DTU: admission for international applicants

DTU teaches one English-taught full degree BSc programme, General Engineering, with 150 places; every other undergraduate programme is taught in Danish. You apply at optagelse.dk and, with an international upper secondary exam, the deadline is 15 March at 12 noon.

DTU (Technical University of Denmark, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet) is a Danish engineering university. For a student from abroad the first thing to settle is the language of teaching: General Engineering is the one bachelor DTU teaches in English, and the rest need Danish. DTU's pages print the dates below without a year, so treat them as standing dates and check the calendar for the 2027 intake when it opens.

How high the bar is

The subject levels above are gates, not a guarantee. For quota 1, DTU's General Engineering page says the GPA cut-off is not known until the admission process is completed on July 28th, and that it varies from year to year depending on the number of study places and the GPAs of the applicants. Meeting the English B subject requirement at school also does not exempt you from taking an English test for General Engineering.

Cost and size

DTU's General Engineering page states that EU/EEA citizens are not required to pay tuition fee, because the Danish state covers it. Non-EU/EEA applicants also pay an application fee of € 100 before the application is processed. DTU's facts page reports 13.500 students; its education table counts a total enrolment of 13,813 in 2025, across all levels. The two pages do not say why the figures differ, so both are shown as DTU states them.

Rules that catch international applicants

• Without a Danish CPR number (personal ID number), DTU must receive the signed signature page no later than 15 March, 12 noon, and DTU cannot see the application before then.
• All applicants except those with an IB or EB exam must document their upper secondary exam by 5 July at noon in the year they apply.
• DTU's Danish-taught BEng programmes require, for applicants with an international upper secondary exam, Studieprøven i dansk or Danish A (Studieprøven is the Danish-as-a-foreign-language exam); the requirement does not apply to applicants from the Nordic countries.

DTU's own rankings page lists it at 105 in the QS World University Rankings and 110 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. These are DTU's figures, not read from the publishers' pages, so this report does not list an overall position of its own.

DTU's rankings page is split into three columns: World, Europe and Nordic Region. The table itself names no edition. Read every position below as what DTU reports about itself.

The editions differ by publisher and year, so do not add or average the rows. A position in a world table also says little about one Danish-language bachelor line. Use the table to place DTU among Nordic and European technical universities, then judge the programme on its admission rules.

History

DTU says it was founded in 1829 and describes itself as an international elite technical university. Its history page states that H.C. Ørsted, the man who discovered electromagnetism, founded the College in the image of École Polytechnique in France. The College of Advanced Technology (1829) became the Danish Technical College in 1933 and the Technical University of Denmark in 1994. In 2014 the Danish Accreditation Institution, a member of ENQA (the European quality-assurance network), granted DTU an institutional accreditation.

Students and teachers in DTU's life science and bioengineering building

Size and campus

DTU's facts page reports 13.500 students and 6,000 employees. Its education table counts a total enrolment of 13,813 in 2025, across all levels. The two pages do not say why they differ, so treat them as the same order of size. DTU lists 20 BEng programmes, 21 BSc Eng programmes, 32 MSc Eng programmes. BEng is the Danish diplomingeniør (professional engineering) degree; BSc Eng is the academic bachelor that leads to the MSc Eng.

DTU moved to its site in Lundtofte near Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, from 1962 to 1974. DTU says more than 100 nationalities are represented at DTU.

Alliances and partners

DTU names four alliances on its collaboration page: EuroTech Universities, EuroTeQ Engineering University, Nordic Five Tech and Global Bioeconomy Alliance. Its strategic partner universities include Cornell University, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

DTU's education facts page counts admitted, graduating and enrolled students; for the bachelors it lists admitted students (1,260 on BSc Eng and 763 on BEng in 2025). Quota 1 is a GPA ranking, and for General Engineering, the English-taught BSc, DTU says the cut-off is not known until the admission process is completed on July 28th.

A cut-off (adgangskvotient) is, in DTU's words for General Engineering, the GPA of the last applicant admitted through Quota 1. DTU adds that it varies from year to year depending on the number of study places and the GPAs of the applicants. It is the result of a past round, not a line you must clear.

BEng lines

The BEng (diplomingeniør, professional engineering degree) lines are a different set of programmes from the BSc Eng lines, with their own split of places: quota 1 65% and quota 2 35%. Do not compare a BEng figure with a BSc Eng figure: the two degrees are different programmes.

When you learn the cut-off

The General Engineering page says the GPA cut-off is not known until the admission process is completed on July 28th. You therefore apply, with an international exam by 15 March at 12 noon, without knowing the number you are measured against.

How places are split between quota 1 and quota 2

• BSc Eng lines: quota 1 90%, quota 2 10% of the places.
• BEng lines: quota 1 65%, quota 2 35%.
• General Engineering: quota 1 50%, quota 2 50%.

