Private Universities in NRW (Germany): Compare by City, Subject and Cost

All private, state-approved universities in North Rhine-Westphalia at a glance

We have a total of 16 private universities listed in our database.

Which private universities are headquartered in NRW?

Over 15 private universities have their headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia – more than in any other German state. Instead of a long list of providers, here is a typology by profile: at a glance, you can see which institution fits which type of study.

• Research university: Witten/Herdecke University is Germany's oldest private university (founded 1982) and the only one in NRW with the right to award doctorates and state examinations. Human medicine, dentistry, psychology, nursing science, management and PPE (Philosophy, Politics, Economics). Reform-oriented curriculum, small learning groups and the unique “Inverse Generation Contract” funding model.
• Part-time heavyweights: FOM University in Essen is Germany's largest private university, with evening and weekend lectures – locations in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Duisburg, Aachen and Siegen. FHM University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld adds the broadest programme range in NRW.
• International business schools: CBS (Cologne), ISM (Dortmund, Cologne, Düsseldorf), IST University (Düsseldorf, sport and tourism focus). Full-time, dual or distance learning – with English-taught master programmes.
• Engineering and business specialists: TH Georg Agricola (THGA) in Bochum is NRW's cheapest private university – mechanical and electrical engineering are offered tuition-free. RH Cologne (RFH) covers the full spectrum of business, engineering and media. FHDW in Paderborn specialises in dual IT in close cooperation with regional SMEs. EBZ Business School in Bochum is Germany's only university focused on real estate.
• Social work, nursing, health: Fliedner University in Düsseldorf is diaconal in tradition – nursing, midwifery and social work are partly tuition-free. Kolping University in Cologne offers part-time social work, childhood education and health psychology.
• Art and education: Alanus University in Alfter near Bonn is unique in Germany – fine art and eurythmy are completely tuition-free, alongside architecture, art therapy and Waldorf-inspired teacher training. University of Fine Arts Essen adds photography, game art and digital media design.
• Specialists and newcomers: HFW Bonn is sponsored by the Cooperative Financial Network and trains for banking and finance. INU in Cologne is a young online university with distance programmes in psychology and business.

Where in NRW to study privately? Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr region compared

NRW is not a one-city state. Private universities are spread across the entire region – from the Rhine corridor through the Ruhr area to East Westphalia. City, rent levels and regional job market should all factor into your decision, since the locations differ significantly.

Cologne: media and business hub

Cologne hosts CBS, RFH, Kolping University and INU – plus campus locations of IU, Fresenius, Macromedia and ISM. The city is Germany's largest media hub (RTL, WDR, ProSiebenSat.1 Digital), with strong retail and a major insurance sector. Shared apartment rooms cost €450 to €600 per month – similar to Munich. For business, media, business psychology or engineering, Cologne offers the widest selection in NRW.

Düsseldorf: fashion, advertising and care professions

Düsseldorf is home to IST University (sport, tourism, event management) and Fliedner University (nursing, social work, midwifery). WHU operates its second campus here with executive MBA programmes. Düsseldorf scores with Germany's strongest fashion and advertising industries plus a solid finance hub – which also shapes internship and job opportunities. Shared apartment rooms: €450 to €650.

Ruhr region: lower rents, specialist providers

The Ruhr region offers the lowest rents in NRW and surprisingly specialised universities. In Dortmund: ISM (International Management, Fashion, Finance). In Bochum: TH Georg Agricola (engineering for under €2,300 total) and EBZ Business School (real estate). In Essen: FOM headquarters and University of Fine Arts Essen for art and game design. Shared apartment rooms: €300 to €450 – up to 40 percent cheaper than Cologne.

