Delft University Of Technology

The Delft University of Technology is located in the city of Delft in the Netherlands. Delft is a place full of history, canals and beautiful old buildings with museums and a botanical garden, but it’s also a place full of restaurants, bars and pubs for students to enjoy.

The student community at TU Delft is made up of lots of different groups. For example, 33 per cent of postgraduate students come to the university from outside of the Netherlands. Everyone can connect and share their cultural experiences, and everyone feels welcome.

Plus, since there are so many international students in Delft, the university has put lots of effort into making sure they get excellent student support and feel just as supported and able to succeed as domestic students. It’s all easy to access at this friendly institution, from financial advice and aid (bursaries, scholarships and so on) to counselling services.

For students who decide to study at TU Delft, the learning experience will be amazing. The university employs award-winning tutors and lecturers. Across all courses and programmes, class sizes are small, so everyone can get the academic support they need. Plus, other staff members at TU Delft are available to help. The careers department runs lots of useful skills workshops, for example, and the library staff can easily support student research needs.

Any potential applicant should know that TU Delft is an institution that really cares about student wellbeing and student career outcomes after graduation. TU Delft lecturers and courses aren’t just preparing a person to do well in their academic life, they’re preparing them for the working world and a professional career too. Explore new ideas and support important research projects. Make friends for life between study sessions. TU Delft’s modern and exciting facilities make anything possible.

Teaching Quality

TU Delft is one of the world’s top universities, ranking at number 75 in the 2022 World University Rankings. This special position is held by TU Delft because of the university’s exciting research efforts and high-quality teaching standards, which are always being monitored by the systems the university has put in place to make sure all students get the best education possible.

TU Delft is currently home to 20,000 students in full-time education. There are over 6,000 faculty members, putting the ratio of students to staff members at around 17 to one. This is a great ratio, it keeps class sizes small and students feeling comfortable, and it lets tutors give students all the academic support they need to succeed. Quality teaching is the standard, and no student feels ignored.

Speaking of tutors, the academic staff at TU Delft are some of the best lecturers and researchers in the world. They’re doing important work in their fields and being recognised for their achievements externally and internally. Internally, TU Delft’s annual awards for professors set a high standard and reward great teaching quality.

Times Higher Education (THE) ranked TU Delft as the sixth best university in the Netherlands, and in the QS World Rankings, TU Delft is number 53. This is partly due to some of the university’s award-winning research, done by both professors and students. Some of the professors have also been awarded the Dutch Prize for ICT research, and one professor was even awarded the Hudig Medal, which is a great honour only presented every five years.

Some of TU Delft’s most exciting current projects include working on a sensor to detect the drug GHB (to prevent drink spiking), creating nanoscale flow-driven rotors and planning to make protein-rich food out of cultivated cells.

Entry Requirements

To study at TU Delft, applicants will need to meet a few university entry requirements. Other entry requirements will also apply depending on the person’s chosen programme of study. Generally, undergraduate applicants will need the equivalent of college-level (UK) or high-school-level (US) qualifications. Postgraduate applicants will need to show evidence of previous university qualifications and a cumulative GPA (CPGA) of 75 per cent.

TU Delft encourages potential future students to check the website and get to know any extra university requirements that individual programmes might have, like qualifications or certain grades in specific subjects. For example, every undergraduate must have a qualification in mathematics, but applicants who want to study nanobiology will also need qualifications in biology and chemistry.

TU Delft is competitive, with an overall acceptance rate of about 65 per cent (this figure changes from programme to programme and is affected by the number of applicants/their grades each year). Any person who wants to apply can enjoy a great standard of education at this university, but they should make sure to do their research and get everything right on their application before they click submit.

English Score Required

Delft University offers programmes in Dutch and English, so the language requirements for applicants will depend on their chosen programme of study. Applicants who want to study one of the university’s English-taught programmes will need one of the following:

• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) overall score of at least 90
• An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of at least 6.5
• A Cambridge Assessment English certificate (either C1 Advanced with an overall score of at least 176 or C2 Proficiency with an overall score of at least 180)

Some people who apply to TU Delft don’t need to complete a test to prove their understanding of English. For example, people who are native to the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, people who have studied the International Baccalaureate and a few more. Details about English test exemptions are on the university’s website.

If a student wants to study one of TU Delft’s Dutch programmes, they’ll need to show that they understand this language. They’ll need to either pass a Dutch exam at college level or pass a language test provided by the university. Applicants who don’t understand Dutch can, however, take a language course offered by Delft’s Centre for Languages and Academic Skills when they receive a conditional offer.

Admission

Student admission to TU Delft will look different for every applicant depending on their chosen programme of study and whether they’re applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification at the university.

The admission journey is described fully on the university’s website. It begins with choosing a programme, sharing personal and educational details, and paying an application fee of EUR 100. Then, an applicant will need to give evidence of their education and identity (academic transcripts, passport photo, proof of English/Dutch understanding).

Once an applicant’s done everything that TU Delft asks, they will get access to the university’s online portal and be able to check on the status of their application whenever they like. In time, they’ll receive an offer/be rejected. If they receive an offer, they’ll then need to accept this offer and confirm their place.

Application deadlines for university admission at TU Delft are different depending on the course the applicant wants to enrol on. For more information about deadlines, documents and registration, applicants are encouraged to check TU Delft’s website to make sure they’re given the best chance of being accepted into this respected institution. The website also includes plenty of information about postgraduate admissions, which follow a similar path but might add a few extra steps.

Scholarships & Funding

TU Delft offers scholarships and grants to certain postgraduate and undergraduate students. These forms of funding support can be really helpful for covering costs, especially tuition fees (around EUR 2,209 annually for Dutch/EU/EFTA/Surinamese undergraduate students, between EUR 15,200 and 19,600 annually for other undergraduates).

University scholarships go to students who are doing great things, working hard and achieving academic success. For example, the Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship rewards students enrolled on postgraduate degrees at TU Delft by covering their tuition fees for a full year and helping them with their living expenses. To apply for this scholarship, students need a CGPA of 80 per cent or higher (or the scale maximum from a university outside of the Netherlands).

Another great example is The Holland Scholarship, awarded to international postgraduate students who have received a conditional offer and have a bachelor’s degree from an internationally renowned university outside of the Netherlands. This scholarship awards students with EUR 5,000 towards their tuition fees, as well as support with their living costs.

Financial grants for students are usually given based on need. For undergraduates, there are a few different funding options depending on a person’s chosen programme and economic background. Grants are given, for example, to people studying to become teachers or to people who need support with their travel expenses.