About Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a public research university and member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. It was established on 1 October 2009 through the merger of Universität Karlsruhe (TH), founded in 1825, and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, founded in 1956. KIT holds the status of a University of Excellence under Germany's Excellence Strategy and is one of the nine TU9 technical universities.
In the winter semester 2025/2026, KIT enrolled 23,083 students across 112 degree programmes (45 bachelor's, 61 consecutive master's, 6 additional-training master's). The institution employs 10,131 staff, including 424 professors, and operates with a total budget of €1,223.4 million (2025), of which €513.8 million comes from third-party research funding.
KIT's academic disciplines are organised into five divisions: Biology, Chemistry and Process Engineering; Informatics, Economics and Society; Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; Natural and Built Environment; and Physics and Mathematics. Engineering Sciences account for the largest student group (14,238 students).
Key facts
- Founded
- 1825
- Students
- 23,083
- Faculties
- 5
Member of TU9 — the network of nine leading German technical universities
University of Excellence under Germany's national Excellence Strategy
Dual identity as a state university and Helmholtz Association research centre, combining teaching and large-scale research
23,083 students enrolled in winter semester 2025/2026 across 112 degree programmes
Total annual budget of €1.22 billion (2025), with €514 million from competitive third-party research funding
Over 12 fully English-taught master's programmes, covering STEM fields including Computer Science, Physics, and Biomedical Engineering
Admissions & costs
Tuition & fees
As a public university in Baden-Württemberg, KIT charges non-EU/EEA international students a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester (introduced by the state in 2017). EU/EEA students and German nationals pay no tuition. All enrolled students pay a mandatory semester contribution of approximately €184 total (€80 administrative charge + €92 Studierendenwerk/student services fee + €12 student union contribution). The Studierendenwerk semester fee includes a public-transport semester ticket for the Karlsruhe transit network. Students pursuing a second degree pay an additional €650 per semester instead of the non-EU tuition.
Admission requirements
International applicants must hold a foreign higher education entrance qualification recognised as equivalent to the German Abitur (for bachelor's entry) or a completed bachelor's degree (for master's entry). Applicants from India, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), and Vietnam are required to obtain an APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) certificate before applying; the visa will not be issued without it. German-taught programmes require proof of German language proficiency, typically TestDaF or DSH; a one-semester intensive preparatory German course (leading to the DSH examination) is offered at KIT for eligible applicants. English-taught master's programmes require proof of English proficiency. Applications are submitted via the KIT online portal. For preparatory German courses, the application deadline is 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester; master's programme deadlines vary by programme. First-semester bachelor's applicants are admitted for the winter semester only.
Application deadlines
Winter semester (Wintersemester, starts October): preparatory German course — 15 July; master's programmes — varies by programme (check individual programme page). Summer semester (Sommersemester, starts April): preparatory German course — 15 January; master's programmes — varies by programme; first-semester bachelor's intake is not available in the summer semester. KIT advises applying as early as possible as obtaining a German student visa typically takes at least six to eight weeks.
Languages of instruction
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German. A growing number of master's programmes are fully English-taught, including Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mechatronics and Information Technology, Physics, Geophysics, Meteorology and Climate Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Optics and Photonics, Water Science and Engineering, and Industrial Engineering and Management, among others. One bachelor's programme (Mechanical Engineering International) is offered in English. Several master's programmes offer English-language specialisation tracks. The KIT Language Center provides German courses for international students.
Campuses & locations
Main teaching campus in central Karlsruhe; location of the International Students Office (Building 50.20, Adenauerring 2, 76131 Karlsruhe)
Research-focused campus in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (~10 km north of the city centre); address: Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344
Academic facilities in Karlsruhe; address: Rintheimer Querallee 2, 76131 Karlsruhe
Academic facilities in Karlsruhe; address: Hertzstraße 16, 76187 Karlsruhe
Living in Baden-Württemberg
Karlsruhe is a mid-sized city of approximately 310,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany, located close to the French border and the Rhine river. It serves as the seat of Germany's Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) and Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht). The city has a strong technology and innovation ecosystem built around KIT and a cluster of research institutes and tech companies. Public transport is well developed, and the city is within easy reach of Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg by rail.
Student life & support
KIT's International Students Office (IStO), based on Campus South (Building 50.20), supports international degree-seeking students throughout the application, admission, enrolment, and integration process. The office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 09:00 to 12:00. Student housing is managed by Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe (sw-ka.de), which operates 22 student residences with approximately 2,658 rooms in Karlsruhe; demand is high and early application is recommended. The KIT Language Center offers German language courses at all levels for international students. The Studierendenwerk semester fee includes access to the Karlsruhe public transport network (semester ticket), student cafeterias (Mensen), and psychological counselling services.
129
Accredited Programmes
50
Bachelor/Bakkalaureus
79
Master
More universities in Baden-Württemberg
View all in Baden-Württemberg →AKAD Hochschule Stuttgart - staatlich anerkannt
Fachhochschulen / HAW · 88 programmes
Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg
Hochschulen eigenen Typs · 4 programmes
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau
Universitäten · 248 programmes
Allensbach Hochschule
Fachhochschulen / HAW · 5 programmes
Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg
Duale Hochschule · 89 programmes
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Universitäten · 48 programmes
Interested in Studying at
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie?
Our team can help you with the application process, documentation, and everything you need to get started.