Address: Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Process Sciences
Founded in 1879 (with earlier roots), TU Berlin is one of Germany’s largest and most internationally renowned technical universities, located in the capital city.
The Technische Universität Berlin, TU Berlin, traces its roots to schools founded in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and its modern form comes from a merger of the Bauakademie and the Gewerbeakademie in 1879 as the Royal Technical College of Berlin in Charlottenburg. It re-opened in 1946 as the Technical University. It has about 35,000 students and 8,000 staff, and around 30 percent of the students come from abroad.
The main campus is in Charlottenburg, near the Tiergarten and the Zoo station, and the university also runs the EUREF campus in Schöneberg, a testing ground for energy and mobility. Engineering, architecture, urban planning, computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, economics and the humanities are taught across seven faculties. Konrad Zuse, who built early programmable computers, studied civil engineering at the predecessor, and Ernst Ruska developed the electron microscope there in the 1930s.
Research is closely linked with industry and with other institutions of the capital. TU Berlin hosts BIFOLD, a national centre for machine learning and data management, and runs strong programmes in energy systems, transport, process engineering and sustainable construction. The university is a partner in the Berlin University Alliance, which holds University of Excellence status, and works with the Fraunhofer institutes and companies such as Siemens in the city.
Public universities in Berlin charge no tuition for most students, but a semester contribution of a few hundred euros includes a regional transport ticket. Check the current tariff. Bachelor’s programmes are mostly in German, while many master’s programmes are in English. Technical subjects such as architecture and informatics may have limited places.
Berlin offers a large pool of start-ups and research institutes, which helps students find internships, and several faculties run joint projects with companies in the city. Housing is difficult, so early applications to Studentenwerk residences are advised.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Ergonomics and UX, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Sound Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of TU9, T.I.M.E., CESAER, EUA. Numerous international partnerships and collaborations with Berlin’s research landscape and startup scene.
Research:
Digital Transformation & AI, Sustainable Energy Systems & Urban Development, Human-Machine Systems & Robotics, Materials Science & Manufacturing.
Famous Alumnis:
Carl Bosch, Gustav Hertz, Eugene Wigner, Dennis Gabor
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8000
Current students***:
35000
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Located in Berlin (major innovation hub), strong international profile, wide range of engineering and science programs, active entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Cons
Very large university, can be anonymous, bureaucracy, campus facilities vary in age.
Best For
Major international technical university in Berlin, strong in engineering, computer science, and process sciences.
Technische Universität Dortmund follows much the same lines as this university, with logistics, transportations and quality as common ground, and it covers microbiology and genetics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 33,000 students.
Technische Universität München takes a similar route through aerospace, food science and transportations, and it covers microbiology and genetics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 48,000 students against roughly 35,000 here.
Technische Universität Darmstadt takes a similar route through aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 25,000 students against roughly 35,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts sound engineering, ergonomics and UX and logistics at the centre is Technische Hochschule Köln, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers metrology as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Harbin Institute of Technology in China pursues a similar profile in aerospace, transportations and quality, and it has almost the same size, at about 35,000 students, and is also a public institution.
On content, Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands and this university are close, as both teach aerospace, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it is slightly smaller, at about 27,500 students against roughly 35,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Warsaw University of Technology, in Poland, takes a similar route through aerospace, transportations and quality; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers metrology as well.
Nantes Université (France) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly sound engineering, aerospace and food science; it covers astroscience and marine science as well, and is slightly larger, at about 43,000 students against roughly 35,000 here.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich in Switzerland, where aerospace, food science and quality also form the core, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers metrology and astroscience as well.
*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 TU Berlin?
The main campus is in Charlottenburg, around Straße des 17. Juni 135, near the Tiergarten.
How large is TU Berlin?
About 35,000 students and 8,000 staff, with around 30 percent of students from abroad.
When was it founded in its present form?
In 1879, by merging the Bauakademie and the Gewerbeakademie, and it re-opened in 1946.
What is TU Berlin known for?
Engineering, architecture, urban planning, computer science, mathematics and natural sciences.
Who studied or worked there?
Konrad Zuse studied civil engineering at the predecessor, and Ernst Ruska developed the electron microscope there.
What is BIFOLD?
A national centre for machine learning and data management hosted at TU Berlin.
What is the EUREF campus?
A campus in Berlin-Schoeneberg used as a testing ground for energy and mobility.
Is there tuition?
Public universities in Berlin charge no tuition for most students. A semester contribution applies. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly in German at bachelor level, with many master's programmes in English.
Is housing easy in Berlin?
No. Rents have risen, so early applications to Studentenwerk residences are advised.
*: 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.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