What DTU publishes on admissions

DTU's education facts page counts admitted students: BEng 763; BSc Eng 1,260 in 2025, out of 4,866 admitted across all levels including MSc Eng. Its columns are admitted, graduating and total enrolment, with no applicant count, so no acceptance percentage can be worked out from it.

General Engineering is the only bachelor DTU teaches in English: DTU states it offers one English-taught full degree BSc programme in General Engineering, and every other undergraduate programme is taught in Danish. It takes three years and has 150 places.

Do not read DTU as a broadly English-taught university. DTU says that all its BEng programmes are taught exclusively in Danish, and the other BSc Eng lines are Danish too. The rest of this report separates what holds for General Engineering from what holds for the Danish-taught lines.

How international the programme is

DTU says the programme is international: approximately 40 percent of the students are Danish, while 60 percent are international. That is a statement of the programme's mix on the page, with no year attached. Daily student life, in the words of DTU's Danish programme page, takes place on DTU's campus in Lyngby.

Specialisations and the semester abroad

DTU lists four specialisations: Living Systems, Advanced Materials, Cyber Systems and Future Energy. In the third year you choose your own courses, and DTU states that most students take the opportunity to spend a semester abroad while others work on a project with a company. The degree ends with a bachelor project during the 6th semester, often with a company. The Danish programme page names the 5. semester as the semester abroad.

What it takes to get in

The subject levels are Danish levels: Mathematics A, Physics B, Chemistry B and English B, and no Danish. Applicants with an international upper secondary qualification must also pass an English test: DTU states that all applicants with an international upper secondary qualification must meet the English language requirement by one of its approved tests. The scores are in the English requirements chapter. The quota rules and the deadline for each route are in the quota chapter; here it is enough to know that an applicant with an international exam applies by 15 March, and that a Danish-exam applicant in quota 1 has 5 July.

The Danish-language version is a different programme

DTU also runs a programme called General Engineering - taught in Danish. It is not the English course in translation: all class instruction takes place online, with physical attendance only for some exams. If you want to study in English on campus, the English-taught General Engineering BSc is the only fit.

DTU admits bachelor students through two quotas: quota 1 is a GPA ranking, with the highest GPAs admitted first, and quota 2 is assessed solely on your written application and the documentation you attach. The split of places is set per degree: 90% quota 1 on the BSc Eng lines, 65% on the BEng lines and 50% on General Engineering.

DTU states the split of places per degree type, for its BEng and BSc programmes. Degree names matter here: the BEng is the diplomingeniør (professional engineering) degree and the BSc Eng is the academic bachelor.

Quota 1: ranked on GPA

In quota 1 the applicants with the highest GPAs are admitted first. The cut-off is the GPA of the last applicant admitted, and DTU's General Engineering page states it is not known until the admission process is completed on July 28th. It varies from year to year depending on the number of study places and the GPAs of the applicants.

Quota 2: the written assessment

The assessment rests solely on your written application and the documentation you attach, and the head of the programme (studielederen) makes it. The criteria on the General Engineering page are:

• Motivation: DTU says it places great emphasis on your motivation for the programme.
• Grades: DTU attaches considerable importance to your results in mathematics, physics and chemistry.
• Work experience: DTU's Danish quota 2 page asks you to document it with employment contracts, not payslips.
• Other activities: university studies with relevant content, voluntary work, civic duties or other service, stays abroad or language skills.

For General Engineering you attach a motivational letter and a CV, both written in English. DTU's Danish quota 2 page says the application is written in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian, and in English for General Engineering.

Which exams reach which quota

A quota 2 applicant is not shut out of quota 1. DTU states that you will automatically also be assessed in Quota 1 if you hold an upper secondary exam from an EU/EEA country, Greenland or a Nordic country. Upper secondary exams from countries outside the Nordic countries and the EU/EEA, in the Danish wording, can only be used for admission in quota 2. British exams are a case of their own: DTU's list of access-giving exams names them to and including the summer intake 2023, an intake that has passed; check with DTU how British exams are treated for the 2027 intake.

Standby places

A standby place goes to applicants who asked for one, can be assessed in quota 1 and have a grade point average close to the GPA cut-off in quota 1. DTU's Danish page says standby can be sought in quota 1 for all programmes and in quota 1 and 2 for the BEng programmes. On the General Engineering standby page you learn on 26 July whether you are offered admission or a standby place, and an offer from standby is possible until 15 August. If no place comes, the standby place is converted to a confirmed offer of admission for the following year.

You can apply for up to eight degrees in total from all Danish universities.

