Starts in November; peaks before Lent
Cologne Carnival
Cologne, Düsseldorf
Costumes, parades and the Rose Monday procession.
Nordrhein-Westfalen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Eighteen million people, Cologne Cathedral and the Ruhr's reinvented industry
NRW is Germany's most populous state and a dense web of cities: Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Bochum, Aachen, Münster and Bielefeld are all close together. Trains run constantly, so weekend trips cost nothing on your semester ticket. With the most host universities of any state and a big Arab and Turkish community, it is an easy place to settle.
18 host universities
Study in North Rhine-Westphalia
Each guide has campus videos, the GJU entry conditions, local prices and housing links.
NW · 53757Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University · Sankt Augustin
Sankt Augustin · North Rhine-Westphalia
GPA > 75%
Open guide 
NW · 44139FH Dortmund
Dortmund · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 48149FH Münster
Münster · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B1
Open guide 
NW · 59063Hamm-Lippstadt University · Hamm
Hamm · North Rhine-Westphalia
B2 for some programmes
Open guide 
NW · 59557Hamm-Lippstadt University · Lippstadt
Lippstadt · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 33619Hochschule Bielefeld (HSBI)
Bielefeld · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B2
Open guide 
NW · 44801Hochschule Bochum
Bochum · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B2
Open guide 
NW · 47805Hochschule Niederrhein · Krefeld
Krefeld · North Rhine-Westphalia
German C1
Open guide 
NW · 50678Köln International School of Design (KISD)
Köln · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 52062RWTH Aachen University
Aachen · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 50679TH Köln · Campus Deutz
Köln · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B1
Open guide 
NW · 51643TH Köln · Campus Gummersbach
Gummersbach · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B1
Open guide 
NW · 32756TH OWL · Detmold
Detmold · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 37671TH OWL · Höxter
Höxter · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 32657TH OWL · Lemgo
Lemgo · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 44227TU Dortmund University
Dortmund · North Rhine-Westphalia
German B2about €500 extra fees
Open guide 
NW · 57068University of Siegen
Siegen · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NW · 42097University of Wuppertal
Wuppertal · North Rhine-Westphalia
No extra conditions listed
Open guide Watch
North Rhine-Westphalia on video
Travel guides, city walks and campus tours for every host city in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Calendar
Festivals & events worth your weekend
Most are free to enter. With your semester ticket, getting there on regional trains costs nothing.
August
Gamescom
Cologne
The world's largest video-game fair.
May – Sep
Rhein in Flammen
Bonn & Rhine valley
Fireworks over the Rhine.
June/July
Extraschicht
Ruhr area
One night of culture events at old industrial sites.
Late Nov – Dec
Christmas markets
Cologne, Aachen, Münster
Cologne alone has seven big markets.
Every city
Christmas markets
From late November, every town square in Germany fills with stalls, lights and roasted almonds. Look for halal crêpes and children's punch (non-alcoholic).
Explore
Things to do
UNESCO
Cologne Cathedral
Climb 533 steps to the top of Germany's most visited landmark.
UNESCO
Zollverein, Essen
A coal mine turned design and culture site.
UNESCO
Aachen Cathedral
Charlemagne's chapel, 1,200 years old.
Football
Signal Iduna Park
Borussia Dortmund's 81,000-seat stadium and its famous Yellow Wall.
City
Münster
The bicycle capital of Germany, with a beautiful old town.