Bielefeld, Paderborn and the Bonn-Witten-Alfter belt

Bielefeld is home to FHM with the broadest programme range in NRW. In Paderborn, FHDW offers dual IT, business and industrial engineering – with close ties to East Westphalian SMEs (Bertelsmann, Dr. Oetker, Weidmüller). In Bonn: HFW for banking. Alanus University sits in nearby Alfter, Witten/Herdecke University between Bochum and Dortmund. Bielefeld and Paderborn shared apartment rooms: €300 to €400.

What can you study privately in NRW?

NRW covers nearly every academic field. The strongest areas are business, health, psychology and engineering. Some programmes are nationally unique: Witten/Herdecke for dentistry, TH Georg Agricola for near-free engineering, EBZ for real estate.

Medicine and dentistry – Witten/Herdecke as the only option

Witten/Herdecke University is the only private university in NRW with human medicine and dentistry at state-examination level. Private dentistry exists in Germany only here and in Brandenburg (MHB). The curriculum is reform-oriented with problem-based learning, early patient contact and small learning groups. The Inverse Generation Contract allows studying without upfront payment – tuition is repaid as a percentage of post-graduation income. Witten also offers nursing science and Community Health Nursing.

Business, management and MBA

Business is NRW's strongest field – with the largest range of providers, formats and price levels. FOM dominates the part-time segment with evening and weekend lectures. ISM and CBS offer international programmes – ISM with a tuition-free dual entry. RFH Cologne adds business law and media economics, IST University covers sport and event management as distance learning, EBZ specialises in real estate. At university level, Witten/Herdecke adds management and PPE.

Psychology and business psychology

Psychology is offered privately at several NRW universities – with clear differences in focus, format and licensing path. Only the programme at Witten/Herdecke is approbation-qualifying (allowing subsequent psychotherapy training). The cheapest entry is the pure psychology distance programme at INU. FOM and RFH offer business psychology in part-time or dual formats. For specialist psychology institutions (psychoanalytic, forensic), Berlin or Hamburg offer wider choice.

Engineering and IT – TH Georg Agricola as a price outlier

TH Georg Agricola in Bochum is a special case: funded by the RAG Foundation, it offers mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, surveying and geo-engineering completely tuition-free – cheaper than most public universities, since no semester fee in the conventional sense applies. RFH Cologne adds engineering, IT and business IT (dual from €0). FOM offers part-time industrial engineering, FHDW Paderborn dual IT with SME cooperation.

Social work, nursing and education

NRW is one of Germany's strongest hubs for social and educational programmes – led by the diaconal Fliedner University (social work and midwifery partly tuition-free), the Waldorf-inspired Alanus University and the part-time Kolping University. FHM adds social pedagogy, inclusive education and primary teaching.

Art, architecture and design

Alanus University in Alfter is unique in Germany: fine art and eurythmy are completely tuition-free, alongside architecture, art therapy and a double-major teaching degree in art. University of Fine Arts Essen offers photography, painting, sculpture, game art and digital media design. RFH Cologne adds media design at the interface with the advertising industry.

What is not available privately in NRW

Despite the breadth, some gaps remain. Law with state examination is not offered privately in NRW – Hamburg (Bucerius Law School) or Berlin (BSP) would be the next options. Natural sciences like physics, chemistry and biology are entirely missing. Architecture is available only at Alanus. Teacher training with classical state-examination is rare in private higher education in general – Alanus offers a recognised double-major in art.

What does it cost to study privately in NRW?

The price range is enormous: from completely tuition-free (TH Georg Agricola, Alanus art) to €110,400 for dentistry at Witten. Most programmes fall between €10,000 and €25,000 in total. The table below maps the main price brackets.

For comparison: at public universities in NRW, only a semester fee of around €315 applies – including the NRW-wide public transport ticket. International cost comparison: most NRW private programmes (€10,000 to €35,000 total) cost significantly less than comparable institutions in the UK (£25,000 to £50,000 per year) or the US ($30,000 to $70,000 per year). Even Witten/Herdecke medicine at €76,800 total is a fraction of US medical school tuition.

