Technical University of Darmstadt
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Home of the world's first electrical engineering chair, now a centre for AI research, with no tuition fees.
- Students
- 24,437
- International
- 28%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1877
About TU Darmstadt
TU Darmstadt became a Technische Hochschule in 1877 and in 1882 set up the world's first chair of electrical engineering, followed by the first electrical engineering degree course. Today it has 24,437 students, 28% of them international, in 13 departments and four interdisciplinary fields of study, with 114 degree programmes. Engineering and natural sciences are the core, but the university also has humanities, social sciences, law and economics departments that work closely with them.
Research is organised into three fields: Energy and Environment, Information and Intelligence, and Matter and Materials. Since January 2026 TU Darmstadt has had two Clusters of Excellence, Reasonable Artificial Intelligence (RAI), which it leads, and The Adaptive Mind (TAM), shared with Giessen and Marburg. It is a member of TU9, the Rhine-Main Universities alliance with Frankfurt and Mainz, and the European university alliance Unite!.
Bachelor's programmes are taught in German, and most are open admission, so the main hurdles for international applicants are a recognised school certificate and DSH-2 level German. There are no tuition fees, only a semester fee of about €400. TU Darmstadt suits students who want a demanding, research-oriented engineering or computer science degree close to Frankfurt.
Why students choose TU Darmstadt
No tuition fees in Hesse: the only charge is the semester fee (€402.68 for winter 2026/27), which includes a semester ticket.
Most bachelor's programmes, including Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, are open admission with no NC.
Two Clusters of Excellence in AI and cognitive science (RAI and TAM) and 27 current ERC grants give undergraduates access to active research.
Graduates include Nobel laureates Peter Grünberg and Gerhard Herzberg and former BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 entry (dates follow TU Darmstadt's standing pattern; 2027 deadlines are published in May 2027)
Selectivity
TU Darmstadt publishes no overall admission rate. Most bachelor's programmes are unrestricted (open admission). A few, such as Architecture, Medical Engineering (Medizintechnik), Psychology and Business Informatics, have a numerus clausus, and Biomolecular Engineering uses an aptitude assessment (Efv); the NC values of the previous winter semester are published.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur / university entrance qualification | Direct entry; open-admission programmes accept all qualified applicants, NC programmes rank by grade |
|---|---|
| International school-leaving certificate | Must give direct entry under the anabin rules; otherwise the one-year Studienkolleg Darmstadt (T-course for engineering and natural sciences, G-course for humanities) and the Feststellungsprüfung |
| Chinese, Vietnamese or Indian certificates | APS certificate required for bachelor's, master's, Studienkolleg and German course applications |
| English language | Bachelor's programmes are taught in German and require DSH-2, or an exemption such as TestDaF TDN 16 overall, DSD II, Goethe C1 or C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule or the Studienkolleg assessment test. With B2-level German (e.g. DSH-1, TestDaF TDN 14, Goethe B2) you can get conditional admission and sit the DSH. English-taught master's programmes require e.g. IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 95. |
Deadlines
- Studienkolleg Darmstadt (winter semester) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~6 months15 April 2027
Standing window 15 March to 15 April for the winter semester, and 15 September to 15 October for the summer semester.
- NC and aptitude-assessment bachelor's programmes Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027 (expected)
In 2026 the window was 1 June to 15 July 2026, a cut-off deadline, for Architecture, Medizintechnik, Psychology, Business Informatics, Biomolecular Engineering and the Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen programmes.
- Open-admission bachelor's programmes Non-binding In ~11 months31 August 2027 (expected)
In 2026 the window was 1 June to 31 August 2026 for programmes such as Informatik, Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Maschinenbau and Physik.
TU Darmstadt publishes each year's deadlines in May; the table currently online is for winter semester 2026/27. The online application for a winter semester usually opens on 1 June, and the Studienkolleg windows are fixed each year. The 2027 dates above apply the 2026 pattern and should be checked in May 2027.
How to apply
All applicants, with German or foreign school certificates, apply online through TU Darmstadt's campus management system TUCaN (not uni-assist), and the same deadlines apply to everyone. International applicants upload their school-leaving certificate, grades and any entrance exam results in the original language with certified translations, plus passport and language certificates; some applications must also be printed and posted before the deadline to become binding.
What admissions looks for
- A university entrance qualification with direct access to German universities, or a passed Feststellungsprüfung.
- German at DSH-2 level (or an accepted equivalent) for German-taught programmes.
- For NC programmes, a competitive grade average; the previous winter semester's NC values are published.
- For aptitude-assessment programmes, the additional criteria set by the department.
Tips for applying to TU Darmstadt
- 1 Apply early in the June window: the process from receipt of your application to the admission decision takes several weeks.
- 2 Check in TUCaN whether you also need to post a printed application form; without it your application is not binding.
- 3 If your German is at B2, you can still apply for conditional admission and take the DSH at the Studienkolleg Darmstadt.
- 4 If your certificate needs the Studienkolleg, apply between 15 March and 15 April, much earlier than the degree deadlines.
- 5 Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian applicants should get the APS certificate before applying.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Hesse charges no tuition fees, so students at TU Darmstadt pay only the semester fee, which is re-set each semester and includes the public transport ticket. Late re-registration costs an extra €30.
- €402.68 (€352.68 for Erasmus and exchange students)
- Semester fee, winter semester 2026/27
- None, for German and international students
- Tuition fees
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (BSc)
Darmstadt set up the world's first chair and first degree course in electrical engineering (1882-83); the bachelor's is open admission.
Computer Science (Informatik, BSc)
Open admission, with the RAI Cluster of Excellence on next-generation AI led from Darmstadt.
Mechanical Engineering – Sustainable Engineering (BSc)
Open-admission bachelor's with a sustainability focus, taught in German.
Cognitive Science (BSc)
Linked to the Centre for Cognitive Science and The Adaptive Mind Cluster of Excellence.
Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen (Industrial Engineering, BSc)
Combines business with a technical specialism in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering or materials science.
Mechatronics (BSc)
One of four interdisciplinary fields of study that cut across departments.
Research
- Two Clusters of Excellence since 1 January 2026: Reasonable Artificial Intelligence (RAI), led by TU Darmstadt, and The Adaptive Mind (TAM), with Giessen and Marburg.
- 11 DFG Collaborative Research Centres and Transregios, 5 DFG Graduate Schools and 27 current ERC grants (January 2026).
- The LOEWE research centre emergenCITY studies resilient digital cities that keep working in a crisis.
- €210.3 million in acquired research funding in 2025.
Schools & faculties
- Law and Economics
- History and Social Sciences
- Human Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Materials and Earth Sciences
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Architecture
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Student life
TU Darmstadt is spread over five locations with 175 buildings; the City Campus sits in the centre of Darmstadt around Karolinenplatz and the campus square by the University Library. More than a quarter of students (28%) come from abroad. With Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, TU Darmstadt forms the Rhine-Main Universities alliance, and students enrolled at Frankfurt or Mainz can register for RMU studies at Darmstadt. The semester fee includes a public transport ticket negotiated by the student union (AStA) with the regional transport authority RMV.
- 28% of students are international (winter semester 2025/26).
- Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) studies connect TU Darmstadt with Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
- Membership of the Unite! European university alliance with universities in seven other countries.
- 3,810 graduates and 456 doctorates in 2025.
Housing. Students rent rooms in student residences or on the private market in Darmstadt and nearby cities; TU Darmstadt advises applying early so you can start looking for accommodation early.
Location
Darmstadt is a mid-sized city in southern Hesse, in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region. The university describes it as the City of Science, home to many research institutes. TU Darmstadt's City Campus is in the city centre, and Frankfurt, with Germany's largest airport, is a short train ride away. Rhine-Main partners Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are within the same region.
Nearest airport: Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Notable alumni
- PG Peter GrünbergNobel Prize in Physics 2007 for giant magnetoresistance; physics diploma and doctorate from TU Darmstadt
- GH Gerhard HerzbergNobel Prize in Chemistry 1971; Dr.-Ing. from Darmstadt in 1928
- CW Chaim WeizmannChemist and first President of Israel; studied chemistry at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
- OZ Oliver ZipseChairman of BMW's board of management (CEO) 2019-2026; mechanical engineering graduate of TU Darmstadt (1991)
- JT John TuCo-founder of Kingston Technology; electrical engineering graduate (1970)
- KP Karl PlaggeWehrmacht officer recognised as Righteous Among the Nations; chemical engineering graduate (1924)
- JB Jovanka Bončić-KaterinićPioneering Serbian engineer and architect; graduated from Darmstadt in 1913
Frequently asked questions
Does TU Darmstadt charge tuition fees?
No. Hesse has no tuition fees for German or international students. You pay only the semester fee, €402.68 for winter semester 2026/27.
Do I apply to TU Darmstadt through uni-assist?
No. All applicants, including those with foreign certificates, apply directly through TU Darmstadt's online portal TUCaN, and the same deadlines apply to everyone.
What is the TU Darmstadt application deadline for bachelor's programmes?
Applications for the winter semester open on 1 June. In 2026 the deadline was 15 July for NC programmes and 31 August for open-admission programmes such as Computer Science; the 2027 dates are published in May 2027.
Can I study a bachelor's degree in English at TU Darmstadt?
Bachelor's programmes are taught in German and require DSH-2 or an equivalent such as TestDaF TDN 16 or Goethe C1. Many master's programmes are taught in English.
What if my school certificate does not give direct university entrance?
You can apply to the Studienkolleg Darmstadt between 15 March and 15 April for the winter semester. After the one-year T-course or G-course and the assessment test you can apply for a bachelor's in that 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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