You apply at optagelse.dk, which opens on 1 February, and with an international upper secondary exam, including IB, you must apply by 15 March at 12 noon. DTU's General Engineering page puts the end of the admission process, when the quota 1 cut-off becomes known, at 28 July. None of these dates appears on DTU's pages with a year, so they are standing dates, not a published 2027 calendar.

No Danish CPR number: the signature page

A CPR number is the Danish personal ID number. If you do not have one, you must upload a signed signature page as a PDF file to UnistartDTU, one per application. DTU must receive it no later than 15 March, 12 noon, and DTU cannot see your application before the page arrives. You can change the priority order of the applications until 5 July, 12 noon. The number of applications is capped: up to eight degrees in total from all Danish universities.

Documents you need

• For every quota: your upper secondary diploma and grade transcripts in both the original language and an English translation by an authorised translator.
• For quota 2 in General Engineering: a motivational letter and a CV, both written in English, uploaded on optagelse.dk.
• Non-EU citizens must pay an application fee by 15 March before DTU assesses the application.

Offers, acceptance and the start of term

The General Engineering page says the admission process is completed on July 28th. The General Engineering standby page gives a different date for standby applicants, 26 July, so read both pages if you applied for standby. DTU's calendar lists the Autumn 2027 teaching period as 13-week period 30/8 2027 - 3/12 2027, and the introduction week is usually carried out in late August.

Pre-assessment of international qualifications

DTU offers to pre-assess your international qualifications from 1 September to 1 November; the page prints no year. You attach the result to your application on optagelse.dk between the 1 February and 15 March. For a complete application DTU says it aims to finish the pre-assessment before Christmas. Non-EU/EEA applicants pay 750 DKK/100 EUR.

If the diploma comes after 5 July

All applicants except those with an IB or EB exam must document their upper secondary exam by 5 July at noon; without the final diploma by then you cannot be part of the intake. EB graduates of the application year have until 8 July at noon. DTU cannot process applications after July 8th, so July 8th is the latest date it can receive diplomas, and only if an exemption is granted. If you are offered conditional admission, you must upload proof of the passed exam or English test no later than 1 September.

To apply to DTU you must have an upper secondary exam that equates a Danish upper secondary exam, and the route depends on where it comes from: an IB Diploma needs at least 24 points, an EU/EEA exam goes to quota 1 and 2, and an exam from outside the EU/EEA goes to quota 2 only.

For BEng and BSc programmes in Danish, DTU requires both an access-giving exam and the specific admission requirements. The foreign-exam list on DTU's Danish page names the Dansk/fransk Baccalauréate, the European Baccalauréate, the International Baccalauréate, the Option International du Baccalauréate, the Dansk-tysk studentereksamen/DIAP and upper secondary exams from other EU/EEA countries.

IB details

If your IB diploma is issued after 5 July, contact your IB coordinator no later than 1 June and give DTU permission to retrieve your results; the institution code is 173405 (Technical University of Denmark). The Danish page adds that DTU collects IB diplomas from a database when they are released on 6. juli.

EU/EEA exams: Polish matura, Abitur, baccalauréat

DTU's EU country list includes Poland and other countries, and countries not listed are treated as non-EU/EEA. Swiss nationals are a note on that page: Switzerland is not in the EEA, but Swiss nationals have the same rights and enjoy the same benefits as EEA citizens. For any other exam, DTU says the assessment of your subject levels is carried out by the bachelor admission's team at DTU when you apply, and that you may ask The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science to evaluate an international qualification.

Exams from outside the EU/EEA, British and US diplomas

With an exam from outside the Nordic countries and the EU/EEA, DTU requires, besides the specific requirements, that you pass Danish A or Studieprøven i dansk and attach a motivated application (a motiveret ansøgning). That sentence sits on the Danish-language page for the Danish-taught programmes. For General Engineering Danish is not a subject requirement: its row in DTU's subject table reads A B B - B.

British exams are the unclear case. DTU's access-giving list names them to and including the summer intake 2023 in the quota 1 and 2 group, an intake that has passed, so check with DTU how A-levels are treated for 2027 entry. A US high school diploma appears in DTU's paperwork exemptions below; to check whether a foreign exam not on DTU's list gives access, DTU points to the ministry website in the last item below.

Translation and the statement of hours form

• Foreign diplomas must be translated into Danish or English by a certified translator; Nordic diplomas are exempt.
• If your documents are not in a Nordic language or English, an authorised translator must have translated your diploma and transcripts into English.
• According to the Danish page, you do not fill in the statement of hours form if you hold an IB exam, an EB exam (European Baccalaureate), a US high school diploma, an upper secondary exam from the Nordic countries or the British school system.
• A foreign exam not on DTU's list can be checked on Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriets hjemmeside (the Ministry of Higher Education and Science website).

