University of Duisburg-Essen
Universität Duisburg-Essen
A large, tuition-free Ruhr university with two campuses and a half-English International Studies in Engineering track.
- Students
- 37,298
- International
- 21%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 2003
About UDE
The University of Duisburg-Essen was created on 1 January 2003 by merging Gerhard Mercator University Duisburg with the University of Essen, and it traces its roots to the old University of Duisburg founded in 1654. It is one of Germany's larger universities, with 37,298 students at the end of 2025, 21% of them international, and 315 study programmes including 184 teacher training courses.
UDE is organised into faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Economics and Business Administration, the Mercator School of Management, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Computer Science and Medicine, spread across the Duisburg and Essen campuses and the University Hospital Essen. Research is concentrated in four interdisciplinary profile areas: water research, biomedical sciences, nanoscience and the change of contemporary societies. With Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund it forms the University Alliance Ruhr.
Most bachelor's teaching is in German, so international students usually need DSH 2 level German. The exception is the International Studies in Engineering (ISE) programme, where the first year is taught entirely in English and the degree as a whole is split roughly half and half between English and German. UDE also stresses educational equity, with programmes for first-generation students, which suits applicants who want an affordable, practical university in a big, diverse urban region.
Offen im Denken
“Open-minded” — university motto
Why students choose UDE
There are no tuition fees in North Rhine-Westphalia; students pay only the semester contribution of 367.80 euros for winter 2026/27, which includes the Deutschlandsemesterticket for public transport.
The ISE engineering bachelor's degrees (Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Metallurgy and Metal Forming; Structural Engineering) start with a common first year taught fully in English.
Four profile research areas, water research, biomedical sciences, nanoscience and contemporary societies, run through teaching and research.
The Chance hoch 2 programme supports students from families without university experience from the last two school years through the first year of study.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28
Selectivity
UDE does not publish an acceptance rate. Programmes are either restricted (NC, with a limited number of places allocated mainly by school grade) or open, where anyone with a recognised entrance qualification and the required language level is admitted.
Typical entry requirements
| Abitur or equivalent | A school-leaving certificate recognised as equivalent to the German Abitur gives direct access; otherwise a Studienkolleg is required first. NC programmes select by grade |
|---|---|
| International Studies in Engineering (ISE) bachelor's | University entrance qualification plus mathematics in the last three years of school with a grade of 2.5 or better (German scale); German and English at B1 on enrolment |
| English language | German-taught bachelor's programmes require German at DSH 2 level (or TestDaF 4 in all sections, telc C1 Hochschule, DSD II and similar). ISE bachelor's programmes require English and German at B1 on enrolment (English proof via TOEFL, IELTS or medium of instruction) and B2 in both by graduation. |
Deadlines
- Restricted (NC) bachelor's programmes, winter semester 2027/28 (non-EU applicants) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~8 months15 June 2027
Application period 1 May to 15 June for applicants from non-EU countries (bachelor's via uni-assist). German-language course places cannot be requested for NC programmes.
- Unrestricted bachelor's programmes, winter semester 2027/28 (non-EU applicants) Non-binding In ~10 months31 July 2027
Application period 1 May to 31 July for applicants from non-EU countries.
UDE publishes these as recurring application periods for non-EU applicants: winter semester 1 May to 15 June (NC programmes) and 1 May to 31 July (open programmes); summer semester 1 November to 15 December (NC) and 1 November to 31 January (open). The International Office page updated in September 2026 gives these dates; an older UDE page (last modified September 2025) still shows 15 July and 15 September, so go by the newer page. Allow extra time for uni-assist processing.
How to apply
Non-EU applicants to German-taught bachelor's programmes (including Medicine) and to ISE bachelor's programmes apply first through uni-assist, which checks their certificates; most master's applicants use UDE's own portal (a few master's programmes, such as Business Administration, also start on uni-assist). EU/EEA applicants with a German C1 certificate and German-educated applicants apply directly to UDE through its online portal.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification that is equivalent to the German Abitur, or a completed Studienkolleg.
- German at DSH 2 level for German-taught programmes, with a few exceptions.
- For ISE: a strong mathematics grade (2.5 or better on the German scale) and basic German and English at B1.
- For NC programmes: a competitive school grade, since places are limited.
Tips for applying to UDE
- 1 Check whether your programme is NC (restricted) or open: for non-EU applicants the winter-semester deadline is 15 June for restricted programmes but 31 July for open ones.
- 2 If your German is not yet good enough, you can apply for a German language course place for an open programme, but not for an NC programme.
- 3 Consider the ISE engineering degrees if you are stronger in English: the whole first year is taught in English and German courses are built into the programme.
