What DHBW Ravensburg does

DHBW Ravensburg (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Ravensburg) is a public state university and part of the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) system, established in 1979 as one of Germany's first dual-study universities. The institution operates across two campuses: Ravensburg (Faculty of Business / Fakultät Wirtschaft) at Marienplatz 2, and Friedrichshafen (Faculty of Technology / Fakultät Technik) in the Fallenbrunnen district. It is governed as a public-law entity (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) under the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Science, Research and Art, with Prof. Dr. Martina Klärle serving as President of the wider DHBW system.

The university's core offering is the dual study model (Duales Studium), in which students alternate between theory phases on campus and practice phases at partner companies, earning a monthly remuneration and a recognized Bachelor or Master degree. The product portfolio centers on Bachelor and Master dual programs in Business Administration (notably BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie with specializations such as Hotel- und Gastronomiemanagement, Destinations- und Kurortemanagement, Freizeitwirtschaft, and Reiseverkehr und Reisevertrieb) alongside technology programs at the Friedrichshafen campus. Supporting infrastructure includes the IWT (Institut für Weiterbildung, Wissens- und Technologietransfer) for continuing education and industry knowledge transfer, and Seezeit Studierendenwerk Bodensee for student services.

Commercially, DHBW Ravensburg does not operate on a revenue-generating model; it is state-funded with public tuition fees set by Baden-Württemberg. Approximately 85 percent of graduates sign an employment contract upon completion, often with their practice-phase host company. The institution maintains a network of more than 136 dual partner companies across tourism/hospitality and 63 in hotel and gastronomy, plus international collaborations such as the Global Formula Racing partnership with Oregon State University. Marketing and distribution are direct, multi-channel, and regionally focused on southern Germany, using a TYPO3-based website, Moodle LMS, BigBlueButton virtual sessions, education fairs (e.g., vocatium), social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), and school outreach.

Name

DHBW Ravensburg

Legal name

Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Ravensburg

Website

https://ravensburg.dhbw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faculty-Led Study Tours & Embedded Short Programs (Home Institution-Led) (EDAIAIAJ), Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Dual study programs
• Higher education
• Work-integrated learning
• Cooperative education
• Vocational higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ravensburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DHBW Ravensburg delivers dual study (Duales Studium) bachelor's and master's degree programs that alternate between academic theory phases at its two campuses (Ravensburg for Business/Wirtschaft and Friedrichshafen for Technology/Technik) and practical work phases at partner companies. Students receive a monthly remuneration throughout their studies, and approximately 85% of graduates sign an employment contract upon completion. Programs include specializations in Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy Management, among other business and technology disciplines.

Product overview

DHBW Ravensburg offers a portfolio of dual study programs in Business Administration (Wirtschaft) at its Ravensburg campus and Technology (Technik) at its Friedrichshafen campus. The core offering consists of Bachelor and Master level programs that alternate between theoretical phases at the university and practical phases at partner companies. Students receive a monthly salary, and approximately 85% of graduates receive a job offer upon graduation. Key programs include the BWL - Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie (Business Administration - Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy) Bachelor program with specializations in Hotel- und Gastronomiemanagement (Hotel and Gastronomy Management), Destinations- und Kurortemanagement (Destination and Spa Management), Freizeitwirtschaft (Leisure Economy), and Reiseverkehr und Reisevertrieb (Travel Traffic and Distribution). The institution operates with dual partner companies across these industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Duale Studiengänge – Bachelor (Dual Study Bachelor's Programs) Bachelor-level dual study programs combining theoretical phases at the university with practical phases at partner companies, leading to an accredited Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.
• Duale Studiengänge – Master (Dual Study Master's Programs) Master's-level dual study programs providing advanced academic and professional development through the alternating theory-practice model at partner companies.
• BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie (Business Administration – Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy) Dual bachelor study program in business administration specializing in tourism, hospitality and gastronomy with focus areas including Freizeitwirtschaft (leisure economy), Destinations- und Kurortemanagement (destination and spa management), and Reiseverkehr und Reisevertrieb (travel traffic and distribution).
• Hotel- und Gastronomiemanagement (Hotel and Gastronomy Management) Specialization within the BWL Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy bachelor program focusing on hotel and gastronomy management, delivered in collaboration with over 63 dual partner companies in the hospitality industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 85 percent of dual study graduates have signed an employment contract upon graduation

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered support, core and minor.