Every line in the table below asks for Mathematics at A level except the BEng in Global Business and Technology, which asks for B, and the General Engineering BSc asks for Mathematics A-level, English B-level, Physics B-level and Chemistry B-level (Danish levels), with no Danish subject. The Danish-taught BSc lines in DTU's table also need Danish at A level. Your foreign subjects are converted to these levels by DTU.

DTU calls these the specific admission requirements (specifikke adgangskrav): passed subjects at a given level (A, B or C). They are minimum requirements. A is the highest level and C the lowest. If you hold a non-Danish upper secondary exam, DTU will convert your levels and grades. A subject counts as passed when the average of all its grades is at least 2.

Two footnotes change the picture. In DTU's table, Physics C/B can be replaced by Geovidenskab A, and Chemistry C/B by Bioteknologi A. The General Engineering programme page spells that out: Fysik B or Geovidenskab A, Kemi B or Bioteknologi A (geoscience and biotechnology are Danish upper secondary subjects). The English admission page lists only the plain levels.

Danish is a requirement for the Danish-taught lines

On DTU's Danish-taught BSc Eng lines, Danish A is part of the specific admission requirements; General Engineering has none. The BEng table has no Danish column, but DTU states that if you apply for the BEng lines on a foreign or international exam, you must also meet the Danish requirement; the BEng lines are offered in Danish, though some courses may be in English. In short, DTU states it offers one English-taught full degree BSc programme in General Engineering, while every Danish-taught line requires Danish equal to A level from an upper secondary education from applicants with a foreign exam. Global Business and Technology (Global Business og Teknologi) is the outlier: Engelsk A and Matematik B.

• BEng Software Technology (Softwareteknologi): Matematik A, Fysik B or Geovidenskab A, Engelsk B.
• BEng Mechanical Engineering (Maskinteknik): Matematik A, Fysik B or Geovidenskab A, Kemi C or Bioteknologi A, Engelsk B.
• BEng Health Technology (Sundhedsteknologi): Matematik A, Fysik B or Geovidenskab A, Kemi C or Bioteknologi A, Engelsk B.
• BSc Physics and Engineering (Fysik og Ingeniørvidenskab): Matematik A, Fysik A, Kemi B or Bioteknologi A, Dansk A, Engelsk B.
• BSc Biotechnology (Bioteknologi): Matematik A, Fysik B or Geovidenskab A, Kemi B or Bioteknologi A, Dansk A, Engelsk B.

How IB subjects map to the levels

DTU publishes an IB conversion table (a PDF the General Engineering page links). In it, Mathematics HL sits against A, Mathematics SL against B and Mathematical Studies SL against C. For sciences, Physics HL and Chemistry HL sit against A, the SL courses against B, and neither has a C equivalent.

A missing subject: supplement, but not for free

• Until the 5. juli deadline you can supplement subjects to meet both the general and the specific requirements.
• After 5 July you may supplement at most 2 subjects (conditional admission), and the proof must be uploaded by 1 September at the latest. For General Engineering DTU only allows applicants to raise a maximum of two levels after 5 July.
• Supplementing is not possible after study start, and there is no exemption from the specific admission requirements.
• DTU's own upper secondary supplementary courses are only taught in Danish.
• A university-level course taken another way can be assessed: DTU says it can judge whether kursus på universitetsniveau meets the subject requirement.

DTU's guide to pre-assessed supplementary courses is valid for the 2027 Summer intake and states the General Engineering requirements as Mathematics A, Chemistry B and Physics B. Its rows name, for the USA, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, with the final AP exam required for the course to count. For England it names online A levels in Maths, Chemistry and Physics from the National Extension College. Courses provided by Thinkwell are not accepted at DTU. These are course lists, not a statement of how DTU recognises a US or British diploma.

For the English-taught General Engineering BSc, all applicants with an international upper secondary qualification must meet the English language requirement with an approved test: IELTS Academic 6.5, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180, or TOEFL iBT 94 for a test taken before 21 January 2026 (the figure DTU's Danish page names for the 2027 intake) or 4.5 on the new scale for a later test.

TOEFL: the figures on the English and Danish pages

DTU's pages give TOEFL figures that depend on the test date. The English page prints, undated, Minimum score 88 or 4.5 (for exams taken after the 21st of January). A footnote on the Danish page names the 2027 admission and the figure 94 point. For 2027 entry, the footnote sets 94 for an old-scale test taken before 21 January 2026; for a new-scale test the English page prints 4.5. The 88 is the figure on the undated English page, not the rule DTU names for the 2027 admission.

How the score is checked

DTU accepts only certificates that can be verified online. The English page states that verification of TOEFL and IELTS tests expires after 2 years and is not accepted if non-verifiable on 5 July; the Danish page gives 5. juni for the same check. The two pages disagree on the date, so plan for the earlier one. If you are offered conditional admission, the proof that you passed the English test must be uploaded no later than 1 September.

