43 Best Public Universities in North Rhine Westphalia for International Students

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North Rhine Westphalia, is one of the states in Germany you should look into if you want to study in a public university. Besides providing a path towards your academic goals, you can also enjoy various activities here to make your studies abroad all worth it. In addition, studying in North Rhine Westphalia can give you valuable insights into its people and the local culture.

There are 65 universities you can find in North Rhine Westphalia, and 43 of them are public universities. Having these many choices makes North Rhine Westphalia a great place for international students.

In this article, you’ll find out the public universities in North Rhine Westphalia, with some added information on programs, tuition, and how many international students you’ll be studying with. Let’s get started!

Rank University Location
1 RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany
2 Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
3 University of Cologne Cologne, Germany
4 University of Münster Munster, Germany
5 Ruhr University Bochum Bochum, Germany
6 University of Duisburg-Essen Duisburg, Germany
7 Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf, Germany
8 Technical University Dortmund Dortmund, Germany
9 Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
10 University of Wuppertal Wuppertal, Germany
11 University of Siegen Siegen, Germany
12 Paderborn University Paderborn, Germany
13 Folkwang University of the Arts Essen, Germany
14 University of Hagen Hagen, Germany
15 FH Münster Munster, Germany
16 FH Aachen Aachen, Germany
17 German Sport University Cologne Cologne, Germany
18 Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences Kleve, Germany
19 Cologne University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Germany
20 Academy of Media Arts Cologne Cologne, Germany
21 University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf Dusseldorf, Germany
22 Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences Sankt Augustin, Germany
23 Fachhochschule Dortmund-University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund, Germany
24 OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts Lemgo, Germany
25 Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld, Germany
26 Westphalian University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen, Germany
27 Düsseldorf Art Academy Dusseldorf, Germany
28 Hochschule für Musik Detmold Detmold, Germany
29 Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences Krefeld, Germany
30 South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences Iserlohn, Germany
31 Bochum University of Applied Sciences Bochum, Germany
32 Cologne University of Music Cologne, Germany
33 Robert Schumann Conservatory Dusseldorf, Germany
34 Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences Hamm, Germany
35 Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences Bruhl, Germany
36 University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia Gelsenkirchen, Germany
37 Protestant University of Applied Sciences Rhineland-Westphalia-Lippe Bochum, Germany
38 Diakonie University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld, Germany
39 University of Fine Arts Münster Munster, Germany
40 University of Applied Health Sciences, Bochum Bochum, Germany
41 University of Applied Sciences for the Administration of Justice North Rhine-Westphalia Bad Munstereifel, Germany
42 Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences Mulheim, Germany
43 University of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia Nordkirchen, Germany

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can International Students Study in Public Universities in North Rhine Westphalia?

Absolutely! International students in public universities in North Rhine Westphalia can pursue different program levels, but the most popular ones are bachelor’s and master’s programs.

As for tuition fees, note that these vary across specific disciplines and program levels, with some charging significantly more than others. Some public universities in North Rhine Westphalia charge no tuition fees to international students, while others charge up to 1,000 Euros.


I hope this article can help you in your search for public universities in North Rhine Westphalia. Feel free to check out the Available Programs for International Students to learn more about studying abroad.