The Duisburg Inner Harbour from above with the city in the background

Studying in Duisburg

Duisburg offers you 7 degree programmes in English at 5 higher education institutions.

Duisburg is a city in transition. As Germany’s steel capital hosting Europe’s largest inner harbour, the city is still an important industrial site and a multicultural hub. At the same time, Duisburg is further expanding its cultural offers and leisure time facilities. Nature is also returning to the city. Thus, there is a lot waiting to be discovered by students – and all of that comes with moderate living costs.

Among other higher education institutions, Duisburg is home to one of the largest universities in Germany: The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) with around 42,000 students. As the name suggests, it has two campuses; one in Duisburg and one in Essen. However, the UDE students are not only spread between these two cities. Duisburg is located in the Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area, where the cities flow into each other seamlessly. Therefore, your fellow students might live in several different cities - how exciting!

Duisburg is located right at the intersection of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers and within close reach of many cities, such as Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and Essen, just to name a few. You can expect the travel from both Düsseldorf and Essen to Duisburg to take about 15 minutes by regional train. To Dortmund, you should anticipate a 30-minute regional train ride.

Duisburg’s economic standing in the region is also attractive. It is well-known that the city previously built its fortune on steel and coal. Today, it still produces a large portion of Germany’s raw steel and iron through several companies that also offer students and graduates good opportunities for their professional future. Other major industries in the Ruhr region are the chemical and textile industries for example. Electrical equipment and beer are also produced here.

Life in Duisburg

502,000 residents

High-speed train connections
In close vicinity
International airport
Düsseldorf airport in 17 km distance
Coast
North Sea in 190 km distance
Mountain range
Eifel in 100 km distance
Other countries
The Netherlands in 40 km distance
Attractions within 100 km
- Lehmbruck Museum in close vicinity
- Tiger & Turtle rollercoaster in 7 km distance
- Water skiing and wakeboarding at Lake Toeppersee in 7 km distance

Study in Duisburg

5 higher education institutions in Duisburg

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Subject groups of degree programmes in Duisburg

There is a wide range of degree programmes in Duisburg. Here you can see the main subject groups. Currently, degree programmes in Duisburg are mainly offered in the subject group Engineering Sciences, followed by Economic Sciences, Law and Humanities and Social Sciences. Find out more information here about the subject groups and degree programmes offered in Germany.

0
Agricultural and Forest Sciences
28
Humanities and Social Sciences
17
Mathematics, Natural Sciences
4
Art, Music, Design
7
Language and Cultural Studies
2
Medicine, Health Sciences
29
Economic Sciences, Law
35
Engineering Sciences
3
Teaching Degrees

View of the Tiger & Turtle staircase sculpture in the evening hours

You cannot walk the loop - gravity is inevitable - but you can enjoy the view!

The pedestrian rollercoaster “Tiger & Turtle” is a popular Duisburg landmark and photo opportunity.

With a population of around 500,000, Duisburg is the third-largest city in the Ruhr region, with real special features that can only be experienced here. These include the Inner Harbour (in German, Innenhafen), which is within walking distance of the city centre. Also described as Duisburg’s inner-city jewel, this location hosts several events like the monthly Marina-Markt farmer’s market, the yearly three-day Inner Harbour festival and the Inner Harbour run. For day-to-day attractions, you’ll find museums, numerous bars, cafés, restaurants, as well as a park here. During a stroll through the park, you can admire the reconstructed architectural ruins that now serve as an artistic installation to commemorate the harbour’s historical importance to trade and business in Duisburg. You can also see this in the mixture of older and modern buildings here.

The “Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord” is another example of this medley between the historical and the new. Here, the city’s industrial complex has been transformed into a green park with hiking routes and guided tours, retracing the former production process. The former industrial buildings have also been turned into locations to explore leisure, sports, and recreation. So, you could check out the alpine climbing garden - formerly an ore storage bunker, or even climb the high ropes course which used to be a cast house. The park’s light installation is particularly enjoyed in the evening, so bring a couple of friends and have some drinks while you take in the magical atmosphere.

The Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra is also worth a visit. The concert calendar is often filled with events and special performances or screenings. Their versatile programme will certainly keep you on your toes too, with themed events taking place in other striking Duisburg locations. Here’s a tip! Sign up for the so-called “Kulturticket”. You’ll be able to go to concerts and performances of the orchestra and see the many theatre and opera productions at Duisburg’s theatre for only a euro.

You can find more information at study-in-germany.de

For more information on living and studying in Duisburg, visit the city portraits at study-in-germany.de

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