Rheinische Hochschule Köln
Private university of applied sciences in Cologne, formerly Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln (RFH) and renamed in March 2024.
since 1971
Rheinische Hochschule Köln is a private, state-recognized university of applied sciences in Cologne, known until March 2024 as Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln (RFH). It grew out of an engineering school of the late 1950s and teaches engineering, business, law, psychology, health sciences, and media studies.
At a Glance
- Type
- Private, state-recognized university of applied sciences
- Location
- Cologne, with main sites in the Neustadt-Süd and Ehrenfeld districts
- Roots
- 1958 engineering school; reorganized as a Fachhochschule in 1971
- Students
- Approximately 5,700
- Programs
- More than 30 degree courses (as of 2024)
- Sponsorship
- Rheinische Stiftung für Bildung, under state supervision
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
History
The institution opened in 1958 as the Rheinische Ingenieurschule für Bau- und Maschinenbauwesen and gained state recognition in 1966. Following North Rhine-Westphalia's 1969 law on universities of applied sciences, it was reorganized in 1971 as the Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln. It started as a registered non-profit association and later became a non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) under the Rheinische Stiftung für Bildung. In March 2024 it adopted its present name, Rheinische Hochschule Köln.
Locations
The university runs several sites across Cologne, with teaching and administrative buildings on Weyerstraße, Vogelsanger Straße, and Schaevenstraße. All lie within the city and are reachable by public transport. There are no branch campuses outside Cologne.
Programs
The university teaches accredited bachelor's and master's degrees in fields such as engineering, economics, law, psychology, health sciences, and media studies. Courses run as full-time, part-time, and dual study options and are taught mainly in German. A Master of Business Administration in International Business, taught in English, is offered together with the University of East London.
Research
Applied research sits within the faculties and dedicated institutes, among them the Institute for Tool and Production Engineering (iWFT), the Institute for Compliance and Corporate Governance (ICC), and the Europe-Institute for Experience and Management (METIS), a joint initiative with FHWien der WKW. The university also takes part in the EXIST-funded „Fit for Invest" project and in Erasmus+ exchanges with partners in Europe and beyond.
Map
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Address
Schaevenstraße 1B
50676 Köln
Hours
Mo: 09:00–17:00
Di: 09:00–17:00
Mi: 09:00–17:00
Do: 09:00–17:00
Fr: 09:00–13:00
Contact
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-17)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-06-30)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-06-30, rev 256192665)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-30
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