TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences

About TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences

TH Köln is an independent public university of applied sciences. Its legal notice describes the university as a public-law corporation represented by its president and supervised by the responsible ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia. This status, together with its active admissions and official Bachelor’s and Master’s portfolio, establishes it as a degree-granting higher-education institution rather than a training provider or department of another university. The university was created in 1971 through the combination of several predecessor institutions covering engineering, business, insurance, photography, social work, librarianship and documentation. It operated as Fachhochschule Köln and later Cologne University of Applied Sciences before becoming TH Köln in September 2015. The name change did not create a new institution; the university explicitly recognizes degrees issued under its former name. Today, its academic structure spans 12 faculties and more than 90 Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. The subject range extends from engineering, information technology and applied chemistry to business, law, social sciences, architecture, design, culture and communication. Study is distributed among Cologne sites and campuses in Gummersbach and Leverkusen. This makes the program’s assigned campus an important practical consideration: facilities, commute, local surroundings and student services are not concentrated in one self-contained campus. Prospective students should therefore compare individual programs by location, teaching language, study format and admission method.

Admissions are program-specific. For winter semester 2026/2027, TH Köln’s official admissions page showed active Bachelor’s and Master’s recruitment, confirming that the university remains operational. By August 2026, applications were still possible for some programs, while the uni-assist route for international applicants had already closed. Applicants should therefore use the live program and admissions pages rather than treat a general university announcement as proof that their chosen route remains open. Bachelor’s applicants need a school-leaving qualification that grants access to higher education in Germany. A program without restricted admission generally admits applicants who meet its basic eligibility requirements, while restricted Bachelor’s programs may participate in the national Dialogue-oriented Service Procedure through Hochschulstart. Master’s programs require a suitable prior degree and may impose additional subject, grade, language, portfolio or professional-experience conditions. Many applicants holding international qualifications must first apply through uni-assist, which checks documents and determines whether the educational qualifications satisfy the formal requirements; TH Köln makes the admission decision. Other international applicants apply directly through the university’s CaMS platform. The applicable route depends on the applicant’s credentials and chosen program. Most programs use German and require strong German proficiency. English-taught programs require the English evidence specified on their program pages. International documents not issued in German or English generally require a sworn translation, and applicants from China, India or Vietnam may need an APS certificate. Exact deadlines and document rules must be checked for the chosen program and applicant category.

TH Köln lists more than 90 Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. Its online program directory can be filtered by degree, subject, faculty, campus, teaching language, study format, starting semester, admission procedure and fees. That structure is particularly useful because there is no single academic or admissions model across the institution. The subject portfolio includes architecture, construction and environment; business, insurance and law; computer science; design, art and culture; education, diversity and social affairs; engineering; languages, communication and information; and life sciences and chemistry. These fields are organized across 12 faculties, including applied natural sciences, applied social sciences, architecture, business and law, civil and environmental engineering, computer science and engineering science, cultural sciences, information and communication, and several engineering faculties. Available formats include full-time and part-time study, programs designed for working professionals, integrated or practice-linked routes, international programs and continuing-education options. Some programs require a pre-enrollment internship, while others do not. Likewise, some are admission-restricted and others admit all applicants who meet their stated eligibility requirements. Most programs are taught in German, but the directory identifies programs taught in English and programs containing English-language coursework. Applicants should verify language, curriculum, entry qualification, campus and any subject-specific selection requirements on the individual program page. The university awards Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees; its general program directory does not present a university-wide doctoral degree portfolio, so a PhD level is not claimed here.

Key Highlights

• Public university of applied sciences supervised by North Rhine-Westphalia
• Founded in 1971 as Fachhochschule Köln
• Renamed TH Köln in September 2015 without a break in institutional continuity
• Academic activity is distributed across Cologne, Gummersbach and Leverkusen

Student Life & Environment

Student experience at TH Köln is decentralized because teaching takes place at several sites rather than on one residential campus. Each student is associated with a faculty and automatically belongs to the relevant faculty student association, which can provide subject-level representation and opportunities for involvement. University systems include a campus account, Wi-Fi, digital learning environments and online platforms for student and examination administration. International students can use a buddy program that connects them with more advanced German or international students for practical guidance on study organization and settling into Germany. The university also provides bilingual career counselling, application training and networking formats with regional companies. Annual career fairs are organized at the Gummersbach and Deutz campuses. Housing requires early independent planning. TH Köln states that it has no guesthouses or guest apartments and cannot guarantee accommodation. Supply in Cologne is limited, with especially strong demand around the March-April and September-October semester starts. Students may need to consider residence halls managed outside the university, shared flats, sublets or locations with a manageable public-transport commute. The compulsory semester contribution includes the student Deutschlandticket, giving access to local public transport across Germany. This is useful for a university whose students may travel among Cologne districts or commute from surrounding communities, although the ticket does not remove the need to check the assigned campus before choosing housing.

Location & Surroundings

TH Köln’s administrative mailing address is in Cologne, but its teaching footprint extends across several distinct locations. The university identifies Südstadt Campus; Deutz Campus and sites in Kalk and Mülheim; Gummersbach Campus and Lindlar; and Leverkusen Campus. Its program directory also allows applicants to filter courses by campus, underscoring that location is program-specific. Cologne-based study can place students in different urban districts rather than on a single enclosed campus. Gummersbach is a separate city east of Cologne, while Leverkusen lies north of Cologne. Applicants should not assume that every program is taught in central Cologne or that movement between sites will be routine or quick. Before arranging housing, they should confirm the primary location and investigate the actual journey at the times classes are likely to run. The winter semester 2026/2027 contribution includes a discounted Deutschlandticket for local public transport throughout Germany, which can support urban and regional commuting. Even so, travel time and transfers may materially affect daily life. A housing search should therefore balance rent and availability against access to the correct campus, particularly because accommodation is scarce around semester starts.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For winter semester 2026/2027, TH Köln lists a compulsory semester contribution of €352.70. It consists of €110.00 for Kölner Studierendenwerk, €226.80 for the student Deutschlandticket including KVB rental bicycles, a €0.30 solidarity contribution and a €15.60 student-body contribution. This is a semester contribution rather than general tuition. The university states that tuition is generally charged only for continuing-education Master’s programs. Those programs have separate prices, and the amounts can differ by course and, in some cases, citizenship category. Students in integrated campus and distance programs at Gummersbach may also owe an additional media and service fee. Applicants should check the individual program and current fee page before budgeting, particularly for part-time, distance and continuing-education study. Living expenses are separate and potentially substantial. TH Köln does not guarantee housing, and its international guidance emphasizes the limited supply in Cologne. Rent, health insurance, food and other personal costs depend on circumstances; the university’s published general estimate was explicitly for 2025, so it should not be treated as a verified 2026 budget. Prospective students should prepare a current personal budget and consult applicable visa funding rules where relevant. Career support includes bilingual individual counselling for international students, help with application documents and interviews, workshops on German workplace culture, networking with regional companies and annual career fairs at Deutz and Gummersbach. These services create opportunities but do not substantiate any particular employment rate, employer outcome or graduate salary, so no such claims are made.