Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung

About Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung

Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung (HfGG) is a small, state-recognised private university in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Originally founded in 2014–15 under the name Cusanus Hochschule and renamed in April 2023, it operates as a non-profit foundation (Cusanus Treuhand gGmbH) and focuses exclusively on socially transformative education. The university had 141 enrolled students in WS 2024/25, making it one of Germany's smallest accredited higher-education institutions.

All programmes are centred on the interdisciplinary field of Social Design: understanding economic and societal systems, designing change processes, and cultivating new mindsets. Teaching takes place in intensive block seminars, so students can live anywhere in Germany and travel to Koblenz periodically. The campus occupies the historic Dreikönigenhaus (built 1701, UNESCO World Heritage buffer zone) in Koblenz's old town.

Despite its size, HfGG students rank among the highest nationally in Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes scholarship recipients per capita (2nd nationally as of March 2025), and the university offers its own Studies4Future scholarship for students with financial need.

Key facts

Founded: 2015
Students: 141
International: 7.8% (WS 2024/25, preliminary)

Only German university with all programmes focused on Social Design and societal transformation

Small cohort size (141 students WS 2024/25) enabling high student-faculty contact

Block-seminar format — live anywhere in Germany, attend Koblenz intensives periodically

No NC (numerus clausus) — admission based on motivation and fit, not grade cutoffs

2nd nationally in Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes scholarship recipients per capita (March 2025)

Campus in a UNESCO World Heritage buffer-zone building in Koblenz's historic old town

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

HfGG is a private non-profit institution and charges tuition fees. Semester contribution: €2,400/semester. Additional mandatory fees: solidarity contribution for student housing €90/semester; Deutschlandticket (national rail pass) €208.80/semester. One-time enrolment fee: €150. Total cost for the Bachelor (6 semesters): approximately €16,193; Master (4 semesters): approximately €10,795. No distinction between EU and non-EU fees is published. BAföG-eligible. Internal Studies4Future scholarships and Deutschlandstipendium (€300/month) available.

Admission requirements

HfGG operates rolling admissions with no numerus clausus (NC). Applications are accepted year-round; earlier applications are encouraged as places are allocated on a first-come basis. Intake is once per year at the start of the winter semester (October). For the Bachelor of Arts (Social Design: Next Economy), a general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur or equivalent) is required. For the Master of Arts (Social Design), a first university degree plus at least 30 ECTS of economics-related coursework are required; interdisciplinary backgrounds are considered individually, and a bridging module (15 ECTS) is available in the first semester. For the MBA (Social Design), relevant professional experience is required. The institution does not publish specific German-language certificate thresholds on its website, but all programmes are taught in German, making a strong command of German (typically C1) essential in practice. Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants require an APS certificate before applying for a German student visa.

Application deadlines

Rolling admissions — no fixed deadline. Enrolment for WS 2025/26 is open. Study start is winter semester only (October). Early application recommended to secure a place.

Languages of instruction

German (primary language of instruction for all programmes). No English-taught programmes offered.

Campuses & locations

Dreikönigenhaus Campus, Koblenz

Kornpfortstr. 15, 56068 Koblenz — historic 1701 building in Koblenz old town, ~1,000 m², barrier-free access

Living in the city

Koblenz is a city of approximately 115,000 inhabitants at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is known for the Deutsches Eck monument, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage), and a well-preserved historic old town. The city has good rail connections to Cologne (~1 hour) and Frankfurt (~1.5 hours), making it accessible for HfGG's block-seminar study model where students may commute from other German cities.

Student life & support

Because most HfGG students live across Germany and attend block seminars, campus life is concentrated but intensive during seminar weeks. The student organisation Studierendengemeinschaft für Gesellschaftsgestaltung e.V. allows students to co-shape the university as a learning institution. The small cohort size fosters close community; students regularly co-organise public lectures, symposia, and open events at the campus.

Accredited Programmes

Master

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus