Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung und Finanzen Ludwigsburg

About Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung und Finanzen Ludwigsbu

The Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung und Finanzen Ludwigsburg (HVF Ludwigsburg) is a highly specialised public-sector University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) in Baden-Württemberg. Its entire academic offering is oriented towards the German public service: bachelor-level programmes train candidates for the higher intermediate civil service (gehobener Dienst) in public administration, tax administration, pension insurance, and public financial management, while master programmes cover Public Management and European Administrative Management.

The institution was established in its current form on 1 September 1999 through the merger of the Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung (founded 1973, originally in Stuttgart) and the Fachhochschule für Finanzen Ludwigsburg. It is the largest university dedicated to the public service in Baden-Württemberg, with approximately 2,600 students enrolled and a distinctly vocational character: bachelor students hold civil servant on probation (Beamter auf Widerruf) status from day one and receive a trainee allowance, making conventional tuition the exception rather than the rule.

Because all programmes are in German and tightly linked to Baden-Württemberg's civil service recruitment process, international students from outside the EU are admitted primarily through institutional exchange partnerships rather than open-enrolment pathways. The student body is 1.3% international, reflecting this specialised mandate.

Key facts

Founded: 1973
Students: 2,594
International: 1.3% (WS 2024/25)
Faculties: 2

Largest public-service university in Baden-Württemberg

Bachelor students hold salaried civil-servant-on-probation status and receive a trainee allowance — no tuition to pay

50 years of history training public administration professionals (founded 1973)

Small teaching groups enabling intensive lecturer–student interaction

Two master programmes: Public Management (MPM) and European Administrative Management (MEPA)

Active Erasmus+ and Baden-Württemberg-Stipendium exchange partnerships for international mobility

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

Bachelor programmes carry no tuition: students receive a trainee allowance (Anwärterbezüge) as civil servants on probation. Master of Public Management (MPM) and Master Europäisches Verwaltungsmanagement (MEPA) charge programme fees set by institutional fee regulations (Gebührensatzung; verify current amounts at hs-ludwigsburg.de). Baden-Württemberg's €1,500/semester non-EU surcharge applies for non-civil-servant enrolments; in practice most enrolments are through the civil service track. A student services contribution (Studierendenwerksbeitrag) is levied each semester.

Admission requirements

Bachelor programmes: applicants must be admitted through Baden-Württemberg civil service recruitment bodies (Einstellungsbehörden) — they apply directly to employing public authorities, not to the university. Entrance is therefore not open-market; candidates must pass a civil service selection process. German language proficiency B2 is required. APS certificate is not applicable since international students are not recruited through the standard civil service pathway. Master programmes (MPM, MEPA): aimed at practising civil servants or graduates with a public-law first degree. German B2 minimum; individual programme requirements apply. Exchange/incoming students (via Erasmus+ or bilateral agreements) may enrol for one to two semesters; German B2 required.

Languages of instruction

All programmes taught in German. German B2 is the minimum language requirement for admission (B2 or above required for both bachelor and master programmes; English possible on request for some master content).

Campuses & locations

Ludwigsburg (main campus)

Reuteallee 36, 71634 Ludwigsburg — all teaching and administrative facilities

Living in Baden-Württemberg

Ludwigsburg is a Baroque residential city of approximately 91,000 inhabitants in northern Baden-Württemberg, around 15 km north of Stuttgart and well connected by S-Bahn (S4/S5). The city is known for the Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg — one of Europe's largest Baroque palace complexes — and hosts four specialist higher-education institutions including a film academy and a university of education. Living costs are moderate compared to Stuttgart, and the city centre offers a compact range of cafes, restaurants, and cultural venues within walking distance of the HVF campus.

Student life & support

Student life at HVF is shaped by the civil-servant-in-training character of bachelor programmes: students share cohorts, attend classes in small groups, and move through alternating theory and practical phases together, fostering a close-knit atmosphere. The AStA (student council) organises semester kickoff parties (Ersti-Party), a guided bar crawl (Kneipentour), a summer and winter festival, and film screenings. The university offers Hochschulsport activities including football, volleyball, cheerleading, yoga, and ballet. Library facilities include 24-hour study access. Disability support and academic advising are available through the Studienabteilung.

International Office: International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus

Master