the dhbw vs

What the dhbw vs does

DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen is a public state university (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) and a campus of the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, located in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. It was founded in 1974 and operates two faculties — the Business School (Fakultät Wirtschaft), which includes an English-taught International Business program, and the School of Social Work (Fakultät Sozialwesen) — and administers advanced study via the Dual Master Program through the DHBW Center for Advanced Studies. The institution runs a dual study model in which students alternate three-month academic and practical phases over three years, graduating with a claimed under-3% dropout rate.

The university's core technology stack consists of commodity higher-education tooling: Moodle for learning management and enrollment, Dualis for grade queries, Zoom and Alfaview for video conferencing, Matomo (self-hosted) for web analytics, and Moin.ai/CM.com chatbots for automated student advisory within the EdCoN research project. Distribution is hybrid: students enroll directly via Moodle-based forms, while ~1,000 corporate partners act as the primary recruitment, training, and remuneration channel via the Bewerberbörse applicant-exchange platform, supplemented by event-driven channels (Studieninfotag, Duale Partnerkonferenz) and an international network of 200+ partner universities.

The business model is non-commercial public-sector: revenue is anchored in state appropriations from the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg, augmented by per-semester student contributions (union and mensa fees via Studierendenwerk Freiburg) and corporate partner-funded practical-phase student remuneration. No tuition is charged. Customer segments are split between prospective students (B2C) and ~1,000 corporate and social-institution partners (B2B), with secondary segments comprising international exchange students, alumni via the Partnerverein, and continuing-education buyers of dual-partner Weiterbildungsangebot.

Name

the dhbw vs

Legal name

Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg

Website

https://dhbw-vs.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen is a public state university in Baden-Württemberg offering dual study programs across its Business School and School of Social Work, serving prospective students and approximately 1,000 corporate partners via a three-year theory-plus-practice model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Dual Studies)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Dual higher education
• Business administration programs
• Social work education
• Cooperative university studies
• Vocational academic training

Headquarters

HQ city

Villingen-schwenningen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a public university (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) in Baden-Württemberg, DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen is primarily funded through public/governmental funding from the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg). The institution does not charge tuition fees for its degree programs, reflecting its public funding model.
2. Student Contributions and Fees: Students pay semester contributions including student union fees and mensa fees. The Studierendenwerk provides cafeteria and housing services. Additional costs include study materials and living expenses.
3. Dual Partner Contributions: Corporate partners provide remuneration to students during their practical phases and may contribute to continuing education programs. The Weiterbildungsangebot for dual partners in the social work sector represents a fee-for-service offering. While the university does not charge tuition to students, corporate partners bear the cost of practical training and student compensation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen is a public university delivering dual higher-education programs that combine three-month alternating phases of academic coursework and paid on-the-job training at one of approximately 1,000 corporate or social-work partner organisations over a three-year period. The university operates two faculties — the Business School (Fakultät Wirtschaft) and the School of Social Work (Fakultät Sozialwesen) — offering bachelor's and master's degrees plus research and continuing-education services to companies. Education is tuition-free and primarily publicly funded.

Product overview

DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen is a dual university offering a portfolio of integrated educational products centered around its distinctive Dual Study Concept. The core offering comprises two faculties — the Business School and the School of Social Work — delivering bachelor and master programs where students alternate between academic terms and practical training phases with corporate partners. Supporting products include the Dual Master Program for advanced studies, International Programs enabling study abroad at over 200 partner universities, and Cooperative Research initiatives conducted with industry partners. The institution also provides digital learning infrastructure via Moodle, corporate partner services for the ~1,000 affiliated companies, and orientation programs like the DUO (Dual Orientation Study). The EdCoN research project represents an emerging AI-powered service deploying chatbots for automated student counseling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Business School: Faculty for business and economics programs, including International Business in English.
• School of Social Work
• Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Lehre und Forschung (INDIS)

