TU Dortmund University
Technische Universität Dortmund
A tuition-free Ruhr technical university with rare degrees in statistics, journalism and data science.
- Students
- 29,502
- International
- 22%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1968
About TU Dortmund
TU Dortmund University was founded in 1968 as the University of Dortmund, during the decline of the Ruhr's coal and steel industry, as part of the region's shift towards technology. It merged with the neighbouring Pädagogische Hochschule Ruhr in 1980, adding education and the humanities, and took its current name in 2007. Today it has about 29,500 students, and it is part of the University Alliance Ruhr with Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Its faculties combine engineering and the natural sciences with social sciences, cultural studies and a large teacher-training programme. It has its own Faculty of Statistics, and runs bachelor's degrees in Statistics, Data Science, Journalism and Economic Policy Journalism alongside computer science, physics, chemistry, mechanical and electrical engineering, architecture and spatial planning. Research is organised into five profile areas, from elementary particles to data, models and simulation and the future of education and work, with two Clusters of Excellence, nine Collaborative Research Centres and partner institutes from the Max Planck, Fraunhofer and Leibniz networks nearby.
Like other German public universities it charges no tuition for most degrees, only a semester contribution of about 340 euros. Bachelor's teaching is largely in German, so international applicants usually need a recognised German certificate such as DSH-2 or TestDaF with 16 points; a smaller set of English-taught programmes has its own, earlier application deadline for non-EU applicants.
Why students choose TU Dortmund
No tuition fees for most programmes: students pay only the semester contribution (339.70 euros in winter 2026/27).
A dedicated Faculty of Statistics, plus bachelor's degrees in Statistics and Data Science that combine statistics, computer science and mathematics.
An eight-semester BA in Journalism whose last two semesters are a one-year traineeship (Volontariat) with accompanying study.
Two campuses linked by the H-Bahn, an automated suspended monorail, with the Dortmund Technology Park next door.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28
Selectivity
Many bachelor's programmes are open admission (you enrol directly), including Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Others are restricted (NC), such as Architecture, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, Spatial Planning, Journalism and most teacher training, where places are allocated by Abitur grade through Hochschulstart's DoSV, then in move-up and lottery rounds.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur (or fachgebundene Hochschulreife for some programmes) | Enrol directly in open-admission programmes; apply via Hochschulstart/Campusportal for NC programmes. The Fachhochschulreife is not accepted. |
|---|---|
| EU/EEA school-leaving certificate | Apply online to the International Office for open-admission programmes, or via the Campusportal for NC programmes |
| Non-EU school-leaving certificate | Apply through uni-assist; depending on the country, direct entry or the Feststellungsprüfung; APS certificate required for applicants from China, India and Vietnam |
| German language | DSH-2 or 3, TestDaF 16, DSD II, Goethe C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule or equivalent for German-taught programmes |
| English language | Programmes such as Data Science, Physics, Automation and Robotics and Sustainable Energy Systems, and some German-taught ones (e.g. English teacher education, Applied Linguistics), require English at B2 or higher, classified using the uni-assist reference framework. |
Deadlines
- Non-EU applicants via uni-assist: English-taught programmes Non-binding Next deadline · In ~7 months15 May 2027
Application window approximately early January to 15 May for the winter semester.
- NC (restricted) bachelor's via Hochschulstart/Campusportal Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Standing annual deadline for the winter semester, for both recent and older school-leavers.
- Non-EU applicants via uni-assist: German-taught programmes Non-binding In ~9 months15 July 2027
Application window approximately mid-March to 15 July; the deadline is when uni-assist must receive the complete application and fee.
- EU/EEA applicants: open-admission bachelor's Non-bindingFriday before lectures start (October 2027)
Applications open around 26 March; apply early to allow time to fix missing documents.
TU Dortmund publishes these as standing annual application periods for the winter semester, so they apply to 2027/28 entry. A few programmes (Computer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Mathematics, Technomathematics, Business Mathematics, Economics) also admit first-semester students in the summer semester, with non-EU applications from early November to 15 January.
How to apply
German applicants enrol in open-admission programmes via the Campusportal, and register with Hochschulstart then apply via the Campusportal for NC programmes. EU/EEA applicants with foreign certificates apply online to the International Office. Non-EU applicants apply through uni-assist (My assist), uploading school certificates, grade transcripts, sworn translations and proof of German; uni-assist charges a processing fee per programme.
What admissions looks for
- A university entrance qualification equivalent to the German Abitur.
- For NC programmes, a strong entrance-qualification grade, which drives the allocation of places.
- Recognised proof of German at C1 level for German-taught programmes, plus English at B2 or above where required.
- Programme-specific requirements such as aptitude tests or pre-study internships, documented at enrolment.
Tips for applying to TU Dortmund
- 1 Check whether your programme is open admission: if so, you can simply enrol, even as late as just before lectures (EU applicants).
