University of Duisburg-Essen

About University of Duisburg-Essen

The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is one of Germany's larger public universities, with around 40,000 students. It was created in 2003 by merging the universities of Duisburg and Essen, and it traces its history to a university founded in Duisburg in 1654.

UDE has strong engineering, natural science and medicine faculties, and it is part of the University Alliance Ruhr with the universities of Bochum and Dortmund. About one in six of its students comes from abroad.

Founded

2003 (roots from 1654)

Type

Public

Students

About 40,000

Campuses

Duisburg and Essen

Network

University Alliance Ruhr

Rankings & recognition

UDE was ranked 251–300 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 and 301–400 in ARWU 2023.

Location: Essen, Germany

Essen, Germany

UDE has two campuses, in Duisburg and in Essen, in the Ruhr area of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Ruhr is one of Europe's largest urban regions, so there are many cities, jobs and transport links nearby, and Düsseldorf is a short train ride away.

For international students

UDE welcomes students from Pakistan, especially for English-taught master's programmes in engineering and the sciences. Most programmes start in October, and some also in April.

Public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland do not charge tuition fees for most degree programmes, including for students from Pakistan; you only pay a semester contribution (usually a few hundred euros per semester), which often includes a public transport ticket. For the German student visa you will need your admission letter, proof of funds (usually a blocked account, "Sperrkonto", covering one year of living costs) and health insurance.

Frequently asked questions