Engineering (Mechanical; Electrical; Informatics), Natural Sciences (Physics; Chemistry), Life Sciences & Health
Founded in 1868, TUM is one of Europe’s leading research universities, particularly strong in engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, and medicine, with a strong entrepreneurial focus.
The Technical University of Munich, TUM, was founded in 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and has grown into one of the leading universities of technology in Europe. It has about 48,000 students and 10,000 staff, and roughly 40 percent of students come from abroad. The main site is on Arcisstraße in the city centre, with large campuses in Garching for engineering and natural sciences, Weihenstephan near Freising for life and agricultural sciences, and further sites in Heilbronn and Straubing.
Rudolf Diesel and Carl von Linde are linked to the early history of the school, and later generations produced Nobel laureates in chemistry and physics. Engineering, informatics, mathematics, physics and chemistry make up the core, while medicine is run with the clinic Rechts der Isar, and management and social sciences have a growing role. The Garching campus holds the research neutron source FRM II and the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre.
TUM has been a University of Excellence since 2006 and is known for its link with industry. UnternehmerTUM, an innovation centre on the Garching campus, supports start-ups and has helped to create a large number of companies in Munich. Partnerships with firms such as Siemens, BMW and Airbus are part of everyday research life, and a branch in Singapore, TUM Asia, offers degrees abroad.
Tuition was long free, but the university has introduced fees for many students from outside the EU, so applicants should check the current rules before applying. All students pay a semester contribution. Bachelor’s programmes are mostly in German and require proof of the language, while many master’s programmes are taught in English. Admission is selective, with aptitude tests in some subjects.
Student life in Munich is costly, and rooms are in short supply, which makes early planning important. The Garching campus has its own residences and a subway line to the city.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of TU9, EuroTech Universities Alliance, EUA, T.I.M.E. Extensive global partnerships (e.g., MIT, Stanford, ETH Zurich) and strong industry collaborations (e.g., BMW, Siemens, Audi).
Research:
AI & Robotics, Quantum Engineering, Biotechnology & Health, Sustainable Energy & Circular Economy, Aerospace & Geodesy.
Famous Alumnis:
Rudolf Diesel, Carl von Linde, Gerhard Ertl, Wolfgang Ketterle
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10000
Current students***:
48000
Foreign students***:
40%
Cumulative former students***:
250000
Pros
Top-ranked globally, excellent research facilities, strong industry links, vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, high number of English-taught programs.
Cons
Highly competitive, large student body, high cost of living in Munich.
Best For
Excellence in engineering and science research with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Where this institution leans on aerospace, food science and transportations, Technische Universität Berlin does the same, and it is slightly smaller, at about 35,000 students against roughly 48,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Technische Universität Darmstadt is the closest domestic counterpart for aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics; it is smaller, enrolling about 25,000 students against roughly 48,000 here, and is also a public institution.
The comparison with Leibniz Universität Hannover is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers metrology and astroscience as well.
Where this institution leans on aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen does the same, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
A good alternative in the same country is Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, which likewise covers bioinformatics, geotechnics and nanotechnologies; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Tsinghua offers an international parallel to this university, with aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics as common ground; it also offers mba programmes and covers signal processing as well.
Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands pursues a similar profile in aerospace, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it is smaller, enrolling about 27,500 students against roughly 48,000 here, and is also a public institution.
UTokyo (Japan) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics; it covers astroscience and marine science as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 28,000 students against roughly 48,000 here.
Seen from abroad, Université Grenoble Alpes (France) is a close relative on subject matter, since aerospace, food science and transportations are central to both, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Université Paris-Saclay (France) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly aerospace, food science and transportations; it covers astroscience and signal processing as well, and has almost the same size, at about 48,000 students.
*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 TUM?
The main site is at Arcisstraße 21 in Munich. Large campuses are in Garching and Weihenstephan, with further sites in Heilbronn and Straubing.
How large is TUM?
About 48,000 students and 10,000 staff, with around 40 percent of students from abroad.
When was it founded?
In 1868, by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
What is TUM best known for?
Engineering, informatics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences and medicine.
Is TUM a University of Excellence?
Yes, it has held the title since 2006.
What is UnternehmerTUM?
An innovation and start-up centre on the Garching campus that supports new companies.
Does TUM charge tuition?
The university has introduced fees for many students from outside the EU. Check the current rules and amounts before applying. All students pay a semester contribution.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly German at bachelor level, with many master's programmes in English.
Is admission selective?
Yes. Some subjects have aptitude tests, and international applicants must provide certified documents.
*: 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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