University of Excellence.
Heinrich Hertz demonstrated electromagnetic waves here, and Karl Benz studied here. For undergraduates, programmes are taught in German, and non-EU students pay a Baden-Württemberg tuition fee of 1,500 euros per semester. KIT suits students who want rigorous engineering or science in German, close to serious research infrastructure.
Why students choose KIT
Engineering at scale: 14,238 of KIT's 23,083 students were in engineering sciences in winter 2025/26.
The university campus and the Campus North research centre bring large-scale research facilities within reach of students.
KIT runs its own Studienkolleg and intensive German course for international applicants who are not yet ready for direct entry.
A strong start-up culture: 68 spin-offs and 38 patent applications in 2025.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry
Selectivity
KIT publishes no overall acceptance rate. Some bachelor's programmes are open-admission; restricted ones reserve 10% of places for international (non-EU) applicants, who are selected on their higher education entrance qualification. Among other applicants, 90% of places go through a selection procedure mainly based on grades, for example 443 first-semester places in Informatics.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must be recognised as a German higher education entrance qualification (check anabin); otherwise you need a Studienkolleg first, and KIT runs its own. Applicants from China and Vietnam need an APS certificate. |
|---|---|
| German language (application) | B1 certificate to apply |
| German language (enrolment) | C1 by the start of lectures: DSH-2, TestDaF 4 in all sections, DSD II, Goethe C1 or telc C1 Hochschule |
Deadlines
- Winter semester, first-semester bachelor's (all programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 July 2027
KIT's fixed annual deadline: the portal opens on 15 May and applications close on 15 July, for restricted and (for international applicants) open-admission programmes alike. First-semester bachelor's entry is winter semester only. Architecture applicants submit their subject-specific task (on a topic the selection committee issues by 30 April) with the application.
KIT states that bachelor's applications are accepted once a year, from 15 May to 15 July, for the winter semester; this standing schedule gives 15 July 2027 for winter 2027/28 entry. The Studienkolleg intensive German course has the same 15 July deadline.
How to apply
Non-EU applicants apply online through KIT's application portal run by the International Students Office, uploading their school-leaving certificate with certified German or English translation and a B1 German certificate. For restricted (NC) programmes, you must also register on hochschulstart.de and enter your BID in KIT's portal. Architecture requires a subject-specific design task submitted with the application and Chemistry a selection interview.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification recognised in Germany, or completion of a Studienkolleg.
- German at B1 to apply and C1 (DSH-2 or TestDaF 4x4) by the start of lectures.
- In restricted programmes, strong grades: Informatics ranks German applicants on a 20-point score weighting the overall grade and marks in mathematics, computer science and a science subject.
- Programme-specific evidence such as an Architecture design task or a Chemistry selection interview.
Tips for applying to KIT
- 1 Budget for the international tuition fee: non-EU students pay 1,500 euros per semester plus 184 euros in semester charges, unless they fall into an exemption group.
- 2 Register on hochschulstart.de and copy your BID into the KIT portal for any NC programme, or your application won't be processed.
- 3 Complete the orientation procedure early; for Informatics it is a subject-specific procedure that every applicant must do.
- 4 If you only have B1 German, consider KIT's Studienkolleg intensive language course, but places are limited and require an entrance exam.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students 1,500 euros per semester, but EU/EEA citizens, holders of a German Abitur, exchange students, doctoral students, Baden-Württemberg Foundation scholarship holders and certain refugees and students with disabilities are exempt. A second degree costs 650 euros per semester. KIT's pages point to external funding sources rather than a large institutional scholarship scheme.
- 184 euros per semester
- Semester charges (all students)
- 1,684 euros
- Non-EU first degree, total per semester
- 834 euros
- Non-EU second degree, total per semester
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Informatics (B.Sc.)
443 first-semester places, a published points formula for ranking applicants, and a mandatory subject-specific orientation procedure.
Mechanical Engineering (B.Sc.)
Part of the engineering sciences that account for more than 14,000 of KIT's students.
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (B.Sc.)
Offered by the KIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the university where Heinrich Hertz demonstrated electromagnetic waves.
Mechatronics and Information Technology (B.Sc.)
An interdisciplinary programme between mechanical and electrical engineering.
Architecture (B.Sc.)
Admission includes a subject-specific design task on a topic set each year by 30 April, submitted with the application.
Chemistry (B.Sc.)
Admission includes mandatory selection interviews.
Research
- Campus North, the former Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe founded in 1956, gives KIT large-scale national research facilities within the Helmholtz Association.
- Budget of 1,216.2 million euros in 2025, including 437.1 million in third-party funding.
- Heinrich Hertz first demonstrated electromagnetic waves at Karlsruhe, and Fritz Haber developed ammonia synthesis while on the faculty.
- 79 invention disclosures, 38 patent applications and 68 spin-offs in 2025.
Schools & faculties
- KIT Department of Architecture
- KIT Department of Civil Engineering, Geo- and Environmental Sciences
- KIT Department of Chemistry and Biosciences
- KIT Department of Chemical and Process Engineering
- KIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
- KIT Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
- KIT Department of Informatics
- KIT Department of Mechanical Engineering
- KIT Department of Mathematics
- KIT Department of Physics
- KIT Department of Business and Economics
Student life
Most undergraduates study on Campus South, a green university quarter next to Karlsruhe Palace and the city centre, whose Ehrenhof courtyard is home to the Fridericiana statue and a memorial to Heinrich Hertz. Campus North, the research campus, lies outside the city and is reached by tram. Semester charges fund the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe, which runs canteens and student services, and the student union. KIT's engineering-heavy student body of about 23,000 gives the campus a focused, technical character.
- Campus South sits beside Karlsruhe Palace and the Hardtwald forest.
- Campus North, the former national research centre, has its own tram stop.
- KIT's own Studienkolleg prepares international students for university entry.
- 68 KIT spin-offs were founded in 2025.
Location
Karlsruhe is a mid-sized city in the Upper Rhine valley of Baden-Württemberg, laid out in a fan shape around its palace, and home to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court. It is flat and bike-friendly, with a dense tram network, and the Black Forest, Heidelberg and Strasbourg are all within easy reach.
Nearest airport: Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (FKB); Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the main hub
Notable alumni
- KB Karl BenzInventor of the first practical automobile
- ET Edward TellerPhysicist known as the father of the hydrogen bomb
- LR Leopold RužičkaNobel Prize in Chemistry 1939
- HP Hasso PlattnerCo-founder of SAP
- DH Dietmar HoppCo-founder of SAP
- AG Alexander GerstEuropean Space Agency astronaut
- DZ Dieter ZetscheFormer chairman of Daimler AG
- CS Carsten SpohrCEO of Lufthansa
Frequently asked questions
Is KIT free for international students?
Not for non-EU students: Baden-Württemberg charges 1,500 euros per semester for a first degree, plus 184 euros in semester charges. EU/EEA citizens and some other groups are exempt and pay only the semester charges.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at KIT?
KIT's bachelor's programmes are generally taught in German. You need a B1 German certificate to apply and C1 (such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 in all sections) by the start of lectures.
What is the KIT application deadline?
15 July for bachelor's programmes starting in the winter semester (the portal opens on 15 May); first-semester entry is only possible in winter. Architecture applicants also submit a subject-specific design task with their application.
Do I apply to KIT through uni-assist?
No. Non-EU applicants apply directly through KIT's online application portal run by the International Students Office. For restricted programmes you must also register on hochschulstart.de.
What if my school certificate is not enough to study in Germany?
If anabin shows only indirect entry, you need to complete a Studienkolleg. KIT runs its own, with an entrance exam and limited places.
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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