Hamburger Fernhochschule

What Hamburger Fernhochschule does

HFH Hamburger Fern-Hochschule is a private, state-recognized distance learning university headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 1997. It delivers part-time Bachelor (14 programs), Master (9 programs), dual study, and continuing education (~200 modules) programs in German-language disciplines spanning health and nursing, engineering, business administration, psychology, and social work. The institution operates as a non-profit (gemeinnützig), self-funded primarily through tuition fees, and is accredited by ACQUIN, approved by ZFU, and state-recognized by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, with degree equivalence to public universities across the EU.

The institution delivers courses through the WebCampus learning management system, providing online access to study materials, virtual classrooms, and administrative functions, supplemented by 14 regional study centers across Germany and Austria for optional in-person seminars and examinations. Teaching content is built around didactically optimized study briefs (Studienbriefe) designed for self-study alongside professional work. Students may enroll directly via the website or through personalized study advisor consultation, with a one-month free trial offered as a low-friction entry point. Core customer segments include working professionals, healthcare practitioners, parents and caregivers, technical/engineering professionals, non-traditional students without Abitur, and Austrian students seeking German-accredited qualifications.

The revenue model is subscription-style recurring monthly tuition plus examination fees, with Bachelor programs priced between €7,100 and €16,280 and Master programs between €11,790 and €14,490. Marketing is conducted direct-to-consumer via website, online info sessions, email, Instagram, podcasts, and a student referral program. The institution has produced 21,000+ graduates over its ~30-year history and reports a 96% student recommendation rate, with ~30 employees supporting operations.

Name

Hamburger Fernhochschule

Legal name

HFH Hamburger Fern-Hochschule

Website

https://hamburger-fh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HFH Hamburger Fern-Hochschule is a Hamburg-based, state-recognized private distance learning university offering Bachelor, Master, dual, and continuing education programs in German, primarily serving working professionals and healthcare or technical practitioners across Germany and Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Bachelor Programs: Monthly tuition fees plus final examination fee for Bachelor degree programs. Total program costs range from €7,100 to €16,280 depending on program duration and specialization.
2. Tuition Fees - Master Programs: Monthly tuition fees plus final examination fee for Master degree programs. Total program costs range from €11,790 to €14,490.
3. Continuing Education Certifications: Fees for professional development courses and certificate programs in various specialized fields including healthcare, technology, psychology, and business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule is a state-recognized, non-profit distance learning university founded in 1997 and headquartered in Hamburg. It delivers accredited Bachelor, Master, Continuing Education (Weiterbildung), and Dual Study (Duales Studium) programs through its proprietary WebCampus online learning platform, with explicit programs tailored to working professionals, parents, caregivers, and healthcare/technical specialists. The institution maintains study centers across Germany and a separate Austrian operation.

Product overview

HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule operates as a comprehensive distance learning university platform offering a unified ecosystem of educational products. The core offerings include the WebCampus learning management system as the central digital hub, complemented by accredited Bachelor programs (14 programs), Master programs (9 programs), approximately 200 continuing education modules (Weiterbildungen), dual study programs, and Austria-specific study models. The platform integrates study materials (Studienbriefe), online teaching, optional on-site seminars at regional study centers, and examination services into a flexible, self-paced learning experience designed for working professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Study Programs (Bachelor-Studiengänge)

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of graduates recommend HFH to others
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IU Internationale Hochschule: Germany's largest private Hochschule with an extensive dual, distance, and online program portfolio. Directly competes with HFH for working-professional enrollment across Bachelor, Master, and continuing education, with significantly greater scale and marketing reach.
• FOM Hochschule: Germany's largest private Hochschule for working professionals, offering berufsbegleitende Bachelor and Master programs with evening and weekend formats plus significant online delivery. Same target customer, similar accreditation profile.
• SRH Fernhochschule – The Mobile University: Private distance-learning university within the SRH group, offering state-recognized Bachelor and Master programs via fully online and hybrid formats to working professionals across Germany.
• FernUniversität in Hagen: Germany's largest public distance-learning university offering accredited Bachelor, Master, and continuing-education programs for working professionals — same target segment, delivery model, and accreditation framework as HFH, but with public-sector scale.
• Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg (Euro-FH): Private, Hamburg-based distance-learning university offering accredited Bachelor and Master programs for working professionals. Closest geographic and product competitor to HFH, differentiated by its Europe-wide focus.
• AKAD University: Private, state-recognized Fernhochschule specializing in distance-learning Bachelor, Master, and continuing-education programs targeted at working professionals — comparable offerings, pricing, and customer segment as HFH.
• DIPLOMA Hochschule: State-recognized private Hochschule offering Bachelor, Master, and continuing-education programs in distance-learning and hybrid formats, including a dedicated Fernstudium portfolio serving the same working-professional segment as HFH.
• APOLLON Hochschule der Gesundheitswirtschaft: Private distance-learning university focused on healthcare, social, and economics programs for working professionals. Direct overlap with HFH's Health/Care and Wirtschaft faculties and shared state-accreditation model.

Broad incumbents

• The Open University (UK): Long-established British distance-learning institution operating under government charter. Comparable in mission, accreditation profile, and distance-learning model, but operates primarily in the UK market and at substantially larger scale.

Emerging players

• Hochschule Fresenius (onlinePLUS / AMD): Private Hochschule group with growing online and hybrid study offerings alongside its traditional campus programs. Overlaps with HFH in business, psychology, and healthcare verticals via flexible/digital delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/hfhfernstudium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamburger-fernhochschule

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hamburger Fernhochschule