- 4 Submit your uni-assist application well before the UDE deadline, since uni-assist has to check your documents first.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
UDE charges no tuition. Funding options include the UDE scholarship (part of the Deutschlandstipendium and NRW programmes, co-financed by private donors), BAföG for eligible students, interest-free student loans, and the Chance hoch 2 programme for students from families without academic experience.
- 367.80 euros
- Semester contribution, winter 2026/27
- 226.80 euros
- Of which Deutschlandsemesterticket
- None (EU and non-EU students)
- Tuition fees
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter and summer)
International Studies in Engineering: Mechanical Engineering (B.Sc.)
Part of the ISE programme, with a common first year taught entirely in English and an industrial internship built in.
International Studies in Engineering: Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering (B.Sc.)
An ISE degree taught roughly half in English and half in German, applied for via uni-assist.
Metallurgy and Metal Forming (B.Sc., ISE)
A specialist ISE degree rooted in Duisburg's history as a centre of steel and engineering.
Medicine (state examination)
Taught with the University Hospital Essen; 529 state examinations in medicine were completed in 2025.
Teacher training
UDE offers 184 teacher training courses, and 1,456 teacher training bachelor's and master's degrees were awarded in 2025.
Research
- Four university-wide profile areas: Water Research, Biomedical Sciences, Nano Science, and Change of Contemporary Societies.
- Research centres include the Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), the Centre for Water and Environmental Research and the Centre for Global Cooperation Research.
- UDE attracted 164.1 million euros in third-party research funding in 2025, and with DFKI it has opened the AURA Lab for AI and robotics research, including exoskeletons.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Educational Sciences
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Mercator School of Management
- Faculty of Mathematics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Computer Science
- Faculty of Medicine
Student life
UDE has two main campuses, in Duisburg and in Essen, plus the University Hospital in Essen, linked by a university bus shuttle and by regional trains covered by the Deutschlandsemesterticket. The Essen campus, built in the 1970s, is a complex of high-rise blocks around a green centre on the northern edge of the city centre. About one in five students is international, and the university runs dedicated support for first-generation students. Housing is mainly through the Studierendenwerk's residence halls and the private market.
- The Deutschlandsemesterticket, included in the semester fee, covers local and regional transport across Germany.
- 37,298 students, 21% of them international, most of them from Asia.
- The university's botanical garden is on the Essen campus.
- The alumni network InfinitUDE connects graduates with current students.
Housing. UDE has no guaranteed housing; students apply to the Studierendenwerk Essen-Duisburg's residence halls or look on the private market with the help of UDE's housing pages.
Location
Duisburg and Essen are neighbouring cities in the Ruhr, Germany's largest urban region, a former coal and steel area that has been remodelled around services, universities and culture. The two cities are next to each other on the regional rail network, and the semester ticket covers travel across the region, so students can easily reach Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Cologne.
Nearest airport: Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
Notable alumni
- HK Hannelore KraftMinister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia (2010-2017); studied economics at the Comprehensive University of Duisburg
- GW Gorden WagenerChief design officer of Daimler/Mercedes-Benz; studied industrial design at the university in Essen
- DN Dieter NuhrCabaret artist and comedian; studied art and history in Essen and earned a teaching degree
- PK Petra KammerevertMember of the European Parliament; studied sociology and political science in Duisburg
- MK Moritz KörnerFree Democratic Party politician and Member of the European Parliament; master's degree (2017) from the NRW School of Governance, part of UDE's Institute of Political Science
- CB Cornelius BoerschSerial entrepreneur and business angel; doctorate from the University of Essen
- FT Frank T. RothaermelStrategy professor at Georgia Tech and textbook author; M.Sc. from the university
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Duisburg-Essen charge tuition for international students?
No. There are no tuition fees for EU or non-EU students; everyone pays the semester contribution, which is 367.80 euros for winter 2026/27 and includes a Germany-wide public transport ticket.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at UDE?
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German. The International Studies in Engineering (ISE) bachelor's degrees have a first year taught entirely in English and are about half English, half German overall.
Do I apply to UDE through uni-assist?
Yes, if you are a non-EU applicant for a German-taught bachelor's (including Medicine) or an ISE bachelor's. EU applicants with German C1 and German-educated applicants apply directly through UDE's portal, and most master's applicants use UDE's portal.
What is the application deadline at UDE?
For non-EU applicants to the winter semester, 15 June for restricted (NC) programmes and 31 July for unrestricted programmes, with applications opening on 1 May.
What level of German do I need for UDE?
Most international applicants need DSH 2 or an equivalent such as TestDaF 4 in all sections. ISE bachelor's students need German and English at B1 on enrolment.
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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