- Founded
- 1877
- Students
- 24,437
- International
- 28%
- Programmes
- 115
- Taught in English
- 43
About Technische Universität Darmstadt
Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) is one of Germany's leading technical universities, founded in 1877 as the first university in the world to award electrical engineering degrees. It is a member of the TU9 consortium of German technical universities and of the Rhine-Main Universities strategic alliance together with Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
As of winter semester 2025/26, TU Darmstadt enrolls 24,437 students across 13 departments and over 130 degree programmes, with an annual budget of approximately €546.7 million. The university's research is organised around three fields: Energy and Environment, Information and Intelligence, and Matter and Materials, supported by 2 Clusters of Excellence, 11 Collaborative Research Centres, and 27 active ERC Grants.
With 28% of students coming from abroad, TU Darmstadt is one of Germany's most internationally diverse technical universities. It maintains partnerships in the European "Unite!" network spanning seven countries and coordinates student exchange across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.
Founded in 1877 - the first university in the world to establish an electrical engineering faculty
Member of TU9, the consortium of Germany's nine leading technical universities
28% international students (WS 2025/26), making it one of Germany's most internationally diverse technical universities
21 fully English-taught Master's programmes including Computer Science, AI and Machine Learning, and IT Security
2 Clusters of Excellence, 27 active ERC Grants, and 11 Collaborative Research Centres
Ranked 1st worldwide in 'Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure' (THE Impact Ranking)
APS certificate required for applicants from India, China, and Vietnam
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 1877
- Students
- 24,437
- International
- 28% Bildungsauslaender (students with non-German HZB) among 24,437 students (reporting year 2025/26)
- Faculties
- 13
- Programmes
- 115
Study programmes
115 accredited degrees at Technische Universität Darmstadt, 43 of them taught in English.
Showing 25–48 of 115 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
TU Darmstadt is a public university in Hessen. There is no tuition fee for any student regardless of nationality; Hessen does not charge non-EU tuition fees (unlike Baden-Württemberg or Bavaria). A semester contribution is charged each semester to cover the student union (AStA), the Studierendenwerk social services, and a semester ticket for local public transport. The exact current amount should be verified at the time of enrolment from the official fees page; historically it has been in the range of €300-€400 per semester. Living costs are estimated at approximately €992 per month (the statutory blocked-account reference figure), covering housing (€350-€650/month in shared apartments), food, health insurance (~€130/month), and other expenses.
Admission requirements
International applicants apply via TU Darmstadt's TUCaN online portal. After submitting the online application, a printed cover sheet and supporting paper documents must be posted to the International Admissions Office (Zulassung International, Karolinenplatz 5, 64289 Darmstadt) to meet the deadline. Required documents include certified translations of school-leaving certificate, grade transcripts, and (for Master's applicants) a bachelor's degree certificate and all semester transcripts. Notarisation is not required. Language requirements: German-taught programmes require DSH-2 or equivalent (TestDaF TDN 14-15, Goethe B2). English-taught programmes require IELTS 7.0, TOEFL iBT 95, PTE Academic 76, or Cambridge CAE (lower thresholds apply for a small number of STEM programmes: IELTS 5.5 / TOEFL iBT 72). APS certificate: Required for applicants holding Indian, Chinese, or Vietnamese qualifications. Not required for doctoral programmes or credentials from Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan. Master's admission: Requires a bachelor's degree in the same or a closely related field. External applicants must submit certified proof of degree completion by 15 January (winter semester) or 1 July (summer semester). Studienkolleg: A one-year preparatory programme (T-Kurs for STEM, G-Kurs for humanities) is available for applicants not meeting direct entry requirements.
Application deadlines
Application opens 1 June for the winter semester (October start) and 1 December for the summer semester (April start). Studienkolleg applications open on 15 March and 15 September respectively. Specific closing deadlines vary by programme and are published on individual programme pages in TUCaN. Master's degree-certificate proof deadline: 15 January (winter) and 1 July (summer) for external applicants.
How international applicants apply
TU Darmstadt does NOT use uni-assist. All applicants - German and international HZB alike - apply via the TUCaN online portal; international applicants follow the TUCaN document checklist (certified translations, passport copy etc.) and submit printed documents by post where the checklist requires it. APS certificate required for applicants with Chinese, Vietnamese or Indian school/university certificates. German-language bachelor/master programmes require DSH-2 (or recognised equivalent). The TUCaN portal opens early for international applicants (from 1 March 2026 for winter semester 2026/27) to support visa and residence applications.
Languages of instruction
The majority of degree programmes are taught in German. TU Darmstadt offers 21 fully English-taught Master's programmes, including Aerospace Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Computer Science, IT Security, Physics, and Materials Science. Several additional Master's programmes use mixed German/English instruction. German-taught programmes require DSH-2 or equivalent; English-taught programmes require IELTS 7.0, TOEFL iBT 95, PTE Academic 76, or Cambridge CAE.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Technische Universität Darmstadt
11 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Deutschlandstipendium at TU Darmstadt
TU Darmstadt is among Germany's most successful universities in recruiting Germany Scholarship sponsors, using a matching procedur...
Amount: EUR 300 per month
Deadline: Next application period 21 September - 18 October 2026 (online form, a...
Bachelor, Master
EPOS Scholarship (DAAD Development-Related Postgraduate Courses)
A DAAD scholarship for professionals from developing countries pursuing development-related Master's programmes at TU Darmstadt. I...
Amount: EUR 934/month + travel + insurance
Deadline: Varies by programme, typically 6-12 months before programme start
Master
Erasmus+ Student Mobility (European Exchange)
For semester or year stays at European partner universities of TU Darmstadt, students receive a tuition-fee-waived place and an Er...
Amount: EU Erasmus+ monthly rates (varies by country group)
Deadline: Per Erasmus+ calls of the International Office
Bachelor, Master
HessenFonds Scholarship
Scholarship for refugee and at-risk researchers as well as PhD students at risk at TU Darmstadt. Part of the HessenFonds programme...
Amount: Not specified
Deadline: See HMWK / SAR website
Doctorate, Postdoc
Leistungsorientiertes Studienabschluss-Stipendium (Merit-Based Completion Scholarship)
Completion scholarship for international students who are in the final phase of their studies at TU Darmstadt and show strong acad...
Amount: Partial grant (Teilfoerderung), at least EUR 250/month
Deadline: Two application rounds per year: 01-15 April and 01-15 October
Bachelor, Master
Motivationsstipendium
Scholarship mentioned on the TU Darmstadt student life page as one of the financial support options. Details on the specific crite...
Amount: Not specified
Deadline: Contact TU Darmstadt scholarship advisory
Bachelor, Master
Prof. Sorin Huss Fund
Supports students and doctoral candidates of TU Darmstadt with childcare financing costs. Intended to relieve studying and researc...
Amount: Contribution to childcare costs
Deadline: Announced by TU Darmstadt
Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
Prof. Sorin Huss Fund (Childcare Support)
Supports students and doctoral candidates of TU Darmstadt with childcare financing costs. Intended to relieve studying and researc...
Amount: Contribution to childcare costs
Deadline: Announced by TU Darmstadt
Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
PROMOS Scholarship (Outbound Mobility)
PROMOS scholarships support TU Darmstadt students for study-abroad stays and internships abroad outside Europe. Administered by th...
Amount: Per DAAD PROMOS rates / programme-specific
Deadline: Per PROMOS / programme calls
Bachelor, Master
Scholarships for More Equal Opportunities (STIBET)
Scholarships for international students at TU Darmstadt who face financial difficulties and have to master particular challenges d...
Amount: EUR 3,000 total (6 months x EUR 500)
Deadline: Next: 10 Aug - 10 Sep 2026 (funding starts 01 Oct 2026)
Bachelor, Master
Thomas Weiland Foundation Scholarship
Full funding (oriented towards student living costs) for outstanding bachelor and master students with a STEM connection who study...
Amount: Complete funding (Komplettfoerderung)
Deadline: Twice yearly: 30 June or 31 December
Bachelor, Master
Student accommodation
What Technische Universität Darmstadt publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
The university's housing page
Deadlines and application forms are published here, and they change every intake.
Open housing pageRoom types mentioned
What that page describes. Availability varies by intake.
From the university
TU Darmstadt does not operate its own student residences; degree-seeking international students must find private accommodation. The Housing International Office (located in karo 5, Karolinenplatz 5) provides guidance, housing lists, and scam awareness advice.
Campuses & locations
Main city-centre campus; location of the International Counter (karo 5, Karolinenplatz 5) and central administration
Engineering and natural-sciences campus east of the city centre
Adjacent to the botanical garden; biology and related disciplines
Sports and physical education facilities
Aeronautics and fluid-dynamics research site
Living in Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city of approximately 165,000 inhabitants in the southern Rhein-Main metropolitan region, around 30 km south of Frankfurt am Main. It is known as a centre of science and technology - home to the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, and several Fraunhofer Institutes alongside TU Darmstadt. The city is well connected to Frankfurt Airport via bus and offers a lively student culture shaped by its large university population, with affordable living costs relative to Frankfurt.
Student life & support
TU Darmstadt does not operate its own student residences; degree-seeking international students must find private accommodation. The Housing International Office (located in karo 5, Karolinenplatz 5) provides guidance, housing lists, and scam awareness advice. Room rentals in shared apartments average approximately €500/month in Darmstadt. The International Student Services (ISS) office supports international students from pre-arrival through the full duration of study, covering visa procedures, bank account setup, health insurance, and orientation. A dedicated International Counter is available in person and via video call at karo 5. German language preparatory courses are offered through the PreCIS and PreBachelor programmes. The university also coordinates the International Summer University and a range of exchange and double-degree programmes.
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