Who does not need a test

DTU's rule is that all international applicants (with some exemptions) must document their English proficiency by taking one of the DTU approved tests. The exemptions are listed below.

• "Native speakers" holding an English-taught access-giving exam taken in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain or Ireland; the exam must contain a passed academic English subject at a level comparable to Danish B level English.
• Holders of listed access-giving exams with English passed at a level equivalent to the Danish B or A level, for example an upper secondary exam from the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland).

Applicants from all other countries are not exempt from the English language requirement, even from African and Asian countries where English is the language of tuition. English B from your own school does not replace the test either: DTU states it does not exempt you from taking an English test, and the Danish page repeats that you skal stadig tage en engelsk test (must still take an English test).

English for the Danish-taught lines

The Danish-taught programmes work differently: DTU offers one English-taught full degree BSc programme in General Engineering, and on every other line your Danish qualifications must equal an upper secondary Danish A level if you apply with a foreign exam. DTU states that alle uddannelser på DTU kræver fagniveauet Engelsk B (every programme requires English as a subject at B level), and that this level cannot be met by taking an English test. An applicant with a Danish exam cannot take a language test instead of a supplementary course.

Every Danish-taught BSc Eng and BEng line at DTU requires Danish equal to A level from an upper secondary education from applicants who apply with a foreign access-giving exam. The English-taught General Engineering BSc has no Danish requirement.

DTU calls it the Danish language requirement (dansk sprogkrav). Its English BEng page says that, because the programme is taught in Danish, all applicants who apply on the basis of an international upper secondary exam have to pass Studieprøven i dansk or Danish A, and that the requirement does not apply to applicants from the Nordic countries. Studieprøven is the Danish-as-a-foreign-language examination.

Where Danish counts as a subject and where as a language rule

On the Danish-taught BSc Eng (civilingeniør) lines, Danish A is one of the specific admission requirements, so passing it also meets the language requirement. On the BEng (diplomingeniør) lines Danish A is not a specific requirement, which is why the language requirement matters to applicants with a foreign exam. DTU's foreign-exam page repeats the rule for all Danish-taught BSc Eng and BEng lines. The same page says that with an exam from outside the Nordic countries and the EU/EEA you must pass Danish A or Studieprøven i dansk. General Engineering is the exception: its row in DTU's subject table reads A B B - B, with a dash in the Danish column.

Timing, and one narrow exception

Up to the application deadline of 5. juli you can supplement subjects to meet both the general and specific requirements. The limits on supplementing after that date are in the subject-requirements chapter.

One exception exists for Danish applicants with a foreign exam, for example the IB: if they passed the Danish folkeskole leaving exam and hold a full leaving certificate, they can obtain dispensation from the Danish language requirement for the BEng lines. For the BSc Eng lines, the folkeskole exam cannot give dispensation from Danish A.

For a student who does not speak Danish, the practical reading is plain: DTU is an English-language option only through General Engineering. Applying to a Danish-taught line means showing Danish at A level through one of the routes above.

DTU's admission pages describe two ways of being assessed: quota 1 is a GPA ranking, with the highest GPAs admitted first, and quota 2 is decided solely on your written application and the documentation you attach.

For General Engineering the English quota page offers the same two routes: you can apply through quota 1 or quota 2. The English requirement for international applicants is a score on an approved language test, for example IELTS Academic 6.5 or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180; that is a language gate and not an admission test, and it has its own chapter.

How quota 2 is judged

In quota 2, DTU says it places great emphasis on your motivation for applying to the programme and attaches considerable importance to your results in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The head of the programme makes the assessment. The activities it looks at are in the quota chapter. This chapter covers what you write.

What to put in the letter

DTU gives no definitive checklist, but it names two questions. First: Why have you chosen to apply for this particular programme? Second: How have you improved your qualifications since completing your qualifying exam? It also tells you not to list everything you have done and to focus on activities relevant to studying the BSc in General Engineering.

If you are finishing school in the year you apply, the Danish page says that Årets studenter har mulighed for at søge ind gennem kvote 2 (school leavers of the application year can apply through quota 2), and that because a new graduate may not yet have work experience, the assessment focuses more on the motivated application.

Language and subject gates

Beyond grades and the written application, the gates are language and subject rules. General Engineering is the one English-taught full degree BSc programme; the Danish-taught lines add a Danish language requirement: Danish equal to A level from an upper secondary education, covered in its own chapter, and every programme asks for English as a school subject at B level.