• Seezeit Studierendenwerk BodenseesupportOthersDHBW Ravensburg partners with Seezeit Studierendenwerk Bodensee to provide student services including cafeteria/mensa operations. Seezeit is a Studierendenwerk (student union) that operates dining facilities and other student support services for higher education institutions in the Lake Constance region.
• Oregon State University (through Global Formula Racing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHBW Ravensburg has an international partnership with Oregon State University through the Global Formula Racing (GFR) student racing team project. The GFR team achieved back-to-back victories at Formula Student Michigan competitions (2025 and 2026), representing a collaborative engineering student project between the two universities.
• ADMIRAL Entertainment Holding Germany GmbHminorOthersListed as a dual partner company offering dual study positions in BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie / Freizeitwirtschaft at its Pfullendorf location.
• Alpenchalets Touristik GmbHminorOthersListed as a dual partner company offering dual study positions in BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie / Reiseverkehr und Reisevertrieb.
• AMADEUS FLUSS-KREUZFAHRTENminorOthersListed as a dual partner company offering dual study positions in BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie / Reiseverkehr und Reisevertrieb.
• Center Parcs Bungalowpark Allgäu GmbHminorOthersListed as a dual partner company offering dual study positions in BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie / Hotel- und Gastronomiemanagement at its Leutkirch location.
• Steigenberger Grandhotel and Spa Heringsdorf Resort Hotel Kaiserbad GmbH & Co.KGminorOthersListed as a dual partner company offering dual study positions in BWL – Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie / Hotel- und Gastronomiemanagement at Ostseebad Heringsdorf.
• DHBW Dual Partner Network (136+ companies across tourism/hospitality alone)coreOthersDHBW Ravensburg maintains a network of over 136 dual partner companies across tourism, hospitality, and leisure sectors, and 63 companies specifically in hotel and gastronomy management. These companies serve as practice-phase hosts for dual study students, providing real-world work experience and often future employment.
• IWT – Institut für Weiterbildung, Wissens- und TechnologietransfercoreOthersThe Institute for Continuing Education, Knowledge and Technology Transfer (IWT) at DHBW Ravensburg serves as an internal institute bridging academic research with industry practice, offering continuing education programs and facilitating technology transfer between the university and businesses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DHBW Karlsruhe: DHBW campus with dual programs in Business, Engineering, and Computer Science. Comparable in academic structure, state oversight, and dual study partner network model.
• DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen: DHBW campus providing dual bachelor's programs in Business, Engineering, and Health/Social Work. Same dual study model and employer-matching infrastructure as DHBW Ravensburg.
• DHBW Heidenheim: DHBW campus specializing in Business and Engineering dual study programs. Directly comparable to DHBW Ravensburg in scale, program structure, and regional employer partnerships.
• DHBW Stuttgart: The largest campus of the DHBW system, offering dual study programs across Business, Engineering, and Social Work. Directly comparable in model (dual study with practice phases at partner companies), governance structure, and target student segment.
• DHBW Mannheim: Another DHBW campus offering dual bachelor's and master's programs with the same alternating theory/practice structure. Operates with overlapping employer partner network in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.
• DHBW Mosbach: DHBW campus offering dual study programs in Business and Engineering. Operates under identical state-level governance and dual study regulatory framework as DHBW Ravensburg.

Regional players

• Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten (HRW): Public University of Applied Sciences located in Ravensburg/Weingarten with applied programs in Business, Engineering, and Social Work. Directly comparable in geographic catchment and student target, but without the integrated dual study employer placement model.
• Hochschule Konstanz (HTWG): Public University of Applied Sciences in nearby Konstanz offering practice-oriented programs in Business, Engineering, and Design. Comparable in Lake Constance/Baden-Württemberg regional positioning and applied-learning focus, though without the formal dual study employer-matching structure.
• Berufsakademie Sachsen: Saxony's dual study institution operating the same theory-practice alternation model, but in eastern Germany. Comparable in pedagogical structure and dual study employer matching, but serves a different regional catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Northeastern University: U.S. private research university internationally recognized for its co-operative education (co-op) program, which alternates academic study with full-time work experiences. Closest international analog to DHBW's dual study model, with comparable employer-matching infrastructure and graduate employment outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DHBWRAVENSBURG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/dhbw-ravensburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/dhbwravensburg
• TikToktiktok.com/@dhbwrv

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DHBW Ravensburg