Germany · North Rhine-Westphalia
Study in Aachen in English: RWTH, engineering careers and costs
If your field is engineering, computer science or energy, few places in Europe beat Aachen. It is built around RWTH Aachen University, one of the continent’s leading technical universities, with one of Germany’s largest ranges of English-taught engineering master’s and an unusually tight research-to-industry pipeline. It is an affordable student town sitting right where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet.
Why Aachen
A specialist technical city where your degree sits next to the industry that hires for it.
- RWTH Aachen University: one of Europe’s top engineering and technology universities, and one of Germany’s prestigious “Universities of Excellence”
- A vast research ecosystem: the RWTH Aachen Campus, Fraunhofer institutes and strong automotive, energy and production engineering
- Industry on the doorstep: Ford, e.GO, and a dense network of engineering and mobility firms
- A true student town in the Euregio, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands
Universities & English-taught programmes
Strong, specific subject strength - exactly the “top for one field” situation worth choosing for.
- RWTH Aachen: many English-taught master’s in mechanical, electrical, automotive and production engineering, computer science, data and energy
- FH Aachen (University of Applied Sciences): practice-oriented, industry-linked programmes, some in English
- World-class for engineering research, with direct access to labs and institutes from master’s level
- Most bachelor’s are taught in German (C1 / TestDaF); English-taught study is concentrated at master’s level
Career prospects & ROI
One of the strongest links between a university and its employers anywhere in Germany.
- Industry connections: automotive, mechanical engineering, energy and a growing mobility-tech scene recruit RWTH graduates directly
- Working-student roles and internships with local and national engineering firms are a realistic, well-trodden path
- Post-study work: an 18-month residence permit to find a job, then a work permit or EU Blue Card - engineering skills are in high demand across the EU
- A specialised RWTH degree travels exceptionally well internationally in engineering and tech
Cost of living in Aachen
Estimates for the 2026 academic yearA student in Aachen should budget around 1.035 € a month. The heaviest line by far is rent: a room in a shared flat goes for about 430 €, and most land between 350 € and 550 €.
- Room in a shared flat usually 350 € – 550 €
- 430 €
- Food and groceries
- 250 €
- Student travel pass
- 40 €
- Health insurance
- 130 €
- Phone, internet, electricity
- 75 €
- Books, sport, going out
- 110 €
- Monthly total
- 1.035 €
Ranked 3 of 12 on cost among the cities we cover in Germany, cheapest first.
Cheapest on our list: Duisburg, at about 955 € a month. →What things cost here, against the EU
Across the whole shopping basket Germany sits at 109.1, where the EU average is 100 (2024).
EU average = 100
Consumer prices rose 2.3% over 2025.
Prices in Nordrhein-Westfalen
- Consumer prices +2.0% (2025)
- Net rents +1.7% (2025)
- Household electricity 0.44 € per kWh (2025)
Where these numbers come from
The monthly budget is our own estimate, compiled from what student unions, universities and national student services publish. Use it to plan with — it is not a quote.
The price levels, inflation and rent figures are published statistics: Eurostat purchasing power parities and, for German states, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
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What it costs
Top-tier engineering opportunities without big-city prices.
- Tuition: public universities in North Rhine-Westphalia charge no tuition fees - only a semester contribution of around €300, including a transport ticket
- Living costs: about €850–€1,100/month - one of the more affordable major student cities in Germany
- Blocked account (Sperrkonto) for the visa: around €11,900 for the year (about €992/month)
- Part-time work: 140 full or 280 half days a year (roughly 20 hours a week); public health insurance about €130/month
Life, safety & culture
A compact, international student town with three countries within reach.
- Daily language is German; the research community is highly international and English is common in labs - still, B1 German helps for daily life and jobs
- A walkable, bike-friendly city dominated by its student population
- Safe and student-oriented, with strong public healthcare via statutory student insurance
- On the border: easy trips to Belgium and the Netherlands, and fast trains to Cologne and the Rhine-Ruhr region
How to apply & the bureaucracy
RWTH and FH Aachen apply through uni-assist or their own portals - start early.
- Apply via uni-assist or the university directly; deadlines are typically 15 July (winter) and 1 March / 15 January (summer) - check each programme
- English-taught programmes accept IELTS/TOEFL; German-taught ones need TestDaF or DSH
- Check anabin/DAAD recognition of your secondary certificate - some nationalities need a Studienkolleg first
- After admission, open the blocked account and book the student-visa appointment immediately; allow 6–12 weeks
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