DTU lists 20 BEng programmes, 21 BSc Eng programmes and 32 MSc Eng programmes, and almost all of the bachelor ones are taught in Danish. The BSc Eng is 180 ECTS credits and leads to an MSc; the BEng is a 3½-year programme with a six-month internship. Only General Engineering is taught in English.

The two bachelor degrees are different programmes with different goals, so the names matter. The BSc Eng (Bachelor of Science in Engineering) is, in DTU's words, a research-based undergraduate engineering programme that qualifies the student for a MSc programme. On the Danish side it is the first part of the civilingeniør (cand.polyt.), 3 +2 år: a three-year bachelor followed by a two-year master. The BEng (Bachelor of Engineering, diplomingeniør) is the professional degree.

BSc Eng lines

DTU's subject-requirements table, which covers the Danish-taught BSc Eng lines, names among others Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence and Data, Software Technology, Medicine and Technology, Physics and Engineering, Geophysics and Space Technology and Biotechnology. DTU also has a General Engineering programme taught in Danish: all class instruction takes place online, with physical attendance only for some exams. It is not the English-taught course.

BEng lines and the internship

The BEng lines in DTU's subject table include Mechanical Engineering, Global Business and Technology and IT and Economics. BEng students have courses on the DTU Lyngby Campus and DTU Ballerup Campus, and Ballerup has 3,500 students working in laboratories.

The internship is usually in the fifth or sixth semester and lasts 20 uger (20 weeks, or 100 arbejdsdages of full-time work), in Denmark or abroad. The English BEng page calls it a six-month internship; the two pages give different lengths. A 13-week Innovation Pilot course is mandatory in the fifth and sixth semesters of the BEng programmes. All BEng programmes are taught exclusively in Danish.

Winter intake

DTU offers winter admission on a single diplomingeniør line with study start 1. februar. DTU prints the dates without a year: you can apply from 1. oktober, with the quota 2 deadline on 15. oktober and the quota 1 deadline on 1. december. This autumn's October dates had already passed when the report was checked.

English courses and exchange

A Danish-taught degree still reaches English teaching. DTU says it has more than 400 courses in English from the third year onwards for guest students, and over 100 partner universities for exchange of one or two semesters or summer school. Through the EuroTeQ partnership you can add online courses from seven leading European technical universities, with access to over 100 courses. None of this replaces the Danish requirement for a Danish-taught line.

What DTU states is the route: after the General Engineering bachelor most students extend their studies by two years to obtain the MSc in Engineering.

These are routes, not outcomes. For General Engineering, DTU says that whichever specialization you choose you can find a job in many different industries, from acoustics to transportation, entrepreneurship, or research. Its Danish page adds that et arbejdsmarked, der mangler civilingeniører awaits you, in English a labour market that lacks civil engineers. That is DTU's own statement about demand, with no source or date attached on the page.

Career support while you study

The DTU Career Centre states its aim as helping you get a student job, internship and your first full-time position. Its services include feedback on your CV and cover letter, with guidance on job search, the Danish labour market and job interview preparation.

• Employer events include tech talks, career nights and DTU CareerWeek.

DTU states a tuition fee of €15,000 per academic year, paid up front €7,500 per semester, and EU/EEA citizens are not required to pay tuition fee. The page names no academic year for the amount, so it is the price on DTU's page, not one DTU confirms for the 2027 intake.

Who pays

DTU's Danish page says all applicants who are not Danish citizens and have no EU/EEA citizenship must pay, including students with permanent residence in other Nordic countries. Some groups are exempt on the Danish page: holders of a permanent residence permit in Denmark, or a temporary permit with the possibility of permanent residence; students with dual citizenship of both an EU/EEA country and a non-EU/EEA country; students with a permit based on family reunification or an EU residence card; and children of workers from non-EU/EEA countries.

Payment dates and rules

The English payment page gives deadlines of 1 January for the spring semester and 1 August for the autumn semester, and for students starting their first semester 1 August for the fall semester and 1 January for the spring semester. The Danish page adds a first payment on 1. september. The two pages differ, so use the earlier date. You pay up front one semester at a time, in Danish Kroner (DKK) or Euro (EUR).

What tuition covers and what happens if you withdraw

Tuition covers educational expenses such as courses for 180 ECTS credits, academic supervising, exams, but not equipment such as computers, printers or calculators. DTU states that it does not offer tuition fee waivers or any other funding at undergraduate level.

If you cancel after paying and before the semester has started, DTU will reimburse the tuition fee. After the semester has started the English page says DTU will not reimburse the tuition fee except in cases of exceptional unforeseen circumstances. The Danish page is more generous for first-semester students who withdraw before 1. november or 1. april: they are entitled to 50 procent back, excluding bank fees. The two pages conflict, so ask DTU in writing before relying on either.

The application fee

The fee is not refunded: no refunds are given if your application is rejected or if you withdraw after admission. Holders of a permanent residence permit are exempt from paying the application fee. The amounts are for the English-taught General Engineering fees pages; for Danish-taught lines the Danish page is the source.

DTU states that it offers no scholarships or tuition fee waivers at undergraduate level, and no other funding at undergraduate level either. The one public source it points to is the Danish State Education Grant and Loan Scheme (SU), which an EU student can apply for if certain conditions are met.

What SU is and who handles it

SU is an abbreviation for Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (in English, State Education Grant and Loan Scheme). DTU's SU Office gives all DTU students guidance on SU rules and processes applications for SU, SU loans, youth cards and study abroad scholarships. Check the conditions and amounts on the Danish SU authority's website before you count SU into a budget: DTU's page says only that you need to meet certain conditions.

The SU line applies to EU students. For non-EU/EEA applicants the picture on DTU's pages is tuition, an application fee and living costs with no DTU-funded support; the cost chapter sets out the amounts.

Master's students

One line concerns later study: Master's students are automatically registered in the SU system, regardless of citizenship. That is a registration rule, not a promise of a grant, and it is about the master's level, not the bachelor.

International students can apply for a room in the residences run by Boligfonden DTU (BDTU), a private non-profit housing foundation, and DTU warns that finding housing can be a challenge, especially in the months leading up to the beginning of the semester.

BDTU is assigned to provide housing for international students and employees at DTU. According to DTU, most of the student residences it administers are located on Lyngby campus, with options closer to the Ballerup campus and Copenhagen also available. DTU's General Engineering admission pages point to BDTU as the place to find further information on accommodation options at DTU.

Looking for a place

DTU warns that finding student-friendly housing in Denmark can be a challenge, especially in the months leading up to the beginning of the semester, e.g. August and September. Start the search well before the Autumn 2027 teaching period, which begins on 30/8 2027.

If you look through online ads or Facebook groups, DTU's advice is plain: beware of scams; never pay in cash. See the property in advance, document any damages or problems when you move in, and accept only written agreements.

Living farther away

DTU gives one price point for getting around: a used bike for around EUR 135. That is a bike price from DTU's page, not a monthly living-cost figure.

DTU's main campus, Lyngby Campus, is 15 kilometers north of Copenhagen, and DTU's calendar sets the Autumn 2027 teaching period at 13-week period 30/8 2027 - 3/12 2027. DTU describes a vibrant student and campus life with more than 13.000 students from all over the world, and five Friday bars on campus.

DTU's calendar teaches in 13-week periods, and adds four three-week periods in January, June, July and August, where you typically focus on one specific topic.

Campuses and campus life

DTU lists seven places: DTU Lyngby Campus, DTU Ballerup Campus, DTU Hirtshals Campus, DTU Risø Campus, DTU Sisimiut Campus, DTU in Frederikshavn and DTU in Kalundborg. Daily student life on General Engineering takes place on DTU's campus in Lyngby. DTU says you can visit the five Friday bars on campus, and the S-House for table football or concerts.

Building 321 at DTU, home to part of DTU Compute

Living in Denmark

DTU's living-in-Denmark page says language proficiency is excellent and over 90 per cent of the population speak English, and that the country is one of the safest in the world. Danish courses are free of charge if you have a Danish CPR number, but you pay a deposit to take part.

Your first days

DTU says the introduction week is usually carried out in late August. Its intro days offer a lot of fun, professional and social activities where you can meet your fellow students and get to know the campus. From 5 August (the page prints no year) you get access to the digital study start course How to DTU, which covers what a new student needs to know.

Whether and when you apply for a residence permit depends on your citizenship: EU/EEA citizens wait until they have arrived in Denmark to apply, and non-EU/EEA citizens must apply for and obtain the residence permit before coming to Denmark.

How the process starts

The process depends on your tuition payment. For General Engineering, when you have paid the tuition fee, DTU's admissions office starts the student residence permit application by filling out its part and confirming you will be a student at DTU. Timely payment is vital in your application for the Danish residence permit.

How long it takes and when it applies

Processing can take up to two months. Student residence permits are normally valid from 1. August and usually given for the nominated study time of the programme plus six months, if certain conditions are fulfilled. Holding a valid permit is a requirement for enrolment by study start 1. September. As a non-EU/EEA resident you must also register with the local municipality within 5-8 days of arriving in Denmark.

Keeping the permit

DTU is obliged to notify SIRI (Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) if you are delayed by more than 60 ECTS, and SIRI has a fixed extension period of 1 year; students who cannot finish within it are asked to leave the country.

CPR number and health cover

A CPR number is the Danish personal ID number; if you do not have one when you apply, you upload a signed signature page as a PDF file to UnistartDTU. Non-EU/EEA citizens are advised to take out private health insurance in their home country for interim cover until the health insurance card arrives.