- 2 For NC programmes, register with Hochschulstart before applying and watch for the move-up rounds: you must actively declare that you want to stay in the process after each round.
- 3 If you are applying from China, India or Vietnam, get an APS certificate issued specifically for TU Dortmund; group APS certificates are not accepted.
- 4 Proof of German is the one document you can submit after the deadline, so don't miss the uni-assist deadline waiting for a test result.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Applications are free for EU/EEA citizens; non-EU applicants pay uni-assist processing fees per programme. The International Office lists scholarships for international students, and the semester contribution is refunded in full if you withdraw before lectures start.
- 339.70 euros
- Semester contribution, winter 2026/27
- None
- Application fee (EU/EEA)
- Full refund if you withdraw by the Friday before lectures
- Semester contribution refund
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
Statistics and Data Science (BSc)
Taught by TU Dortmund's own Faculty of Statistics; Data Science combines statistics, computer science and mathematics.
Journalism (BA)
Eight semesters, the last two a one-year traineeship (Volontariat) with accompanying study; Economic Policy Journalism is a separate BA.
Computer Science (BSc)
Open admission; the department ran Germany's first .de domain registration point in 1986 and gave rise to the RapidMiner machine-learning software.
Chemical Biology (BSc)
Interdisciplinary programme run with the neighbouring Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology.
Spatial Planning (BSc)
An engineering-based, interdisciplinary planning degree from the Faculty of Spatial Planning, covering everything from neighbourhoods to European planning.
Teacher training and Rehabilitation Sciences
Large teacher-education programmes, including special needs education, from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences.
Research
- Two Clusters of Excellence, nine Collaborative Research Centres and about 1,100 third-party funded projects.
- The Competence Center Machine Learning Rhine-Ruhr (ML2R), one of Germany's four machine-learning competence centres, was set up here, and the RapidMiner software began in TU Dortmund's AI unit.
- Affiliated institutes from the Leibniz Association, Fraunhofer and Max Planck, plus the INVITE research centre with Bayer AG and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Mathematics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Faculty of Computer Science
- Faculty of Statistics
- Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
- Faculty of Spatial Planning
- Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences
Student life
TU Dortmund was built in the late 1960s 'on the meadows' outside the city centre and has two campuses, North and South, linked since 1984 by the H-Bahn, an automated suspended monorail that crosses a nature reserve about 15 m up. The Mathetower with its green 'tu' logo is the landmark, and the Dortmund Technology Park sits next door. The International Office supports international students with enrolment, finance, visas and social contacts, and each department has its own international student advisers.
- The H-Bahn monorail between Campus North and Campus South.
- The Mathetower, home of the Faculty of Mathematics, as the campus landmark.
- Dortmund Technology Park next to campus, one of Europe's largest.
- University Alliance Ruhr partnership with Bochum and Duisburg-Essen.
Location
Dortmund lies in the Ruhr, Germany's former coal and steel heartland and one of Europe's largest urban areas, and the university itself was founded to help the region move from heavy industry to technology. The campus sits about 3 km outside the city centre, and Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, TU Dortmund's partners in the University Alliance Ruhr, are nearby.
Nearest airport: Dortmund Airport (DTM)
Notable alumni
- WB Wolfram BurgardRobotics researcher known for work on simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM); diploma from Dortmund (1987)
- CB Carsten BrosdaHamburg's Senator for Culture and Media since 2017; studied journalism and political science at Dortmund
- TR Thomas RoyenStatistician who proved the Gaussian correlation inequality; PhD from Dortmund (1975)
- NB Nisrin BarwariIraqi Minister for Municipalities and Public Works (2003-2006); PhD from TU Dortmund (2015)
- RP Regina PalkovitsCatalysis chemist and professor at RWTH Aachen; studied chemical engineering at Dortmund
- HL Hartmut LöwenSoft-matter physicist; physics degree (1986) and doctorate (1987) from Dortmund
Frequently asked questions
Does TU Dortmund charge tuition fees?
No, not for most programmes, including for non-EU students. Everyone pays the semester contribution, 339.70 euros for winter 2026/27.
What is the TU Dortmund application deadline?
15 July for restricted (NC) bachelor's programmes and for non-EU applicants to German-taught programmes via uni-assist; 15 May for non-EU applicants to English-taught programmes.
Can I study a bachelor's at TU Dortmund in English?
Bachelor's teaching is largely in German and needs proof such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 16. Check the programme list for the language of instruction; English-taught programmes have a 15 May deadline for non-EU applicants.
Is it hard to get into TU Dortmund?
Many programmes, including Computer Science, Data Science and Statistics, are open admission. Restricted programmes such as Architecture, Journalism and Industrial Engineering allocate places by school-leaving grade.
How do international students apply to TU Dortmund?
Non-EU applicants apply through uni-assist; EU/EEA applicants apply online to the International Office or via the Campusportal for restricted programmes.
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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