Attractive location
Dresden offers a unique combination of student life, affordable cost of living, and ample career opportunities in industry and academia.
Colorful student life and leisure activities
The state capital Dresden is home to a diverse cultural scene. In their free time, students can visit a variety of cabarets, museums, theatres, concert halls, cinemas and music festivals as well as participate in activities offered by the many sports facilities. For those who want a little escape from Dresden, the surrounding nature of the Elbe river landscape, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the Ore Mountains provide welcome relief from studies. Weekend trips to Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Wrocław are also easy and inexpensive.
The night life in Dresden is lively and exciting. As Germany’s unofficial capital of student clubs, Dresden provides a great variety of venues. From small and cozy bars and pubs with chill out music to large clubs with dance floors, there is a locale for every taste.
Venturing across the Elbe river, you will find Dresdner Neustadt, a place especially popular with students and young people due to its easy-going, party atmosphere. With its numerous bars, clubs, discos and restaurants, Neustadt is the perfect spot to meet a friend for coffee, play board games in a larger group, enjoy a beer, or dance the night away. Every summer, Neustadt hosts a two-day multicultural festival, Bunte Republik Neustadt - streets are closed to traffic, local vendors sell food and drink while DJs and live bands play music.
One of the summer highlights is the "Filmnächte am Elbufer", an outdoor film festival in July and August on the banks of the Elbe. At this outdoor cinema, the largest in Europe, up to 4000 visitors can watch nightly movies of many genres with the world-famous silhouette of the historic Dresden in the background. The area is also a popular open-air concert venue.
If you prefer a quiet outdoor setting, you will enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Dresden. Ride a bike or have a picnic along the picturesque Elbe river meadows. Hike the bizarre sand stone formations in the Sächsische Schweiz. Taste wine in the Mediterranean-like vineyards ofRadebeul and Meißen. No matter your preference, there are plenty of options.
Find more information on all kind of leisure activities here:
Everyday student life in Dresden
Affordable cost of living
There are no tuition fees in Dresden, and students can find affordable housing at the Students' Union in Dresden and on the open market. Over 35 student dorms provide more than 6,000 dorm rooms, ranging between 72 and 245 euros per month. For private residences you can expect an average monthly rent of 7.10 euros/m2 including utilities.
The TUD Welcome Center for international students offers support in finding accommodation and with all other administrative issues related to your relocation to Dresden.
Further information on relocation to Dresden and public administration:
Moving and getting started (DIPP)
Getting Started in Dresden (Master Course DSE)
Career opportunities in industry and academia
Dresden nurtures scientific research and attracts scientists from all over the world. The TU Dresden was selected the University of Excellence in June 2012. This title acknowledges the particular quality of the interdisciplinary and international training at TU Dresden and rewards the university with increased funding and support for cutting-edge scientific research. As an Excellence University, TU Dresden has been participating in the follow-up programme of the Excellence Initiative "Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments" , since 2016.
An integral part of TU Dresden’s successful application as a University of Excellence was the DRESDEN-concept a unique research alliance between the TU Dresden and 26 scientific and cultural institutions in Dresden. The co-operation of all DRESDEN-concept partners aims at developing and using synergies in research, education, infrastructure, and administration. Within the DRESDEN-concept consortium, you will find numerous strong local partners of the CMS master's program offering additional career prospects in academia (see logos below).
In addition, Dresden is one of the leading business centers in Germany offering various career opportunities in industry. Top international companies such as GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik, Daimler Protics and Novaled operate in and around Dresden. The so called "Silicon Saxony" is one of the most important locations for the semiconductor industry in Europe. Renowned global companies such as Globalfoundries and Infineon run state-of-the-art factories in Dresden. since 2018, the BOSCH Group has been building a one billion euro, ultramodern semiconductor factory with plans to start production by the end of 2021.
