Technical University of Munich
Technische Universität München
Germany's top-ranked university, built on engineering, science and medicine, with a start-up engine in Garching.
- Students
- 51,954
- International
- 45%
- of students
- Tuition
- €4,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1868
About TUM
The Technical University of Munich was founded in 1868 as the Polytechnic School Munich and has grown into one of the largest universities in Germany, with 51,954 students in winter semester 2025/26. It covers engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, management and social sciences, but, as a technical university, it does not offer law or most humanities.
Teaching and research are organised into seven schools: Computation, Information and Technology; Engineering and Design; Life Sciences; Management; Medicine and Health; Natural Sciences; and Social Sciences and Technology. The historic main campus sits in central Munich, while physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, informatics and mathematics are based at the Garching research campus about 10 km north. Life sciences are in Weihenstephan (Freising), aerospace in Ottobrunn, and there are further campuses in Straubing, Heilbronn and Singapore.
TUM is known for turning research into companies: it counts 115 start-ups founded in 2025 and 23 unicorns founded by its researchers and alumni, and its entrepreneurship centre UnternehmerTUM was ranked Europe's leading start-up hub by the Financial Times in 2026. About 45% of students are international. Most bachelor's programs are taught in German and admit through a grade-based aptitude assessment, so the students who do best here tend to be strong in maths and science, independent, and comfortable with a large, lecture-heavy system.
The Entrepreneurial University
University motto
Why students choose TUM
It is Germany's highest-ranked university (QS 2027: 25th worldwide), yet EU/EEA students pay no tuition, only a semester fee of about EUR 97.
Several bachelor's programs are taught in English, including Aerospace, Information Engineering and Management and Data Science, plus the Computer Engineering track of Management and Technology.
The Garching campus puts undergraduates next to Max Planck institutes and the FRM II neutron source, with 280 ERC grants and 7 Clusters of Excellence at TUM.
UnternehmerTUM and more than 250 student initiatives give you real routes into start-ups, from rocketry teams to founder programs.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (bachelor's programs start in October 2027)
Selectivity
TUM publishes no overall admit rate. Most bachelor's programs use an aptitude assessment: school grades and program-specific subject grades are scored, and applicants are admitted directly, rejected, or invited to a 20-minute interview. There is no fixed number of places in these programs; TUM admits everyone it judges qualified. A few programs are unrestricted or use a numerus clausus.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur (German higher education entrance qualification) | Apply directly via TUMonline; no VPD needed. Aptitude-assessment programs score your Abitur average and relevant subject grades. |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must qualify you for university study in Germany (check the DAAD admission database or anabin). If it does not, you need the Studienkolleg route. You also need a uni-assist VPD, applied for by 15 July for the winter semester. |
| International Baccalaureate | Accepted, but you need a uni-assist VPD unless you already hold a recognition notice from the Office for Certificate Recognition. |
| German language (German-taught programs) | DSH-2, TestDaF level 4 in all sections, DSD II (B2 in all sections), telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, Goethe or ÖSD C2. For Aerospace and Information Engineering, A2-level German is enough (e.g. telc/Goethe A2, TestDaF level 3). |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 88 Also accepted: Cambridge CAE/CPE (grade A–C) and PTE Academic 65. For the bachelor's programs Aerospace, Information Engineering, Management and Data Science, Management and Technology (Munich), Political Science and Sustainable Management and Technology, English is checked within the aptitude assessment and no certificate is required. |
Deadlines
- Bachelor's application, winter semester 2027/28 Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 May – 15 July 2027
The standard TUMonline window listed on program pages (e.g. Aerospace, Informatics, Management and Technology). All documents must be uploaded by 15 July.
- uni-assist VPD (international qualifications) Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Apply for the VPD by 15 July. uni-assist reviews documents all year, so apply early.
- Fee payment for first-time enrollment In ~11 months15 September 2027
Semester fee plus any non-EU tuition fee must be paid before enrollment is completed.
TUM lists bachelor's deadlines per program; the recurring winter-semester window on program pages is 15.05.–15.07. Check your specific program page. Winter semester 2027/28 lectures begin on 18 October 2027.
How to apply
Apply online via TUMonline, with a separate application for each program. Upload your school-leaving certificate, CV, passport, language certificates and, where required, a letter of motivation or essay. Applicants with non-German qualifications also apply for a VPD at uni-assist. Aptitude-assessment programs may invite you to a 20-minute interview.
What admissions looks for
- A strong overall school grade average, scored by a program-specific points formula
- Good grades in the school subjects that matter for the chosen program, weighted per program
- Relevant practical experience or additional qualifications, which can earn extra points in the first stage
- Motivation and fit, shown in the letter of motivation or essay and, if invited, the 20-minute interview
- Required language skills, proved by the end of the application period
Tips for applying to TUM
- 1 Submit a separate TUMonline application for each program and upload everything before 15 July. TUM cannot process documents sent by email or incomplete applications.
- 2 If your diploma is not German, request the uni-assist VPD as early as possible. The TUM application alone is not enough, and the VPD must be applied for by 15 July.
- 3 English-taught Aerospace and Information Engineering still require a German language certificate by the deadline (A2 minimum for Aerospace), so book a German test early.
- 4 Aerospace requires proof of a pre-study internship of at least eight weeks; TUM asks for it ideally by 31 October of the first year, so plan it before you start.
- 5 Non-EU applicants can apply for a need-based tuition waiver for the first semester using the application number TUMonline gives them.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
There is no tuition for EU/EEA students. Non-EU students can apply for tuition waiver scholarships based on financial need (first semester) or high achievement (from the third semester), and for exemptions in special cases. TUM also offers the Deutschlandstipendium and a TUM scholarship for international students.
- EUR 300 per month
- Deutschlandstipendium
- One-time grant of EUR 500–1,800 per semester
- TUM scholarship for international students
- Credited against tuition fees
- Need-based tuition waiver (Bachelor's and Master's, 1st semester)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester October–March, summer semester April–September; most bachelor's programs start only in winter)
Aerospace (B.Sc.)
A six-semester program taught fully in English at Garching and Ottobrunn, covering aeronautics, astronautics and Earth observation.
Informatics (B.Sc.)
German-taught computer science at Garching; TUM was ranked 14th in the world for computer science in THE's 2026 subject rankings.
Management and Technology (B.Sc.)
Combines management, economics and law with a technical specialization; the Computer Engineering specialization is taught entirely in English.
Information Engineering (B.Sc.)
An English-taught program at TUM Campus Heilbronn combining informatics, management and electrical engineering, from sensors to business models.
Management and Data Science (B.Sc.)
A program taught entirely in English at Heilbronn that focuses on data-driven managerial decision-making.
Research
- 7 Clusters of Excellence and 280 ERC grants (status September 2026); named a University of Excellence four times (2006, 2012, 2019, 2026).
- The Garching campus hosts the FRM II research neutron source alongside Max Planck and other research institutes.
- UnternehmerTUM was ranked Europe's leading start-up hub by the Financial Times for the third year in a row (2026); 115 start-ups were founded from TUM in 2025.
- Integrative research institutes include the Munich Data Science Institute and the Munich Design Institute, which link work across the seven schools.
Schools & faculties
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
- TUM School of Engineering and Design
- TUM School of Life Sciences
- TUM School of Management
- TUM School of Medicine and Health
- TUM School of Natural Sciences
- TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
TUM reported 13th place worldwide in the Global University Employability Ranking (TUM press release, October 2025). It had 12,014 graduates in 2024/25.
Student life
TUM is spread across several campuses, so student life depends on where your program is: city-centre Munich, the large research campus in Garching, or smaller sites like Freising, Straubing and Heilbronn. TUM does not run its own halls; most dorm places go through the Munich Student Union, so housing is the first challenge for many newcomers. Beyond lectures, more than 250 student initiatives cover everything from rocketry and robotics to culture and volunteering. Student councils organise open-air festivals such as TUNIX on Königsplatz and GARNIX in Garching.
- More than 250 student initiatives, supported by a Student Engagement team
- Engineering teams such as WARR (rocketry and space flight) and TUM Boring have won international competitions
- TUNIX and GARNIX summer festivals and the GLÜHNIX Christmas market, run by the student council
- The Zentrale Hochschulsportanlage (ZHS), described as the largest university sports facility in Germany, runs hundreds of sports programs
Housing. TUM has no residence halls of its own. Most student-hall places are allocated by the Munich Student Union, and TUM Living offers advice and commission-free listings.
Location
Munich is Bavaria's capital and one of Germany's most expensive cities: TUM advises budgeting EUR 1,300–2,000 a month for a single-person household in the greater Munich area. The main campus is in the central Maxvorstadt district, while many science and engineering students spend their days at Garching, about 10 km north and linked to the city by U-Bahn. Life scientists study at Weihenstephan in Freising, and smaller campuses in Straubing and Heilbronn are cheaper places to live.
Nearest airport: Munich Airport (MUC)
Notable alumni
- RD Rudolf DieselInventor of the diesel engine
- CD Claude DornierAircraft designer and founder of Dornier
- OV Oskar von MillerEngineer, electrification pioneer and founder of the Deutsches Museum
- SC Samantha CristoforettiESA astronaut and ISS commander (Expedition 68, 2022)
- WK Wolfgang KetterleNobel Prize in Physics 2001 for Bose–Einstein condensation
- JD Johann DeisenhoferNobel Prize in Chemistry 1988 for determining a membrane protein's structure
Frequently asked questions
Is TUM free for international students?
EU/EEA citizens pay no tuition, only a semester fee of about EUR 97. Non-EU students starting a bachelor's pay EUR 2,000 or 3,000 per semester depending on the program, though waiver scholarships are available.
Can I study a bachelor's at TUM in English?
Yes, but only a few programs. Aerospace, Information Engineering and Management and Data Science are taught in English, as is the Computer Engineering specialization of Management and Technology. Most other bachelor's programs require German at DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 level.
What is TUM's acceptance rate?
TUM publishes no overall acceptance rate. Most programs use an aptitude assessment with no fixed number of places: applicants are scored on their grades and then admitted, rejected or invited to a 20-minute interview.
When is the TUM bachelor's application deadline?
For most programs starting in winter semester 2027/28, you apply in TUMonline between 15 May and 15 July 2027. International applicants must also apply for a uni-assist VPD by 15 July.
Does TUM require an interview?
Only in some cases. In aptitude-assessment programs, applicants whose scores fall between the direct-admission and rejection thresholds are invited to a 20-minute interview with the school.
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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