University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf

What University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf does

University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (Hochschule Düsseldorf, HSD) is a public German university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) located in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, founded in 1971 and operating under state oversight through the ministry responsible for science and research. The institution is staffed by 501-1,000 employees and spans seven faculties: Architecture, Design, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mechanical and Process Engineering, Media, Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, and Business Studies. HSD serves a multi-segment population including domestic degree-seeking students, international exchange and full-degree students, refugees, employer-partner organizations, and continuing-education learners, with student welfare infrastructure (canteens, ~4,000 housing places, daycare, BAföG administration) delivered externally through partnership with Düsseldorf Student Services (SWD).

The institution delivers bachelor's, master's, and continuing-education programs, including English-taught pathways such as M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. International Industrial Engineering, and the Bachelor International Management with its compulsory semester abroad. Its technology stack comprises HSD eCampus for applications and student administration, Moodle for course delivery, the OSSC examination platform, the HSD Dictionary (German-English terminology) coordinated with AI-assisted translation tooling, and Microsoft Teams-enabled psychological counselling. The Cisco Networking Academy, integrated into the ZWEK Centre for Training and Competence Development since July 1, 2015, adds industry-recognized IT certification, while the University Library provides access to 114,000 e-books through the E-Books.NRW initiative. Internationalization is anchored by partnerships with universities in Japan and South Korea and by the DAAD-funded HSD-Japan Gateway project launched in January 2026.

Funding derives primarily from appropriations by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, supplemented by third-party research grants from national programs (BMBF, DFG), EU programs (Erasmus+, Promos), DAAD-funded international mobility, and tuition from continuing-education programs such as Master Taxation and Master Begutachtung im Familienrecht. HSD was the first Fachhochschule nationwide to engage all faculties in the UN Global Compact (winter semester 2010/11) and holds Diversity Audit (2014, Re-Audit 2018) and Family-Friendly University certifications. AI capability is currently limited to natural-language processing for the bilingual campus programme, with no proprietary AI products, research labs, or patents disclosed in the source material.

Name

University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf

Legal name

Hochschule Düsseldorf

Website

https://hs-duesseldorf.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (Hochschule Düsseldorf) is a public German university of applied sciences in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, founded 1971, offering applied-sciences education and research across seven faculties to domestic and international degree-seeking and continuing-education students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied sciences
• University degree programs
• Research and transfer
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a German public university of applied sciences (Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften), HSD receives core funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Students pay a semester contribution fee that covers administrative services, student union (AStA), and student services (SWD).
2. Third-Party Research Funding: Research activities are supported through national funding programs (BMBF, DFG), EU research programs (Erasmus+, Promos), and applied research collaborations with industry partners. The Dezernat Forschung & Transfer coordinates research funding.
3. Continuing Education Programs: The university offers fee-based continuing education programs including Master Begutachtung im Familienrecht, Master Taxation, and certificate programs like Bauvorlageberechtigung.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (Hochschule Düsseldorf / HSD) is a public university offering bachelor's and master's degree programmes across seven faculties — Architecture, Design, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mechanical and Process Engineering, Media, Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, and Business Studies. The institution combines theoretical teaching with applied research and industry collaboration, and complements its academic programmes with student support services (career service, psychological counselling, disability services, family support, international office, university library, campus IT, ZWEK competence centre) and applied research activities funded through national, EU, and industry sources.

Product overview

University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (HSD) operates as a multi-faculty institution offering applied sciences education across seven faculties (Architecture, Design, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical/Process Engineering, Media, Social Sciences/Cultural Studies, and Business Studies). The institution's product portfolio comprises degree programmes at bachelor's and master's levels, including English-taught programmes such as the M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering and M.Sc. International Industrial Engineering, alongside comprehensive student support services including the International Office, Career Service, University Library, Campus IT, Psychological Counselling (PSB), Disability Services (ABS), and Family Support Centre. A distinctive offering is the ZWEK Centre for Training and Competence Development, which provides skills workshops and language courses. The Bilingual Campus Programme supports internationalization through AI-assisted translation services and the HSD Dictionary, while the Cisco Networking Academy provides IT certification training. These services collectively support HSD's applied research mission and approximately 60,000 students served by partner Düsseldorf Student Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Mechanical Engineering (M.Sc.)