DTU suits you if you want the one English-taught bachelor, General Engineering, or if you can reach Danish at A level for a Danish-taught line. DTU states that it offers one English-taught full degree BSc programme in General Engineering, and the other undergraduate programmes are taught in Danish.

Read DTU as two different offers. General Engineering is taught in English, needs an English test and no Danish. Every other line needs Danish equal to A level from an upper secondary education from applicants with a foreign exam, so it only makes sense if you can document that level.

Who it fits and who it does not

• It fits if you want an engineering degree in English at a technical university and your school subjects reach the Danish levels Mathematics A-level, English B-level, Physics B-level and Chemistry B-level.
• It fits if you already read Danish and can show Studieprøven i dansk or Danish A for a Danish-taught line.
• It costs money if you hold no EU/EEA citizenship: DTU's Danish page says all applicants who are not Danish citizens and have no EU/EEA citizenship must pay, while EU/EEA citizens do not.
• Your route depends on your exam: with an upper secondary exam from outside the Nordic countries and the EU/EEA you can apply only in quota 2, because foreign grades cannot be converted to a Danish GPA.
• It is a poor fit if you want a Danish-taught line and have no route to Danish A.

What DTU names for 2027

Two documents name the 2027 intake in their entry rules. The Danish page puts a footnote on the TOEFL requirement that reads Gældende for optagelsen 2027 (valid for the 2027 admission), with a minimum of 94 point for a test taken before 21. januar 2026. The guide to supplementary courses is valid for the 2027 Summer intake. The other dates above are standing dates printed without a year.

Alternatives DTU itself points to

If the language route does not fit, DTU points to individual courses in English: DTU says it offers more than 400 courses in English from the third year onwards. That does not replace a Danish-taught bachelor in English.

Official pages of DTU (Technical University of Denmark), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

Facts and figures · Education · Bachelor of Science (BSc) in General Engineering · Admission requirements for the BSc in General Engineering · Quotas when applying for the BSc in General Engineering · Søg optagelse med en udenlandsk eksamen · Fees, funding and permits for the BSc in General Engineering · Undergraduate programmes at DTU · How to apply for the BSc in General Engineering · Applying to the BSc in General Engineering: If you earn your diploma after 5 July · Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) programmes in Danish · DTU - Rankings · A brief history of DTU · Why Choose DTU · Alliances and strategic partnerships · Fordeling af studiepladser på kvote 1 og kvote 2 · Academic year · Specifikke adgangskrav · Bliv bachelor i General Engineering · Bachelor of Science (BSc) in General Engineering - taught in Danish · Sådan søger du optagelse i kvote 2 · Udenlandsk eksamen · Adgangsgivende eksaminer · Standby for the BSc in General Engineering · Sådan søger du om standby-plads · Sådan søger du optagelse i kvote 1 · Tidsfrister og datoer for optagelse på DTU - diplomingeniør- og bacheloruddannelsen · Apply for vacant study places at DTU · Conditional admission for the BSc in General Engineering · Required documentation when applying for the BSc in General Engineering · Pre-assessment of your international educational qualification · Application for exemption - BSc in General Engineering · Adgangskrav til diplomingeniør- og bacheloruddannelse · EU/EEA countries · Forhåndsvurdering af udenlandsk eksamen · Bliv diplomingeniør i Global Business og Teknologi · Hvornår er et fag bestået? · Bliv diplomingeniør i Softwareteknologi · Bliv diplomingeniør i Maskinteknik · Bliv diplomingeniør i Sundhedsteknologi · Bliv bachelor i Fysik og Ingeniørvidenskab fra DTU · Bliv bachelor i Bioteknologi · IB subject conversion table · Sommersupplering og betinget optagelse · Har du kvalifikationer som svarer til et specifikt adgangkrav? · Pre-assessed and qualifying courses that will fulfill the specific admission requirements at DTU · Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc Eng) programmes in Danish · Læs en bacheloruddannelse på DTU · Study at DTU in Ballerup · Praktik på diplomingeniøruddannelsen · Vinteroptag på diplomingeniøruddannelsen · International opportunities · DTU Career Centre - get a good start on your career path · Betaling for udenlandske statsborgere · Terms and conditions for payments · Sådan betaler du · Living in Denmark - guide for international students · SU Office - guidance on SU to DTU students · Student residence permit and accommodation · Study at DTU in Lyngby · The academic calendar at DTU · New at DTU - intro for BSc students

Photos: Entrance to DTU (Technical University of Denmark): photo News Oresund, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons · Students and teachers in DTU's life science and bioengineering building: photo News Oresund, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons · Building 321 at DTU, home to part of DTU Compute: photo Finn Årup Nielsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons