- Founded
- 1972
- Students
- 16,816
- International
- 17.8%
- Programmes
- 296
About Universität Paderborn
Paderborn University (Universität Paderborn) is a state-funded research and teaching university founded in 1972, located in Paderborn in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is organised into five faculties covering arts and humanities, business and economics, natural sciences, mechanical engineering, and computer science, electrical engineering, and mathematics. As of November 2025, the university enrolls approximately 16,816 students and maintains 12 central scientific institutions.
The university operates as a campus university with its main site on Warburger Strasse in southern Paderborn, complemented by a technology park, two innovation campus buildings (Zukunftsmeilen 1 and 2), and a Start-up Campus OWL for spin-off ventures - with over 350 spin-offs to date. It holds third-party research funding of €69.5 million (as of December 2025) and has received the HR Excellence in Research award.
Paderborn University offers approximately 70 degree programmes plus around 166 teacher-training subject combinations. Several master's programmes are taught fully in English, particularly in STEM disciplines and business, making it accessible to international students who have not yet acquired German proficiency.
Founded 1972; 16,816 students enrolled as of November 2025
5 faculties spanning engineering, natural sciences, computer science, business, and arts
Several fully English-taught master's programmes in STEM and business - no German required for those tracks
Over 350 university spin-offs; €69.5 million in third-party research funding (2025)
No tuition fees for any nationality at this NRW public university
Application via uni-assist; winter semester deadline 31 May, summer semester 15 January
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 1972
- Students
- 16,816
- International
- ~17.8% (as of November 2025)
- Faculties
- 5
- Programmes
- 296
Study programmes
296 accredited degrees at Universität Paderborn.
Showing 1–24 of 296 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
As a public university in North Rhine-Westphalia, Paderborn University does not charge tuition fees for bachelor's or consecutive master's programmes for any student regardless of nationality - NRW abolished general tuition fees in 2011. All enrolled students pay a compulsory semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) each semester; the exact current amount is not published on the pages fetched and should be confirmed via the enrolment office. The semester contribution typically covers the student services organisation (Studierendenwerk) and a semester ticket for local public transport.
Admission requirements
International applicants must hold a school-leaving certificate or higher-education entrance qualification recognised for admission to German universities (verified via the DAAD admissions database or anabin). Applicants from India, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), and Vietnam must present a valid APS certificate issued by the German Embassy before their student visa application; Paderborn itself does not waive this national requirement. For German-taught programmes, proof of German language proficiency is required (typically DSH-2 or TestDaF TDN 4 in all four sub-tests); some English-taught master's programmes require little or no German. Applications for German-taught programmes are submitted via the uni-assist portal. Prior university credits from an H+ recognised institution may be taken into account by the relevant examination board for master's admission.
Application deadlines
For German-taught degree programmes (via uni-assist): Winter Semester - 31 May; Summer Semester - 15 January. For English-taught master's programmes (via uni-assist): Winter Semester - 31 May; Summer Semester - 30 November (supporting documents accepted until 15 January). For master's applicants completing a bachelor's degree at a German university (via internal PAUL portal): Winter Semester - 15 August; Summer Semester - 15 February.
How international applicants apply
Paderborn University appears in uni-assist's official list of member universities ('Universitaet Paderborn'); international applicants with foreign qualifications are handled via uni-assist in cooperation with the International Office (degree-student team advises on application, DSH course and enrolment). Contact [email protected]; hotline +49 5251 60-1818.
Languages of instruction
The majority of degree programmes are taught in German. A growing number of master's programmes are offered fully in English, including Computer Science M.Sc., Computer Engineering M.Sc., Electrical Systems Engineering M.Sc., International Business Studies M.Sc., Materials Science M.Sc., Additive Manufacturing M.Sc., Optoelectronics and Photonics M.Sc., Physics M.Sc., and English and American Literary and Cultural Studies M.A. German language courses are available on-site for students who need to acquire or improve their German before or during their studies.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Student accommodation
What Universität Paderborn publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
Rooms are allocated by
Studierendenwerk Paderborn
Not by the university. Apply to them directly, and expect a waiting list.
The university's housing page
Deadlines and application forms are published here, and they change every intake.
Open housing pageHousing office: [email protected]
Room types mentioned
What that page describes. Availability varies by intake.
From the university
Student housing is managed by Studierendenwerk Paderborn (stwpb.de), which administers dormitories with online application.
Campuses & locations
Warburger Str. 100, 33098 Paderborn - the central campus in southern Paderborn
Research and industry partnership facilities adjacent to the main campus
Innovation campus buildings for transfer and applied research
Dedicated space supporting university spin-offs and entrepreneurship
Student union city-centre campus facility
Living in Paderborn
Paderborn is a mid-sized city of around 155,000 inhabitants in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia, approximately 100 km east of Dortmund and well-connected by rail to Cologne, Hanover, and Dortmund. The city is notable for its Carolingian heritage, including the UNESCO-listed Paderborn Cathedral and the Pader springs, one of Germany's shortest rivers. It has a significant technology and IT industry cluster anchored by companies such as Benteler and Wincor Nixdorf, which benefits students in engineering and computer science programmes.
Student life & support
The International Office at Paderborn University provides comprehensive support for incoming international degree students, covering the application procedure, visa and arrival guidance, enrolment formalities, and integration into campus life. Student housing is managed by Studierendenwerk Paderborn (stwpb.de), which administers dormitories with online application. German language courses are available on campus for international students who need to fulfil or strengthen language requirements. The university runs an integration project called 'Friends, Job and Career' (InRegio) to connect international students with the regional labour market. An AStA (student union) with a city-centre campus offers counselling, legal and tax advisory services, and social activities.
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