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UN Global CompactflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2010HSD joined the UN Global Compact in winter semester 2010/11 on initiative of coordinator Prof. Dr. Rolf Nagel. Representatives from all faculties form a working group for implementation. HSD is the first university in North Rhine-Westphalia and the first Fachhochschule nationwide to engage with all faculties. The university commits to ten principles covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption, integrating them into teaching, research, administration, and society.
• Düsseldorfer AppellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSD is a member of the Düsseldorfer Appell network, a non-partisan civic alliance against xenophobia and racism promoting respectful coexistence of people from different ethnic, religious, or cultural backgrounds. HSD regularly participates in the 'Respekt und Mut' event series organized by the network. The alliance has existed since the 1990s and coordinates the 'Düsseldorfer Beiträge zur interkulturellen Verständigung' publication series since 2001.
• International Partner Universities (Japan)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSD has established the 'HSD-Japan Gateway' project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to strengthen strategic focus on Japan within its international partnership network. Delegations travel to Japan to strengthen ties with Japanese universities and achieve more balanced collaboration. Thomas Molck, Vice-President for Academic, Student and International Affairs, leads visits to partner universities.
• International Partner Universities (South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSD continues building momentum in East Asia with visits to partner universities in South Korea. Following visits to Japan, HSD delegations travel to South Korea as part of the international partnership development efforts.
• Stifterverband für die Deutsche WissenschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Vielfalt gestalten' (Managing Diversity) audit process. The Stifterverband co-awards the Diversity Certificate alongside the Ministry for Innovation, Science and Research of North Rhine-Westphalia (MIWF).
• CEDIN-ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal consultant providing workshops and guidance throughout the two-year diversity audit process 'Vielfalt gestalten in NRW' from January 2013 to December 2014.
• Düsseldorf Student Services (SWD - Studierendenwerk Düsseldorf)coreOthersSWD serves approximately 60,000 students across four universities in Düsseldorf, Lower Rhine University of Applied Sciences, and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Services include nine canteens, fifteen cafeterias, approximately 4,000 housing places, BAföG administration, and social counselling. HSD depends on SWD for essential student welfare services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg: Public NRW University of Applied Sciences with comparable multi-campus applied sciences portfolio, strong internationalization focus, and English-taught master's programs targeting similar international student segments.
• Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da): Public German University of Applied Sciences with comparable faculty mix including engineering, design, media, business, and social sciences, and similar applied research and industry-partnership focus.
• Hochschule RheinMain: Public NRW Fachhochschule with similar faculty mix covering engineering, design, business, and social sciences, sharing comparable state-funding model and Fachhochschule identity in the same regional context.
• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): One of Germany's largest public Universities of Applied Sciences with comparable multi-faculty structure, applied research focus, and similar funding model via the state of NRW. Operates in the same regional ecosystem serving comparable student segments.
• Hochschule Niederrhein: Public NRW Fachhochschule located nearby in Krefeld/Mönchengladbach, with overlapping engineering, business, and design faculties, serving similar domestic and international student populations in the Rhine-Ruhr region.
• Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences): One of Germany's largest Fachhochschulen with similar applied-sciences positioning, broad faculty coverage including engineering, design, business, and social sciences, and a comparable public-state funding model in Bavaria.

Regional players

• Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA): State-recognized NRW university of applied sciences with strong applied-sciences positioning in engineering and economics, comparable in scale and structure to HSD though smaller in headcount.
• Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf: Full public research university in the same city of Düsseldorf, sharing the same SWD student-services ecosystem (60,000 students across four Düsseldorf-area universities), with a complementary but distinct full-university academic profile.

Broad incumbents

• RWTH Aachen University: Major German technical university in NRW with a much broader applied-research portfolio and stronger engineering brand. Competes for engineering talent, industry research funding, and top international students in the same regional market.

Emerging players

• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Private German university of applied sciences with a strong focus on international, career-oriented programs and applied research. Operates as a private-sector comparator in the same Hochschule category, illustrating an alternative operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/hsduesseldorfhsd
• Facebookfacebook.com/hsduesseldorf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duesseldorf-university-of-applied-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/hsduesseldorf
• Xx.com/hsduesseldorf

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf