Technische Universität Berlin
Berlin's only university of technology, where engineering has shared the curriculum with the humanities since 1946.
- Students
- 33,990
- International
- 31%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1879
About TU Berlin
Technische Universität Berlin traces its roots to the Royal Mining Academy (1770), the Building Academy (1799) and the Trade Academy (1821). The Royal Technical Academy formed in 1879 was one of the first engineering schools in Germany allowed to award doctorates. After the Second World War it reopened in 1946 under a new name, as Germany's first technical university, with the humanities built in as a deliberate break with its Nazi-era past.
Today TU Berlin is the only university of technology in the German capital. It has about 34,000 students (33,990 in winter semester 2025/26, around 30 percent of them foreign nationals), 347 professors (December 2025) and some 140 degree programmes across seven faculties, from Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to Planning Building Environment and Economics and Management. Since 2019 it has been part of the Berlin University Alliance with Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität and Charité, which is funded as a University of Excellence.
Research focuses on artificial intelligence and information technology (around 50 chairs and research groups), mathematics and modelling, sustainable habitats and renewable energy systems. Bachelor's programmes are taught in German, so international applicants need DSH-2 or TestDaF 4x4 level. TU Berlin suits applicants who want an engineering or science degree in a big, international city with no tuition fees.
Wir haben die Ideen für die Zukunft. Zum Nutzen der Gesellschaft.
“We've got the brains for the future. For the benefit of society.” — university motto
Why students choose TU Berlin
No tuition fees: the only charge is a semester fee of €379.06 (winter semester 2026/27), which includes a Deutschlandsemesterticket for public transport.
Architecture ranks 24th worldwide and 1st in Germany, and Engineering and Technology 42nd worldwide, in the QS subject rankings (as of March 2026).
Membership of the Berlin University Alliance links TU Berlin with Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität and Charité.
A strong start-up culture: TU Berlin was 6th among German universities for founder support in the Deutsche Startup Monitor 2024.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (deadlines shown are the published winter semester 2026/27 pattern)
Selectivity
No overall acceptance rate is published. Many bachelor's programmes are open admission, but many others are restricted (NC): places are allocated mainly on Abitur-equivalent grade and waiting time, with a separate quota for applicants from outside Europe. TU Berlin publishes past cut-off grades for each NC programme.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur / Hochschulzugangsberechtigung | Open-admission programmes take all qualified applicants; NC programmes rank by Abitur average and waiting time (see TU Berlin's published past cut-offs) |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must give a direct university entrance qualification according to anabin, verified by a VPD from uni-assist; certificates rated 'Feststellungsprüfung/Studienkolleg' require the Preparatory School assessment test first |
| IB Diploma | Recognised as a direct entrance qualification if it meets the current KMK agreement on the IB, including all subjects taken continuously for two years |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes require German, not English: DSH-2 or DSH-3, TestDaF with 4 in all four parts, DSD II, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, Goethe or ÖSD C2, or the German part of a Studienkolleg assessment test. Some programmes may also ask for English. A passport from Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland does not count as proof, and the combined certificate for the digital TestDaF is not accepted. |
Deadlines
- Summer semester 2027 (NC programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027
Published: NC programmes 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027; open-admission programmes 1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027 (same dates for international qualifications). Not all programmes can be started in summer.
- Bachelor's programmes with restricted admission (NC) Non-binding15 July
For winter semester 2026/27 the window was 1 June to 15 July 2026, the same for German and international qualifications. No late applications.
- Bachelor's programmes with open admission (no NC) Non-binding31 August
For winter semester 2026/27 the window was 1 June to 31 August 2026. International applicants must still apply and be admitted before enrolling.
TU Berlin had not published winter semester 2027/28 dates when checked on 29 September 2026 (summer semester 2027 dates are out). The winter dates above follow the 2026/27 cycle (NC: 1 June to 15 July; open admission: 1 June to 31 August). Apply for the uni-assist VPD several weeks before the deadline.
How to apply
Applicants with international qualifications must always apply, even to open-admission programmes. First get a VPD (preliminary review documentation) from uni-assist for TU Berlin, which takes 4 to 6 weeks, then apply through TU Berlin's own application portal and upload your German certificate there. Applicants with a German Abitur apply or register directly through the TU Berlin portal.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised university entrance qualification (HZB), confirmed for international applicants by a uni-assist VPD.
- For restricted programmes, the average grade converted to the German scale, plus waiting time since leaving school.
- Proof of German at DSH-2 or TestDaF 4x4 level, submitted directly to TU Berlin.
- A complete application submitted on time: there is no conditional or provisional admission.
Tips for applying to TU Berlin
- 1 Request your uni-assist VPD early: processing takes 4 to 6 weeks, and without a VPD issued for TU Berlin you cannot apply.
- 2 Check anabin first: if your certificate is rated 'Studienkolleg', apply to the Preparatory School (for summer 2027 the application window is 1 October to 31 December 2026) rather than directly to a bachelor's programme.
