Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe

About Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe

The Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe (State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe) is one of the oldest and most traditional art universities in Germany, founded in 1854 by Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, with landscape painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer as its first director. It is a specialised fine arts academy — not a comprehensive university — offering a focused environment of approximately 300–344 students across its programmes in Painting/Graphics, Sculpture, and Fine Arts Education.

The academy offers a Diploma in Fine Arts (with fields in Painting/Graphics and Sculpture), a teacher-education programme for Fine Arts at Gymnasium level, continuing education (Kontaktstudium), and PhD programmes. Admission is based entirely on an artistic entrance procedure; there is no numerus clausus or lottery system. All undergraduate studies begin exclusively in the winter semester (lectures from approximately 15 October).

The institution maintains 19 Erasmus+ partner universities across Europe and supports international mobility through PROMOS funding, the Baden-Württemberg Scholarship, and internal travel scholarships. Despite an internationally composed professorial body, the language of instruction is German throughout all programmes.

Key facts

Founded: 1854
Students: 344

Founded 1854 — one of Germany's oldest fine arts academies

Admission based entirely on artistic portfolio and entrance procedure, not school grades

Approximately 60 new students admitted per year — small, studio-intensive environment

19 Erasmus+ partner institutions across Europe

Non-EU tuition: €1,500 per semester (Baden-Württemberg state fee)

Located in Karlsruhe — UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

EU/EEA students and German nationals pay no tuition fees for a first degree. Non-EU international students pay a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester (Baden-Württemberg non-EU fee). Second-degree students pay €650 per semester regardless of nationality. All enrolled students pay a semester contribution comprising: administrative fee €80 + student union fee approx. €108.70 (winter 2024/25, includes semester ticket contribution) = approx. €188.70 per semester for EU students. Non-EU students: approx. €1,688.70 per semester total. Continuing education programmes and guest studentships carry separate fee schedules.

Admission requirements

Admission to the Diploma in Fine Arts and the teacher-education programme is based solely on passing an artistic entrance procedure — there is no grade threshold (Abitur grade is irrelevant) and no NC. Applicants upload digital work samples via the HISinOne online portal; physical portfolios are presented at the oral examination stage only. Approximately 60 new students are admitted per cycle. International applicants must hold a recognised university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung); Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants are subject to the APS certificate requirement before obtaining a German student visa, though the academy's own admission process does not reference APS explicitly — applicants should confirm with the German consulate in their country. Language of instruction is German; no formal German language level is stated on the public site, but functional German is required for studio participation and academic work. The application window for the winter semester 2026/27 ran 31 March – 20 April 2026.

Application deadlines

Undergraduate studies (Diploma in Fine Arts, teacher-education track) and the Kontaktstudium continuing education programme: winter semester only. Application window for WS 2026/27 was 31 March – 20 April 2026. The Master/Educator programme and some continuing education tracks may also admit for the summer semester — check the official portal for the specific cycle.

Languages of instruction

German is the sole language of instruction for all programmes, including for international students. Prospective applicants must have sufficient German proficiency before enrolment.

Campuses & locations

Main Campus

Reinhold-Frank-Straße 67, 76133 Karlsruhe — main administrative and studio building

Schloss Scheibenhardt

Satellite campus used for selected academic activities

Living in Baden-Württemberg

Karlsruhe is a city of approximately 315,000 people in the state of Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany, situated close to the French border. It is home to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and several specialised colleges, making it a university city with a substantial student population. Karlsruhe is also designated a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, a designation that connects the fine arts academy to a broader local network of media and creative institutions.

Student life & support

The academy has a student representative body (AStA and StuPa), an emergency fund for students in financial hardship, and dedicated support officers for equality and inclusion. The campus includes over 15 specialised workshops covering media from metalworking to digital media, as well as a library. Exchange students and incoming Erasmus participants are welcomed through the International Office.

International Office: International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus

Master