Technical University of Berlin

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.

About the Technical University of Berlin

TU Berlin traces its roots to the Royal Mining Academy (1770), the Royal Building Academy (1799) and the Royal Trade Academy (1821). In 1879 the Trade and Building Academies merged into the Königlich Technische Hochschule zu Berlin (Royal Technical Academy).^[8]

On 9 April 1946 it was renamed Technische Universität Berlin. The university presents this date as the founding of today’s institution, a new beginning rather than a reopening.^[8]

It has seven faculties, from Humanities and Educational Sciences to Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Process Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems, Planning Building Environment, and Economics and Management.^[1] TU Berlin belongs to the Berlin University Alliance, which was confirmed in March 2026 as Germany’s first University Consortium of Excellence for a second time, with funding for 2027–2033.^[9] Among its Clusters of Excellence is MATH+, led jointly with the Free University and Humboldt University of Berlin, funded from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2032.^[9]

How is the Technical University of Berlin ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, TU Berlin is joint 158th. A news article of 19 June 2026 lists it as the eighth German university in its list, after Humboldt University (140th); TU Dresden follows at joint 185th.^[2]

TU Berlin’s own rankings page still showed the previous QS edition (145th, June 2025) when we read it, and adds the Times Higher Education ranking of October 2026 (171st worldwide, 16th in Germany) and the QS subject ranking of March 2026, where it is 24th for Architecture and 42nd for Engineering & Technology.^[10] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the Technical University of Berlin?

TU Berlin teaches in seven faculties and offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes, a pre-study orientation programme and other study offers.^[1] The statistics page gives no programme count, so we do not state one; see the list of all programmes offered.

The faculties range from engineering and the natural sciences to planning, humanities and educational sciences, and economics and management.^[1] Continuing education master’s programmes are an exception to the no-tuition rule.^[3]

How much does the Technical University of Berlin cost in 2026/27?

TU Berlin states: “There are no tuition fees to pay at TU Berlin.” Only continuing education master’s programmes are an exception.^[3] Every student pays a semester fee. For the winter semester 2026/27:^[4]

A late fee of €19.94 applies to late re-registration.^[4] Payment is by bank transfer; cash and instalments are not possible, and your personal reference is shown in the TU portal (tuPORT).^[4]

For rent and living costs in Berlin, see our Germany guide and the Study in Germany guide.

How do you apply to the Technical University of Berlin?

• Bachelor’s with a non-German entrance qualification: first check your certificate in the anabin database; the result is direct access, Studienkolleg (preparatory school) first, or no admission. Then apply to uni-assist for a preliminary review document (VPD) for TU Berlin; processing can take 4 to 6 weeks and the VPD is valid for one year. Then apply through the TU Berlin application portal with the VPD. uni-assist does not check language certificates, so you upload those directly to the TU portal.^[6]
• Master’s: all master’s programmes require you to apply first and then enrol, and applications and enrolment run through the TU portal (tuPORT). You need a first university degree, usually in the same or a related subject; some programmes add requirements such as an internship, set in the programme’s admission regulations.^[11][12]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. Check the dates and deadlines page of TU Berlin before you start.

Which language level do you need?

For bachelor’s programmes TU Berlin accepts DSH-2 or DSH-3 (officially recognised) or the final TestDaF certificate with TDN 4 or higher in all four modules. It also accepts DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C2, ÖSD C2 and telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule. Proof is always required, including for German citizens, and only the final certificate counts; attendance certificates are not accepted.^[5]

For the Studienkolleg, admission needs German at B2 (for example telc, Goethe, ÖSD, DSH-1 or TestDaF TDN 3 in all modules), and the external assessment test is at C1 level.^[5]

For master’s programmes, you must prove German skills if you apply to a German-language programme, even if some courses are in another language such as English. Some master’s programmes require other foreign-language skills.^[12] The pages we read give no English level; check the admission regulations of your programme.

More about studying in Germany

• Germany: best universities
• Study in Germany: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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