Products and services

• Business School (Fakultät Wirtschaft) Programs Three-year dual bachelor degree programs in business, economics, and International Business (English), alternating academic study at the university with paid practical training at one of approximately 1,000 partner companies. Targets prospective students preparing for careers in business and management.
• School of Social Work (Fakultät Sozialwesen) Programs Three-year dual bachelor programs in social work combining academic coursework with practical phases at social institutions, qualifying graduates for careers in social services and adjacent fields. Targets prospective students pursuing practice-integrated social-work education.
• Duale Master Program Advanced dual master's degree programs run via the DHBW Center for Advanced Studies (CAS), allowing graduates to continue dual-study-style integration of academic coursework and practical work at a deeper level.
• Dual Orientation Study (DUO) A pre-study orientation program offering prospective students specialized preparation within partner companies before commencing the regular dual-study track. Designed to improve orientation and onboarding into the dual-study model.
• International Programs (Study Abroad and Exchange) Study-abroad and exchange opportunities delivered through partnerships with more than 200 universities worldwide, including Erasmus+ Staff Weeks, BLIC blended-learning cooperation, and an International Spring Semester for incoming students.
• Cooperative Research (Kooperative Forschung) Application-oriented research carried out with corporate partners, producing innovative concepts, strategies, and technologies and feeding outcomes back into teaching and partner practice.
• Corporate Partner Services Services for the network of approximately 1,000 partner companies and social institutions, covering study-vacancy registration via the Bewerberbörse platform, practical information and documentation, and continuing-education (Weiterbildungsangebot) offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dropout rate of under 3% — a unique top value in the German higher education landscape
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• hogeschool gent (HOGENT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHBW professor teaches at HOGENT (Gent University College) in Belgium as part of Erasmus+ Staff Weeks. This collaboration enables knowledge sharing and staff development between institutions and strengthens the European higher education network.
• Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHBW VS participated in the International Staff Week at Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology under the theme 'Embracing Healthy Living'. The collaboration represents one of the new European partnerships developed under the internationalization strategy.
• Corporate Partners Network (approximately 1,000 companies and social institutions)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproximately 1,000 companies and social institutions of all sizes and sectors cooperate with DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen as dual partners. Partners select students, provide practical training phases, remunerate students, and may send expert employees to lecture at the university. Partners also influence the university's strategic development through Gremienarbeit (committee work).
• International University Partner Network (200+ universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHBW cooperates with over 200 universities worldwide, enabling student exchanges, international semesters, Erasmus+ Staff Weeks, and BLIC (Blended Learning International Cooperation) programs. This network is a core element of the internationalization strategy.
• Furtwangen UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHBW VS collaborates with Furtwangen University on joint initiatives including the Big Band VS Campus, which consists of students, staff members, and professors from both institutions. The musical director Andreas Schiller coordinates this cross-institutional activity.
• Studierendenwerk FreiburgminorOthersThe Studierendenwerk Freiburg manages the Mensa (canteen) services at the Villingen-Schwenningen campus, providing catering services for students and staff.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Duale Hochschule Sachsen: Duale Hochschule Sachsen is a German public dual-education institution that combines university instruction with workplace learning. Its employer-linked study model and corporate partner network closely mirror DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen's core operating model.
• Hochschule Fulda: Hochschule Fulda is a public university of applied sciences with practice-oriented and dual programs in business and social fields. It serves similar students and employer partners through work-integrated education.
• Hochschule Niederrhein: Hochschule Niederrhein is a public university of applied sciences offering dual and practice-integrated programs, including business and social-science disciplines. Its combination of academic study and employer-based training is directly comparable to DHBW VS.
• Hochschule Osnabrück: Hochschule Osnabrück is a public applied-sciences university with dual study options and strong industry cooperation. Its student population, corporate partners, and emphasis on applied business and social education overlap materially with DHBW VS.
• Hochschule Karlsruhe: Hochschule Karlsruhe is a public university of applied sciences with cooperative and dual degree formats, particularly in business and technical subjects. Its employer-linked delivery model is comparable to DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen's work-integrated degrees.
• Hochschule Bremen: Hochschule Bremen is a public university of applied sciences that offers dual and professionally oriented study pathways. It addresses the same broad market of students seeking practical degrees and organizations seeking early-career talent.
• Hochschule Esslingen: Hochschule Esslingen is a public university of applied sciences with dual and cooperative study programs and strong business and engineering links. Its industry-integrated teaching and employer partnerships make it a relevant institutional peer.
• Hochschule Aalen: Hochschule Aalen is a public university of applied sciences with dual study and employer-cooperation offerings across practical disciplines. Its target students, business-oriented programs, and work-integrated delivery are comparable to DHBW VS.
• Reutlingen University: Reutlingen University is a public university of applied sciences with dual and work-integrated degree programs and extensive industry links. Its corporate-oriented teaching model and international business focus are materially similar to DHBW VS.
• Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences: Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences is a public institution offering dual study and practice-oriented business, technology, and related programs. Its combination of academic instruction, practical phases, and employer cooperation makes it a close regional comparator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dual-hochschule-baden-w-rttemberg-villingen-schwenningen
• Instagraminstagram.com/dhbw.vs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the dhbw vs