Technische Universität Braunschweig
Germany's oldest technical university, founded in 1745, with no tuition fees and a strong mobility and aviation focus.
- Students
- 15,051
- International
- 22%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1745
About TU Braunschweig
TU Braunschweig traces its roots to the Collegium Carolinum, founded in 1745, which makes it the oldest technical university in Germany. It became a Polytechnic School in 1862, a Technische Hochschule in 1878 and a full Technische Universität in 1968, after adding humanities and social sciences. It is a member of TU9, the alliance of leading German universities of technology.
In winter semester 2025/26 it had 15,051 students across 88 degree programmes, organised in six faculties: the Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Faculty (mathematics, computer science, business and social sciences), Life Sciences, Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Physics, and Humanities and Education. Research concentrates on four core areas: Mobility, Metrology, Engineering for Health and Future City, and the university holds two Clusters of Excellence, SE²A (sustainable aviation) and QuantumFrontiers.
Almost all bachelor's degrees are taught in German, so international students normally need C1-level German to enrol. There is no tuition fee, only a semester contribution that includes a Germany-wide public transport ticket. TU Braunschweig suits students who want a serious engineering or science degree in a mid-sized city surrounded by research institutes such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the national metrology institute PTB.
Why students choose TU Braunschweig
No tuition fees for any nationality: students pay a semester contribution of 472.50 euros (winter 2026/27), which includes the Deutschland Semester Ticket.
Mobility research is concentrated in dedicated centres, including the Aeronautics Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFL), the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF) and the Battery LabFactory.
The bilingual German-English bachelor's in Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes is aimed at students from Germany and abroad and can be started with basic (A2) German.
The university works with partners such as the Helmholtz Centre, Fraunhofer and Leibniz Institutes and PTB, so students can do research inside and outside the university while studying.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (start October 2027)
Selectivity
TU Braunschweig does not publish an acceptance rate. Many bachelor's programmes (for example Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes) have free admission, so every qualified applicant is admitted; others (for example Architecture, Biology, Psychology) have restricted admission with a limited number of places.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur | General university entrance qualification; restricted-admission programmes select by grade |
|---|---|
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must qualify you for university in your home country (completed secondary school plus any national university entrance exam). Some applicants must first study at a recognised university at home or complete the Studienkolleg preparatory year in Hannover; check the DAAD admission database and anabin. |
| German language (German-taught programmes) | TestDaF with at least 4 in each section, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, DSH 2, DSD II, Goethe C2 or the Studienkolleg Feststellungsprüfung. For free-admission programmes you can apply while attending a B2 course, but the certificate is required to enrol. |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are taught in German. The only English-German bilingual bachelor's, Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes, requires English proof (for example two years of schooling in English or a recognised test as set in the admission regulations) plus German at A2 level on enrolment. Fully English-taught degrees are master's programmes (for example Data Science, Artificial Intelligence for Molecular Sciences, Quantum Technologies in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Solar System Physics). |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2027 (start April 2027) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027
Application period 1 December to 15 January; EU citizens applying to free-admission bachelor's programmes can apply until 1 April. Only some bachelor's programmes (for example Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Civil Engineering) and Pharmacy have a summer intake.
- Winter semester 2027/28: all bachelor's programmes (non-EU applicants and restricted programmes) Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application period 1 June to 15 July. Most bachelor's programmes start only in the winter semester (October).
- Winter semester 2027/28: free-admission bachelor's programmes (EU citizens) Non-binding In ~12 months15 October 2027
Application period 1 June to 15 October, only for EU citizens applying to bachelor's programmes with free admission.
TU Braunschweig publishes recurring application windows without a year; the 2027 dates above apply those windows. The winter 2026/27 windows (1 June to 15 July 2026) have passed.
How to apply
International applicants apply directly to TU Braunschweig through its online application portal: submit the online form, then upload all documents as one PDF (school certificates, language certificates, proof of the 75 euro assessment fee for foreign qualifications, paid once for several programmes). Applicants with qualifications from China, India or Vietnam need an APS certificate. Applicants who need the Studienkolleg also apply through TU Braunschweig.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that gives access to university in your home country, including any national entrance exam.
- Proof of German at C1 level (TestDaF 4x4, telc C1 Hochschule, DSH 2 or equivalent) for German-taught programmes.
- For restricted-admission programmes, your grade average, since places are limited.
- For engineering programmes such as Mechanical Engineering, a completed or planned 8-week pre-study internship.
Tips for applying to TU Braunschweig
- 1 Check the DAAD admission database first: it tells you whether your school certificate gives direct entry or whether you need the Studienkolleg.
- 2 If your German is not yet at C1, look at Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes: it is bilingual and accepts A2 German on enrolment alongside English proof.
- 3 Upload your whole application as a single PDF and pay the 75 euro assessment fee once, even if you apply for several programmes.
- 4 Start visa planning early: non-EU students must show 11,904 euros for one year, and APS certificates for China, India and Vietnam can take a long time.
- 5 Register for a Studierendenwerk hall of residence as soon as you are admitted, as waiting lists are long at the start of the semester.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
There is no tuition fee; long-term fees of 500 euros per semester apply only after the standard study period plus six extra semesters. Students can apply for scholarships listed by the university, German students for BAföG, and first-degree students for KfW student loans arranged through the Studierendenwerk OstNiedersachsen.
- 472.50 euros (150 Studierendenwerk, 247.50 student body incl. Deutschland Semester Ticket, 75 administration)
- Semester contribution, winter 2026/27
- 11,904 euros per year
- Proof of funds for a student visa
- 500 euros per semester after standard period plus 6 semesters
- Long-term study fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from October, summer semester from April)
Mechanical Engineering (BSc)
Free admission with winter and summer starts, and specialisations including Aerospace Engineering, Automotive Engineering and Mobile Systems, and Materials Science.
Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes (BSc)
Taught in German and English and aimed at international students, with specialisations in mobility, production, and processes and energy.
Transportation Engineering (BSc)
One of the university's interdisciplinary programmes, tied to its Mobility research focus.
Biochemical, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering (BSc)
An interdisciplinary programme linked to the Engineering for Health research area and the Centre for Pharmaceutical Process Engineering.
Computer Science (BSc)
Winter or summer start, with a Medical Informatics specialisation.
Pharmacy (State Examination)
A state-examination degree with intakes in both winter and summer semesters.
Research
- Two Clusters of Excellence: SE²A (Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation) and QuantumFrontiers, which uses quantum effects for high-precision measurement.
- Mobility research centres including the Aeronautics Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFL), the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF), the Open Hybrid LabFactory and the Battery LabFactory.
- The Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA) works with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany's national metrology institute.
- Third-party funds totalled about 132 million euros, around 32% of the budget, in the university's 2024 financial figures.
Schools & faculties
- Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Faculty
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Physics
- Faculty of Humanities and Education
The university reports that over eight percent of jobs in Braunschweig are in scientific and technical academic professions, more than in any other German region. In 2025 it awarded 2,641 degrees and 283 doctorates.
Student life
TU Braunschweig is large enough for international research but, with about 15,000 students, small enough for personal contact with staff. The Studierendenwerk runs 10 halls of residence with more than 2,200 rooms at 250 to 500 euros a month. The semester contribution includes a Deutschland Semester Ticket for regional and local transport across Germany. The International House and the Erasmus Student Network run a buddy programme that picks new international students up at the station, and the city offers water sports on the River Oker, cafés and a young pub scene.
- Buddy programme run by ESN Braunschweig and the International House for new international students.
- Deutschland Semester Ticket included in the semester contribution.
- 10 Studierendenwerk halls of residence with more than 2,200 rooms.
- Partnerships with 310 universities worldwide for exchanges, from EU countries to the USA, Canada, South America, China, Japan and Singapore.
Housing. The Studierendenwerk has 10 halls of residence with more than 2,200 rooms at 250 to 500 euros a month including utilities; waiting lists are long at the start of the semester, so register as early as possible.
Location
Braunschweig is a city of more than 250,000 people in Lower Saxony, about 90 minutes from Berlin by train. It sits in one of Europe's most research-intensive regions, with more than 16,000 people working in research institutions and 20,000 in industrial research and development. The university estimates living costs at about 1,135 euros a month, relatively low for a German university city.
Nearest airport: Hannover Airport (HAJ)
Notable alumni
- CF Carl Friedrich GaussMathematician and physicist; attended the Collegium Carolinum from 1792 to 1795
- RD Richard DedekindMathematician known for Dedekind cuts; attended the Collegium Carolinum from 1848
- KV Klaus von KlitzingNobel Prize in Physics 1985 for the quantum Hall effect; physics diploma from TU Braunschweig (1969)
- AB Adolf BusemannAerospace engineer who pioneered the swept wing; PhD in engineering (1924)
- HK Henning KagermannFormer CEO of SAP; doctorate in theoretical physics (1975)
- OB Oliver BlumeCEO of the Volkswagen Group; degree and PhD in mechanical engineering
- HK Harald KrügerFormer CEO of BMW; undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering
- MV Meinhard von GerkanArchitect of Berlin Hauptbahnhof; graduated in architecture (1964)
Frequently asked questions
Does TU Braunschweig charge tuition for international students?
No. All students pay only the semester contribution, 472.50 euros for winter 2026/27, which includes the Deutschland Semester Ticket. Long-term fees of 500 euros per semester apply only if you exceed the standard study period by more than six semesters.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at TU Braunschweig?
Not fully. Bachelor's programmes are taught in German; the bilingual Sustainable Engineering of Products and Processes BSc uses German and English and admits students with A2 German. Fully English-taught degrees are at master's level.
What is the application deadline for October 2027?
Apply between 1 June and 15 July 2027 through TU Braunschweig's online portal. EU citizens applying for free-admission bachelor's programmes can apply until 15 October 2027.
What level of German do I need?
C1-level proof such as TestDaF with 4 in every section, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule or DSH 2. For free-admission programmes you can apply while attending a B2 course, but you need the certificate to enrol.
How much money do I need to live in Braunschweig?
The university estimates about 1,135 euros a month, including 500 euros rent. Non-EU students must show 11,904 euros for one year for their visa.
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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