Funding and scholarships in NRW

Private study does not have to come fully out of your own pocket. Several funding paths are particularly relevant in NRW.

• BAföG: Available at all state-recognised private universities in NRW. Maximum: €992 per month (2024/25). Covers living costs, not tuition. EU citizens may qualify; non-EU students typically do not.
• Deutschlandstipendium: €300 per month, merit-based, income-independent. Most NRW private universities participate. Open to international students.
• Inverse Generation Contract (Witten/Herdecke): Study now, pay later. Tuition is repaid as a percentage of post-graduation income – a model unique in Germany. Particularly relevant for medicine and dentistry, where total upfront costs would otherwise reach six figures.
• Dual programmes (€0 tuition): ISM, CBS, FHM, Fliedner, RFH, IST and FHDW offer dual programmes where the employer covers tuition. In return, students receive a training salary. German language skills usually required.
• RAG Foundation (TH Georg Agricola): Engineering completely tuition-free thanks to foundation funding – unique in German higher education.
• Alanus art and eurythmy: Fine art and eurythmy without tuition – funded through donations and a sponsorship association.
• KfW student loan: Up to €650 per month at around 2 percent interest. Available to EU citizens and certain residence-permit holders.
• DAAD scholarships: The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships specifically for international students at all levels.

NRW as a study location: rents, job market, mobility

With around 18 million inhabitants, North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populous state – and offers the largest and most diverse job market in the country. Regional differences are substantial.

The NRW semester ticket – included in the semester fee at most universities – covers public transport across the entire VRS, VRR and NWL networks. Cologne to Düsseldorf takes 20 minutes by train, Cologne to Dortmund 75 minutes. Student life varies by region: Cologne offers Carnival and Germany's largest student community, Düsseldorf has the Altstadt and Japantown, the Ruhr region brings industrial heritage (Zeche Zollverein) and low rents, Bonn has a compact international atmosphere as the former federal capital.

Are the degrees recognised? Accreditation and transferability

All private universities in NRW are state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt). Their bachelor's and master's degrees are legally equivalent to those from public institutions like the University of Cologne or RWTH Aachen. Witten/Herdecke additionally has the right to award doctorates and state examinations in medicine and dentistry.

Programme accreditation is handled by certified agencies such as FIBAA, ACQUIN, AQAS and ZEvA. Programme accreditation is mandatory and renewed periodically. Institutional recognition is granted by the relevant state ministry (in NRW: MKW NRW). Both can be verified on each university's website – transparency reports are usually public.

International recognition of German bachelor's and master's degrees is secured through the Bologna system. For regulated professions (medicine, psychotherapy, architecture), additional recognition procedures apply in the destination country. EU and EEA degrees are typically recognised automatically; for other regions, the WES, DAAD or your home country's accreditation body provides guidance.

Studying in English at private universities in NRW

Most bachelor programmes at NRW's private universities are taught in German (B2/C1 level required). English-taught options are available, though – particularly at master's level and at international business schools.

• English-taught master programmes: ISM offers International Management, Finance and International Marketing in English. CBS has Strategic Management and International Business in English. Witten/Herdecke offers PPE and management partly in English.
• Campus providers with English programmes: IU International University has the broadest English-taught bachelor and master selection in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. Hochschule Fresenius (Cologne, Düsseldorf), SRH and Macromedia add further options.
• Visa and blocked account: Non-EU students need a student visa (apply at the German embassy before travel) and a blocked account (Sperrkonto) of at least €11,904 per year. Health insurance is mandatory (around €110 per month).
• Language requirements: English-taught programmes typically require IELTS 6.5+, TOEFL 90+ or Cambridge C1. German-taught programmes require TestDaF (TDN 4) or DSH-2.
• Application timing: Apply at least six to nine months before the semester start. Winter semester intake is in October, summer semester (where offered) in April. Visa processing alone can take 8 to 12 weeks.

Frequently asked questions about private universities in NRW