About Kolping Stiftungshochschule
Kolping Hochschule Köln (operated by Kolping Stiftungshochschule gGmbH) is a small, state-recognised private university in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, specialising exclusively in health and social sciences. Founded in 2019 by Kolpingwerk Deutschland, Kolping Bildungsunternehmen, and Kolpingwerk im Bistum Dresden-Meißen, it began teaching operations in the winter semester 2021/22. Despite its Kolpingwerk roots, the university explicitly states that admission and course content are non-denominational.
The university operates as a digital-presence institution (digitale Präsenzhochschule): all teaching is delivered live and interactively online each week, supplemented by in-person workshop days in Cologne every six to eight weeks. This model is designed for working professionals who study part-time alongside employment, or through a dual-study arrangement with an employer partner.
Six accredited bachelor's programmes are currently on offer — Soziale Arbeit (B.A.), Kindheitspädagogik (B.A.), Gesundheitspsychologie (B.Sc.), Gerontologie Gesundheit & Care (B.A.), Digital Health (B.Sc.), and Physician Assistant (B.Sc.) — plus a continuing-education qualification for instructors. All degrees carry full national and international recognition under North Rhine-Westphalia higher-education law.
Key facts
- Founded
- 2019
State-recognised private university specialising in health and social sciences, founded 2019
Digital-presence model: weekly live-online classes + in-person Cologne workshops every 6–8 weeks
Six accredited bachelor's programmes including Physician Assistant and Digital Health
Designed for working professionals — dual-study and part-time routes available
Transparent all-inclusive tuition with no hidden fees; employer co-funding possible in dual track
Non-denominational admissions despite Kolpingwerk affiliation
Admissions & costs
Tuition & fees
Kolping Hochschule charges tuition fees for its part-time programmes (unlike most public German universities). Three payment models are offered for a full programme: monthly instalments of €330 over 54 months (total ~€17,820), monthly instalments of €410 over 42 months (total ~€17,220), or a one-time prepayment of €16,700. No hidden fees (no registration, examination, or transfer fees). In dual-study arrangements, the employer partner covers fees fully or partially. BAföG is available only for dual-study students; part-time working students are not eligible. No separate non-EU or international student fee tier is disclosed on the official site.
Admission requirements
Applicants must hold an Abitur, Fachabitur, or fachgebundene Hochschulreife, OR a Meisterbrief / advanced vocational qualification, OR at least two years of vocational training plus three years of relevant professional experience. Applicants without a field-related background may gain admission via an aptitude assessment (Eignungsprüfung). Prior university credits and professional qualifications can be recognised to shorten study duration. The university does not publish specific entry requirements or APS/language-test requirements for international applicants on its public pages; prospective international students should contact the study advisory team directly ([email protected]). As a German-taught institution, a high level of German proficiency is an operational prerequisite even if no formal test threshold is publicly stated.
Application deadlines
No specific intake deadlines are published on the official site. The university accepts applications on a rolling basis and states that applicants receive a decision within 72 hours of submitting their online application form.
Languages of instruction
German (all programmes). No English-taught programmes listed on the official site.
Campuses & locations
Main address: Mevissenstraße 3, 50668 Köln. Weekly teaching is online; in-person workshops held here every 6–8 weeks.
Living in Nordrhein-Westfalen
Cologne (Köln) is Germany's fourth-largest city, located in North Rhine-Westphalia on the Rhine. It is a major hub for media, insurance, and healthcare industries, well-connected by rail (ICE hub) and air (Cologne Bonn Airport). The city has a large international student community and a strong social-sector job market, relevant for graduates of health and social-science programmes.
Student life & support
Given the university's fully online-first delivery model, campus social life is centred on the workshop weekends held in Cologne every six to eight weeks rather than a traditional daily campus experience. The institution is affiliated with the wider Kolpingwerk network, which runs community and social programmes across Germany. Student satisfaction scores on StudyCheck are described as consistently high, and 100% of surveyed students reported they would recommend the university.
5
Accredited Programmes
5
Bachelor/Bakkalaureus
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