Germany State of Hesse Darmstadt

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

Hochschule Darmstadt

University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) in Darmstadt (with a second campus in Dieburg)

Tuition: Free Admission: EasyGerman (German programmes)IELTS 6.0+TOEFL iBT 100 Scholarship available

Campus/City Darmstadt

1971

Year Founded

Public

University Type

01

About the University

A large, well-established University of Applied Sciences in the Rhine-Main region, notable for a genuinely substantial cluster of English-taught creative/media bachelor's programmes (Animation and Game, AR/VR Design, Motion Pictures) - a stronger English-bachelor's offering in this specific niche than most other Fachhochschulen in this database. Part of the HAWtech alliance of technically-oriented German Universities of Applied Sciences and the EUt+ (European University of Technology) alliance.

Applied computer scienceCommunication and mediaSustainable transformation / energy managementAnimation, game design and interactive media

02

Study Programmes

Faculties and English-taught programs — the most important section for international applicants.

Faculties

Engineering Sciences
Mathematics and Natural Sciences (incl. Computer Science and Data Science)

17000

Students

70

Programmes

10

English Programmes

Free

Tuition Fee

0 viewsInformation verified from official sources — Last checked: July 1, 2026

Computer Science / Information Science and Informatics

Economy and Society

Architecture, Media and Design

10+ English programs

Includes fully English bachelor's — no German required

Animation and Game
Fully English
Bachelor (B.A.)
Augmented and Virtual Reality Design
Fully English
Bachelor (B.A.)
Motion Pictures
Fully English
Bachelor (B.A.)
Animation and Game (Direction)
Fully English
Master (M.A.)
Expanded Media
Fully English
Master (M.A.)
International Media Cultural Work (IMC)
Fully English
Master (M.A.)
Media, Technology and Society
Fully English
Master (M.Sc.)
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology — International
Fully English
Master (M.Sc.)
Master of Business Administration
Fully English
MBA
Mechatronics
Master (M.Sc.)

English-taught programmes are primarily at master's level. Check the university's degree-finder for the full up-to-date list.

03

Admission Requirements

Application Method

First-semester bachelor's applicants register via hochschulstart (for relevant nationally-coordinated programmes) then apply via the university's own my.h-da portal; higher-semeste

German (German programmes)

DSH or TestDaF

English (English programmes)

IELTS 6.0+ / TOEFL iBT 100

Admission Level

Low to Moderate

Application Deadlines

Winter SemesterStandard Hesse public-university deadlines apply per programme (exact dates listed on the official '

Summer SemesterA number of programmes (mostly master's and some bachelor's, e.g. Applied Mathematics, Computer Scie

Tip

Deadlines vary by individual programme and admission type (open/free, N.C., or aptitude test) - always confirm on the specific programme's own page via the study programmes finder.

Application Steps

1
Choose Programme
2
Check Documents
3
Submit Application
4
Receive Decision

1
Choose Programme
2
Check Documents
3
Submit Application
4
Receive Decision

04

Tuition & Costs

Free

Tuition Fee

None. Hesse is a tuition-free state for both German/EU and non-EU international students at public universities.

€401 for winter semester 2025/2026 (composition: €103.00 student union fee, €2.71 culture ticket, €15.51 student body fee, €50.00 administration fee, €226.80 nationwide semester ticket (Deutschlandsemesterticket), €2.98 rental bike system contribution) - not applicable to exchange students

Semester Contribution

€140–€160 per month for public health insurance (for students under 30)

Health Insurance (est.)

Dormitory / Living Cost (est.)

All figures are estimates — verify on the university's official pages before making decisions.

05

Student Life

Campus

Main campus in Darmstadt with an additional campus in Dieburg.

City

Darmstadt is a designated 'City of Science' about 30 minutes from Frankfurt in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region, home to major research institutions (three Fraunhofer institutes, GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, ESA/ESOC - the European Space Operations Centre) and R&D departments of companies such as Merck and Software AG.

Transport

Semester fee includes the nationwide Deutschlandsemesterticket and a rental bike system contribution

International Students

The university hosts around international students.

06

Scholarships

DAAD Scholarships

General DAAD scholarship database applies (https://www.daad.de/en); h_da references full scholarships for semesters or internships abroad in the US (Wisconsin, Massachusetts) among its own promoted opportunities.

Deutschlandstipendium

Not explicitly detailed on the specific pages reviewed in this research session; general Deutschlandstipendium information should be checked via h_da's official study-financing pages.

University Scholarship

Scholarships and grants information available via h_da's 'Study financing opportunities' page

07

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Member of the HAWtech alliance of German Universities of Applied Sciences with a technical focus
Founding partner in the EUt+ (European University of Technology) alliance, working toward deeper integration with eight European partner institutions
Located in Darmstadt, a designated German 'City of Science', home to Fraunhofer institutes, ESA/ESOC (European Space Operations Centre), and the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research

Points to consider

German: required for all German-taught programmes (the large majority); specific certificate types per programme
English: required for English-taught programmes; creative/portfolio-based aptitude tests additionally required for Animation and Game, AR/VR Design, and Motion Pictures bachelor's programmes

Ideal for

Bachelor's applicants specifically interested in animation, game design, AR/VR design, or motion pictures/film as English-taught, portfolio-based creative programmesMaster's-level applicants interested in electrical engineering/IT, media technology and society, or international media cultural workStudents who want a research-active Fachhochschule embedded in a major German science and technology hub near FrankfurtStudents seeking no-tuition study in Hesse with genuinely diverse programme options across engineering, computer science, business, and creative media

08

Official Links

Always verify final information from these official sources.

Official Website

h-da.de/en

Admissions

h-da.de/en/studies/study-programmes/application-procedure

Degree Finder

h-da.de/en/studies/study-programmes

International Office

h-da.de/en/international

Accommodation

h-da.de/en/studies/where-students-chill-out/accommodation

Scholarships

h-da.de/en/studies/advisory-service/study-financing-opportunities

Verified sources (6)

09

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Attention

Third-party aggregation indicates roughly 65% of h_da's programmes have open (non-N.C.) admission per the university's own programme-finder data (many programmes marked 'free' rather than 'NC'). Some programmes are N.C.-restricted (e.g. Architecture,

09