- 3 Check TU Berlin's published past cut-off grades (Auswahlgrenzen) to judge your chances in NC programmes.
- 4 Upload your language certificate to the TU Berlin portal, not to uni-assist, which does not check language certificates for TU Berlin.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
TU Berlin charges no tuition fees except for continuing-education master's programmes. German and many EU students can apply for BAföG, and TU Berlin points students to scholarship databases and foundations. International students on publicly funded scholarships are exempt from the €50 administration fee within the semester fee.
- €379.06 (administration €50, student body €14.56, studierendenWERK €85, Semesterticket €226.80, social fund €2.70)
- Semester fee, winter 2026/27
- None for bachelor's and consecutive master's programmes
- Tuition fees
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Architecture
Ranked 24th worldwide and 1st in Germany in the QS subject rankings (as of March 2026).
Mathematics
Mathematics and modelling is one of TU Berlin's four research focuses, and Mathematics is 3rd in Germany in the QS subject rankings (as of March 2026).
Computer Science
Artificial intelligence and IT is a flagship research focus, with around 50 chairs and research groups.
Chemical Engineering
2nd in Germany in the QS subject rankings, taught in the Faculty of Process Sciences.
Electrical Engineering
2nd in Germany in the QS subject rankings, in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Research
- Member of the Berlin University Alliance, funded under Germany's Excellence Strategy since 2019.
- Four research focuses: artificial intelligence and IT; mathematics and modelling; sustainable habitats; renewable energy systems.
- Ernst Ruska, who studied at the Technische Hochschule and later taught at TU Berlin, won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics for the first electron microscope.
- TU Berlin hosts the Center for Research on Antisemitism.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty I - Humanities and Educational Sciences
- Faculty II - Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Faculty III - Process Sciences
- Faculty IV - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Faculty V - Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems
- Faculty VI - Planning Building Environment
- Faculty VII - Economics and Management
TU Berlin was 59th worldwide and 3rd in Germany in the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey 2025, and 107th worldwide for Employer Reputation in QS 2026.
Student life
TU Berlin's main campus is on Straße des 17. Juni in Charlottenburg, next to the Tiergarten, with further sites across the city. With about 34,000 students, 30 percent of them from abroad, it is a large, international university where most students rent in the city or live in studierendenWERK Berlin halls. The semester fee includes a Semesterticket for public transport, which makes it easy to use everything Berlin offers. Students also run their own start-ups with support from the university.
- Main campus on Straße des 17. Juni in Charlottenburg, around the main building opened in 1884.
- Semesterticket included in the semester fee for public transport.
- 6th among German universities for founder support in the Deutsche Startup Monitor 2024.
- Berlin was named 7th in QS Best Student Cities 2026, and 1st from the student perspective.
Housing. Most students rent privately or apply for rooms run by studierendenWERK Berlin, which receives €85 of each semester fee.
Location
Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, with a large start-up scene and many research institutes. TU Berlin's main campus is in the western district of Charlottenburg, close to the Tiergarten. Berlin was 7th in QS Best Student Cities 2026 and 1st from the student perspective, though finding affordable housing takes time.
Nearest airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Notable alumni
- KZ Konrad ZuseBuilt the world's first working programmable computer; studied at the Technische Hochschule Berlin
- CB Carl BoschChemist and Nobel laureate (Haber-Bosch process); studied at the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg
- EW Eugene WignerNobel Prize in Physics 1963; studied chemical engineering at the Technische Hochschule Berlin
- DG Dennis GaborInventor of holography, Nobel Prize in Physics 1971; studied engineering at the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg
- ER Ernst RuskaInventor of the electron microscope, Nobel Prize in Physics 1986; studied at the Technische Hochschule and later taught at TU Berlin
- WV Wernher von BraunRocket engineer behind the Saturn V; attended the Technische Hochschule Berlin
Frequently asked questions
Does TU Berlin charge tuition fees for international students?
No. All students pay only the semester fee, €379.06 for winter semester 2026/27, which includes a Semesterticket for public transport.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at TU Berlin?
Bachelor's programmes are taught in German. International applicants need proof such as DSH-2, TestDaF with 4 in all parts, DSD II or telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule.
Do I need uni-assist to apply to TU Berlin?
Yes, if your school certificate is from outside Germany. You need a VPD from uni-assist issued for TU Berlin, and then you apply through TU Berlin's own portal.
What is the TU Berlin application deadline for the winter semester?
In the 2026/27 cycle, NC programmes closed on 15 July and open-admission programmes on 31 August. Expect similar dates for 2027/28 and check TU Berlin's deadlines page.
What if my school certificate doesn't give direct access to German universities?
You apply to a Studienkolleg such as TU Berlin's Preparatory School and pass the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung), which then qualifies you for bachelor's programmes in the matching subject area.
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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