TU Darmstadt (Technical University of Darmstadt)

TU Darmstadt at a glance

The Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) is a public technical university in Darmstadt, in the German state of Hesse. Indian students mostly look at its English-taught Master's programs in computer science, AI and engineering.

Four things Indian applicants should know first:

• No tuition fee. You pay a semester fee of about €400, which includes a Deutschland-Semesterticket for local and regional trains and buses across Germany.
• You apply directly to TU Darmstadt, not through uni-assist. You apply online in TUCaN, then post the documents it lists to TU Darmstadt's international admissions office. Indian applicants need an APS certificate.
• English requirement is higher than many universities: for the MSc Computer Science it is IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 95 (or CEFR C1).
• Computer Science applicants may have to sit an entrance exam in Darmstadt, unless their documents show the required subjects or they send a GRE (Quant 165+) or GATE (750+) score.

What it really costs

Tuition: none. TU Darmstadt's funding page says that only administrative fees are charged and no tuition fees.

Semester fee. For winter semester 2026/27 the semester fee is €402.68 if paid by 15 September 2026 (€432.68 with the late fee). It is made up of:

TU Darmstadt sets the fee again every semester, so the amount can change slightly.

Living costs and the blocked account. For the German student visa you must show €11,904 a year in a blocked account, released at €992 a month. That is the legal minimum, not a comfortable budget. In TU Darmstadt's own student stories, a Master's student in Aerospace Engineering says his rent including utilities is €480 a month, his compulsory health insurance €144 a month and his total spending about €850 a month. Another student reports rents from €250 to €700 depending on location and whether you share. See our blocked account guide and total cost guide.

Health insurance is compulsory for enrolment. See our health insurance guide.

Can you reduce the cost?

• Working while you study. International students from outside the EU can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. See our guides to part-time work rules and Werkstudent jobs.
• TU Darmstadt scholarships. The university lists a Graduation Scholarship of at least €250 a month for one to six months, for students in their final thesis phase with a grade of 2.5 or better (applications 1–15 April and 1–15 October), and the Deutschlandstipendium.
• DAAD scholarships. See our DAAD scholarships guide.

Getting in: what TU Darmstadt looks at

For the English-taught MSc Computer Science (and the MSc Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which has the same rules):

1. Degree: a bachelor's degree of at least 180 ECTS credits in computer science or a related subject. At least 60 ECTS must match the entry-level subjects of TU Darmstadt's own BSc Computer Science: theoretical computer science (automata, formal languages, logic), applied computer science (algorithms, data structures, programming, software testing and security) and technical computer science (digital circuits, computer organisation). See our ECTS mapping guide and 3-year degrees in Germany.
2. English: UNIcert III, TOEFL iBT 95, IELTS 7.0 or CEFR C1. TU Darmstadt's central admissions page also accepts a university letter confirming that your degree was taught in English, but the Computer Science department lists only test scores, so ask the international admissions office before relying on one. See our English tests guide.
3. APS certificate: required for applicants with an Indian degree. See our APS guide.
4. Entrance exam, or GRE/GATE instead. If the department cannot confirm the required subjects from your documents, you must sit a 90-minute written exam on computer in English, in person at TU Darmstadt (no online option). For winter 2026/27 it was on 1 September 2026. You are exempt if you send:

- GRE: Verbal 155+, Quantitative 165+ and Analytical Writing 3.5+, through ETS (institution code 2249, department code 0402), or - GATE: 750 or more overall, by email to the department.

Scores are due by 20 August (winter) or 20 February (summer). The minimums are strict: a higher score in one section does not make up for a lower one. See our GRE guide for Germany.

1. Missing subjects: up to 30 ECTS of missing entry-level subjects can be made up with extra courses in your first two semesters.

TU Darmstadt does not offer individual eligibility checks before you apply, and asks applicants not to send module descriptions for a pre-check.

How to apply

1. Apply online in TUCaN during the application window: 1 June–15 July for the winter semester, 1 December–15 January for the summer semester. Apply early.
2. Post your documents. After you submit online, TUCaN lists the paper documents to send, with a printed cover sheet, to TU Darmstadt's international admissions office. The Computer Science department says the documents must arrive by the deadline (a postmark is not enough) and does not accept them by email.
3. Documents in English or German. Anything in another language needs a certified translation.
4. If you have not graduated yet, send a provisional certificate and semester-wise transcripts. Your final degree certificate must reach TU Darmstadt by 15 January (for a winter start) or 1 July (for a summer start).

Popular Master's programs for Indian students

• MSc Computer Science: taught in English, 120 ECTS over four semesters, with specialisations including Data Science & Engineering, Visual Computing and Distributed Computing.
• MSc Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: taught in English, 120 ECTS over four semesters, same entry rules as Computer Science.
• MSc Information and Communication Engineering (iCE): an English-taught program in the Electrical Engineering department.

TU Darmstadt is also home to research in IT security: the university describes ATHENE, run with Fraunhofer institutes, as the largest research centre for cybersecurity and privacy in Europe.

Compare TU Darmstadt with other German universities in our MS Computer Science in Germany comparison.

After you graduate

International graduates of a German university can get a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for a job, and may take any job during that time. Once you find qualified work you switch to a work permit or EU Blue Card. See our guides to the job seeker permit and the EU Blue Card.

Who TU Darmstadt is a good fit for

• A strong choice if you have a computer science degree that covers theory, algorithms and computer hardware, an IELTS of 7.0 or more, and either a strong GRE/GATE score or the means to travel to Darmstadt for the entrance exam if needed.
• Think carefully if your degree is in a different field (fewer than 60 matching ECTS), your English score is below IELTS 7.0, or you cannot be in Darmstadt in early September (or March) for the entrance exam.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from these official pages, checked on 19 October 2026:

• TU Darmstadt: semester fee and re-registration
• TU Darmstadt: funding and scholarships and study costs (student stories)
• TU Darmstadt: application and admission for international students and Master's application
• Computer Science: MSc Computer Science, MSc AI and Machine Learning, application and entrance exam
• Make it in Germany: prospects after graduation

Fees and rules change. Always confirm on TU Darmstadt's own pages before you pay or apply.