VIA University College is one of Denmark’s largest university colleges, offering a wide range of professionally oriented bachelor’s degree programs. It has a strong focus on applied science and works closely with public and private sector employers.
VIA University College is one of the largest university colleges in Denmark, with about 18,500 students and 2,000 staff. It is a practice-oriented institution rather than a research university: programmes lead to professional bachelor degrees, and teaching is organised around work in companies, schools and hospitals. The campuses are spread over central and western Jutland, in Aarhus, Horsens, Viborg, Holstebro, Herning and other towns, so each has a regional focus.
Engineering, construction and design are among the main areas. The Horsens campus is the centre of engineering and technology, with programmes such as civil engineering, electronics and mechanical engineering, and the Aarhus campus offers architecture technology, construction management and design subjects. Other faculties cover teacher training, nursing and health, social education and business. The aim is for graduates to work directly in a profession on graduation.
Internships make up a significant part of every programme, and many students work with companies for months as part of their studies. Applied research is carried out with local industries in fields such as building technology, energy, digital technology and design. VIA also offers several programmes in English, including computer science, multimedia design, and international business courses.
Tuition is free for EU, EEA and Swiss students, while students from other countries pay fees for degree programmes. Admission follows the national Danish system for bachelor’s programmes and a separate application for international students. Many students receive state education support and work part-time, which fits the work-oriented design of the degrees.
The cities of Aarhus and Horsens are affordable by Danish standards, with student housing in central locations. About 60,000 people have graduated from VIA and its predecessors, and the graduates are especially in demand in regional companies and public services.
VIA has strong partnerships with municipalities, hospitals, and a wide range of companies across the Central Denmark Region for mandatory internships and applied research projects.
Research:
Research at VIA is practice-oriented and applied, aimed at developing the professions for which it educates. Research centers focus on areas like materials, construction, and educational innovation.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2000
Current students***:
18500
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
60000
Pros
Offers a wide range of professionally-oriented programs with a strong focus on applied skills and mandatory internships, leading to high employability.
Cons
As a university college, it is primarily focused on bachelor-level education and does not offer doctoral programs. It is less research-intensive than traditional universities.
Best For
Students seeking a practical, professionally-oriented bachelor’s degree with a strong emphasis on hands-on experience and internships.
UCL University College takes a similar route through industrial design, civil engineering and mechanical engineering, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's and associate degree, and covers automation and data analytics as well.
In terms of fields, Aalborg University is the nearest neighbour, with software engineering and engineering again at the core; it is also a public institution and also offers master's and doctoral programmes.
Technical University of Denmark works in much the same fields, chiefly civil engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering, and it is also a public institution and also offers master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Copenhagen works in much the same fields, chiefly centers, like and seeking, and it covers bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as well, and is larger, enrolling about 37,500 students against roughly 18,500 here.
University of Southern Denmark offers a comparable education in materials, software engineering and engineering: it also offers master's and doctoral programmes and covers robotics and ecology and sustainability as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For a study option in Hong Kong with a comparable spread of industrial design, civil engineering and materials, Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the reference point: it covers logistics and life sciences as well, and is larger, enrolling about 33,900 students against roughly 18,500 here.
If this institution is on your list for industrial design, civil engineering and mechanical engineering, AP Hogeschool Antwerpen in Belgium deserves a comparison, because it covers bioengineering and chemistry as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 14,000 students against roughly 18,500 here.
Looking internationally, Zuyd Hogeschool in the Netherlands is where industrial design, civil engineering and structural engineering get a comparable treatment; it is slightly smaller, at about 14,000 students against roughly 18,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Windesheim Hogeschool, based in the Netherlands, is built around industrial design, civil engineering and mechanical engineering much like this university, and it covers logistics and robotics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 27,500 students against roughly 18,500 here.
Seen from abroad, Munster Technological University (Ireland) is a close relative on subject matter, since civil engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering are central to both, and it has almost the same size, at about 18,000 students, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is VIA University College?
VIA has campuses in Central and West Jutland. The listed address is Campus Aarhus C, Ceresbyen 24 in Aarhus.
How large is VIA?
About 18,500 students and 2,000 staff.
Is VIA a university?
It is a university college, which means programmes lead to professional bachelor degrees and have a strong practical focus.
What can you study at VIA?
Engineering, construction, design, teacher training, nursing, social education and business, among others.
Where is engineering taught?
The Horsens campus is the main centre for engineering and technology.
Does VIA offer English-language programmes?
Yes. Several programmes, including computer science and multimedia design, are taught in English.
Is tuition free?
Yes for students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Others pay fees that depend on the programme.
Are internships part of the programmes?
Yes. Internships and company work make up a significant part of most programmes.
Is Aarhus affordable for students?
It is cheaper than Copenhagen, and VIA also has campuses in smaller towns where rents are lower.
What do graduates do?
Most go directly into professional roles in regional companies, schools, hospitals and public services.
Engineering, Materials, Project Management, Quality Management, Research and Development, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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