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View of Iserlohn through green and colourful leaves
© ON-Photography – stock.adobe.com

Studying in Iserlohn

Iserlohn offers you 3 degree programmes in English at 2 higher education institutions.

A forest town in the truest sense of the word: Iserlohn is not only called this because of its large forest areas, but the name also literally means iron forest – an allusion to the charming interplay between urban life and nature. Yet there is much more to marvel at here; including the Dechenhöhle stalactite cave which is one of the largest and perhaps most impressive subterranean caverns in Germany.

Are you particularly interested in degree programmes in the natural sciences or business? Then you've come to the right place! There are two higher education institutions in Iserlohn; the University of Europe for Applied Sciences, a private, state-recognised higher education institution, and the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, a public institution. The more than 11,000 students research and learn in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, information technology, business administration and agriculture.

If you decide to study at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, you may even study in the nearby towns of Hagen, Lüdenscheid, Meschede or Soest, depending on the degree programme. But no matter where you go to lectures, you can look forward to small study groups, a high degree of practical relevance and intense supervision by lecturers. The manageable size of the universities of applied sciences also makes it easy for you to socialise with your fellow students and quickly make new friends. By the way: Thanks to the proximity to the Ruhr region and the companies there, you can gain your first professional experiences and build relationships that can be useful later in your future career.

Life in Iserlohn

93,000 residents

  • High-speed train connections

    Hagen train station in 17 km distance

  • International airport

    Dortmund airport in 18 km distance

  • Coast

    North Sea in 240 km distance

  • Mountain range

    Sauerland in close vicinity

  • Other countries

    The Netherlands in 90 km distance

  • Attractions within 100 km

    • Ruin of Hohensyburg Castle in 16 km distance

    • Phoenix Lake in 19 km distance

2 higher education institutions in Iserlohn

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Subject groups of degree programmes in Iserlohn

There is a wide range of degree programmes in Iserlohn. Here you can see the main subject groups. Currently, degree programmes in Iserlohn are mainly offered in the subject group Engineering Sciences, followed by Economic Sciences, Law and Mathematics, Natural Sciences. Find out more information here about the subject groups and degree programmes offered in Germany.
  • 1

    Agricultural and Forest Sciences

  • 6

    Humanities and Social Sciences

  • 7

    Mathematics, Natural Sciences

  • 2

    Art, Music, Design

  • 3

    Language and Cultural Studies

  • 1

    Medicine, Health Sciences

  • 12

    Economic Sciences, Law

  • 16

    Engineering Sciences

  • 0

    Teaching Degrees

The Seilersee lake, surrounded by green nature on a sunny day
©Pixel62 – stock.adobe.com

The area around the Seilersee offers everything an outdoor enthusiast could wish for.

Tip: Danzturm tower, the town's landmark, offers you a wonderful panoramic view over the Sauerland all the way to the Ruhr region!

With a population of around 95,000, Iserlohn is the largest town in the region of the Märkische Sauerland: enjoy a leisurely stroll through the boutiques and small, independent shops, admire the Wilhelminian and half-timbered houses or meet up with friends in one of the many cafés and pubs. And, if you're feeling adventurous, you can set off on one of the many hiking routes in the Sauerland starting practically right from your front door. A spontaneous short trip to one of the many lakes in the region is also possible – it’s up to you where you prefer to relax on a warm summer day: Hengsteysee lake or the reservoirs at Oestertalsperre, Glörtalsperre or Windebruch Listertalsperre? There is one lake that is particularly popular among the people of the Sauerland: At Seilersee, play mini-golf, have a cosy weekend picnic with your friends, or even take a rented boat out on the lake.

All year round there are fun happenings, such as the open-air movie showings at the "Summer in the City", the music festival Internationale Herbsttage, the International Guitar Festival or the Kiliankirmes festival. A special highlight is the Iserlohn Summer Nights, where you can dance to live music, have fun at the street theatre and reward yourself with delicacies at food stalls. Surrounding towns also offer their own events, such as the "Anno Tuck - und die flotten 50er" in Altena or the Rumo Tripot Festival in Küntrop. But if you're more in the mood for the big city, you'll be in Dortmund in no time. Here, of course, you have a wide range of nightlife and leisure options.

By the way: The city marketing has very creative ideas here - as part of the campaign “Wald | Stadt” ("Forest | City"), the city of Iserlohn has already created several cocktails. Two of them are, for example, the "Muntere Reh" (the lively doe) and its non-alcoholic variant the "Sanfte Reh" (the gentle doe), which you can get at local restaurants and pubs. However, the cocktail creations change with the seasons – you might be pleasantly surprised by which creations are trending while you study here!

A young woman walks through the city
A young woman walks through the cityJan von Allwörden / DAAD

You can find more information at study-in-germany.de

For more information on living and studying in Iserlohn, visit the city portraits at study-in-germany.de