Prices
What things cost in North Rhine-Westphalia
Rent changes most from city to city; everyday prices follow it a little. Pick a city to adjust the whole table.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
| Item | Price in Aachen | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees & paperwork | ||
| Semester fee | €280–420 / semester | Set by each university and includes the €226.80 Deutschlandsemesterticket. Hochschule Schmalkalden: €331.80 for winter 2026/27. |
| Blocked account payout | €992 / month | Official 2026 amount for study visas: €11,904 for 12 months. Providers charge a one-off fee. |
| Public health insurance | €141.16 / month | TK student rate for 2026, under 23. From 23 without children: €146.29. Other public insurers differ by a few euros. |
| Visa (national D visa) | €75 once | Paid at the German embassy in Amman. |
| Residence permit | €100 once | First permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Extending it by more than 3 months costs €93. |
| Broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) | €18.36 / month | Per flat, split among flatmates: €6.12 each with three. |
| Biometric photos | €10–15 once | Photo booth or drugstore (dm, Rossmann). |
| Housing extras | ||
| Deposit (Kaution) | €300–1,500 once | Dorms usually a few hundred euros; private flats up to 3 months of cold rent. |
| Home internet | €10–30 / month | Dorm LAN is sometimes extra, or split a WG contract. |
| Furniture & kitchen basics | €50–200 once | Kleinanzeigen, IKEA, leftovers from outgoing students. |
| Bedding & towels | €40–80 once | IKEA, Primark, TK Maxx. |
| Household liability insurance | €3–6 / month | Haftpflicht: cheap and strongly recommended. |
| Food & groceries | ||
| Groceries | €150–230 / month | Cooking at home, shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and Kaufland. |
| Mensa main meal | €2.50–5 / meal | Student price with your student card. |
| Bread rolls (Brötchen) | €0.40–0.80 / piece | Supermarket rolls are cheaper than bakery ones. |
| Halal chicken (1 kg) | €7–11 / kg | Turkish or Arabic supermarkets. |
| Rice (1 kg) | €1.50–3 / kg | Basmati costs more. |
| Hummus / tahini jar | €2–4 / jar | Arabic shops and big supermarkets. |
| Milk (1 L) | €1–1.30 / litre | |
| Eggs (10) | €2.50–3.50 / pack | |
| Eating out & drinks | ||
| Döner / falafel | €7–9 / meal | The student staple. |
| Pizza in a restaurant | €9–14 / meal | |
| Restaurant main course | €13–22 / meal | |
| Shawarma plate | €10–15 / meal | Arabic restaurants in bigger cities. |
| Coffee / cappuccino | €2.50–4.50 / cup | Cheaper in the Mensa café. |
| Soft drink / juice in a café | €3–4.50 / glass | |
| Water bottle (supermarket) | €0.30–0.80 / bottle | Plus a small deposit you get back. Tap water is safe to drink. |
| Ice cream scoop | €1.80–2.50 / scoop | |
| Transport | ||
| Regional trains & buses, all Germany | €0 extra | The Deutschlandsemesterticket is part of the semester fee at almost every host university: €226.80 a semester (€37.80 a month) from winter 2026/27. |
| Deutschlandticket (no semester ticket) | €63 / month | Only if your university has no semester ticket. Monthly subscription, cancel any month. |
| My BahnCard 25 (under 27) | €39.90 / year | 25% off ICE and IC tickets, 2nd class. Cancel at least 6 weeks before the year ends, or it renews. |
| ICE / IC long-distance train | €18–80 / trip | Book early for Sparpreis tickets. |
| FlixBus to big cities | €10–35 / trip | |
| Used bike | €80–200 once | Kleinanzeigen or university bike markets. Buy a good lock. |
| E-scooter ride | €3–6 / ride | Lime, Tier and Voi in bigger cities. |
| Taxi (5 km) | €15–22 / ride | |
| Flight to Amman (return) | €220–480 / return | From Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich. Book 2–3 months ahead. |
| Services & phone | ||
| Prepaid SIM with data | €8–15 / month | Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Congstar, Fraenk. |
| Bank account | €0–6 / month | Online banks (N26, DKB, C24) are usually free. |
| Haircut | €15–25 / cut | Barbers are often cheaper. |
| Laundry (dorm machine) | €1.50–3 / wash | |
| Printing (per page) | €0.05–0.10 / page | University printers with your student card. |
| Doctor visit | €0 / visit | Covered by public health insurance. Bring your card. |
| Prescription medicine | €5–10 / item | Co-payment set by law: 10% of the price, at least €5 and at most €10 per item. |
| Gyms & sport | ||
| University sports courses | €0–30 / semester | Football, volleyball, climbing, fitness: often free or almost free. |
| Budget gym (McFit, FitX, clever fit) | €20–35 / month | Check the contract length and sign-up fee. |
| Public swimming pool | €3–6 / entry | Student discount with ID. |
| Climbing / bouldering hall | €10–15 / entry | |
| Football boots / sports gear | €30–80 once | Decathlon is the budget choice. |
| Fun & activities | ||
| Cinema | €8–13 / ticket | Cheaper on discount days (often Tue or Wed). |
| Museum | €4–10 / entry | Student prices with ID; many museums are free on certain days. |
| Castle / palace visit | €5–15 / entry | |
| Bundesliga football ticket | €15–45 / ticket | Standing tickets are cheapest. Book early. |
| Escape room / bowling | €12–25 / person | |
| Student party entry | €3–10 / entry | |
| Christmas market snack | €3–6 / item | Roasted almonds, crêpes, children's punch. |
| Weekend trip (hostel + food) | €60–150 / trip | Travel is free on regional trains with your ticket. |
| Clothes & seasonal | ||
| Winter jacket | €60–150 once | You will need it from November to March. |
| Winter boots | €40–100 once | Waterproof. Snow and slush are common. |
| Rain jacket / umbrella | €15–60 once | |
| Toiletries & drugstore | €25–40 / month | dm and Rossmann. |
Housing
Dorms and trusted housing sites
Student dorms run by the Studierendenwerk are the cheapest option and include bills. Apply the day applications open.
Official student housing
Studierendenwerke in North Rhine-Westphalia
Kölner StudierendenwerkServes Cologne, Gummersbach, KISDStudierendenwerk DortmundServes Dortmund, HammAkademisches Förderungswerk (AKAFÖ)Serves BochumStudierendenwerk AachenServes AachenStudierendenwerk MünsterServes MünsterStudierendenwerk BielefeldServes Bielefeld, Detmold, Lemgo, HöxterStudierendenwerk BonnServes Bonn, Sankt AugustinStudierendenwerk DüsseldorfServes Düsseldorf, Krefeld
Search by city
WG rooms and private flats
WG-GesuchtMost usedThe main shared-flat portal in Germany. Turn on email alerts and message fast.KleinanzeigenClassifieds for rooms, sublets, bikes and cheap furniture.ImmoScout24The largest listing site for flats. Landlords often ask for a SCHUFA credit report.ImmoweltThe second big listing site for flats.Studenten-WG.deStudent-only room listings.WG-Suche.deA smaller WG portal, worth checking in smaller towns.HousingAnywherePayment protectionBook a room from Amman with payment protection. Prices are higher; few listings in small towns.
Quick dorm search for each host city
Avoid scams. Never send a deposit before you have seen the room in person or on a live video call. A "landlord abroad" who will post you the keys is always a scam. More housing advice
Internship semester
Internships in North Rhine-Westphalia
Employers in North Rhine-Westphalia that take interns in engineering, business and computer science. Click a company to search its current openings.
Ford
Cologne
European headquarters and EV plant.
Engineering
thyssenkrupp
Essen / Duisburg
Steel, materials and industrial engineering.
Engineering
Phoenix Contact
Blomberg (near Lemgo)
Electrical connection and automation technology.
Engineering
Miele
Gütersloh (near Bielefeld)
Household appliances.
Engineering
FORVIA HELLA
Lippstadt
Automotive lighting and electronics, next to HSHL.
Engineering
RWE & E.ON
Essen
Energy companies.
Engineering
Bayer
Leverkusen
Pharma and crop science.
Business
DHL Group
Bonn
Logistics, close to Sankt Augustin.
Business
REWE Group & ALDI
Cologne / Essen / Mülheim
Retail.
Business
Bertelsmann
Gütersloh
Media and services.
Business
Deutsche Telekom
Bonn
Telecommunications and IT.
Computer Science
adesso & Materna
Dortmund
IT consulting and software.
Computer Science
Vodafone Germany
Düsseldorf
Telecommunications.
Computer Science
Career fairs
- Each semesterbonding Aachen / BochumAachen, Bochum
- Usually autumnkonaktiva DortmundDortmund
- Each semester (dates vary by city)bonding company fairsAachen, Berlin, Bochum, Braunschweig, Dresden, Erlangen, Hamburg, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, Munich, StuttgartFree student-run engineering and IT fairs.
- All yearVDI Recruiting TagMany citiesEngineering recruiting days by the Association of German Engineers.
- Usually once or twice a yearYour host university's FirmenkontaktmesseOn campusAlmost every university runs its own company fair. Ask the career service on day one.
Cultural survival map
Halal food, mosques & airports
Find halal butchers, Turkish and Arab supermarkets and mosques in each host city, plus the budget airports nearby.
Nearest budget airports
- CGNCologne Bonn FlightsRyanairEurowingsS-Bahn from Cologne main station
- DTMDortmund FlightsWizz AirEurowingsWizz Air base with many Eastern European routes
- NRNWeeze FlightsRyanairRyanair airport near the Dutch border
- DUSDüsseldorf FlightsEurowingsLarge hub with many holiday routes
- EINEindhoven (Netherlands) FlightsRyanairWizz AirTransaviaBudget option from Aachen and Krefeld
Your Deutschlandsemesterticket covers the regional trains to most of these airports. What the ticket covers
Daily life
Living in North Rhine-Westphalia
Getting around
VRR (Ruhr), VRS (Cologne/Bonn), plus Westfalen and Aachen networks. Regional Express trains link everything.
Weather
Mild maritime climate: rainy, few hard frosts.
Halal food & community
One of the largest Muslim communities in Germany. Cologne's Central Mosque, Keupstraße, Duisburg-Marxloh and Dortmund Nordstadt all have halal food and Arabic shops.
Local food to try
Reibekuchen (potato pancakes) · Himmel un Ääd · Kölsch and Altbier culture · Halal döner everywhere
Tip from past students
Choose a room near a main station. With the Deutschlandsemesterticket, all of NRW becomes your campus.
Next region
Rhineland-Palatinate
