Have you watched the famous film series that features racing and expensive cars called Fast & Furious? Did you develop a deep fascination with cars, how to design them, and knowing everything about how it works? If you are someone who is passionate about building and designing cars, and other vehicle transport, then a degree in Automotive Engineering would be suitable for you.
The development of passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, and off-road vehicles is some of the daily work of Automotive Engineers. They design new equipment and products or modify current ones, and they troubleshoot and solve engineering problems regarding vehicle transport. It is a branch of Vehicle Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
This field of study continues to grow and evolve over the years which can be seen with how advanced and efficient vehicle transports are nowadays. Thus, a career in this field remains to be stable and in demand. With that said, here is a list of a few of Europe’s best automotive engineering schools that aspiring students may find helpful:
Which country is best for studying automobile engineering?
When it comes to automobile engineering, there are quite a few countries that are exceptional in their respective fields, but one stands above the rest in the ranking, and that country is Germany. This country is known in the whole region for providing great educational opportunities in the field of engineering, and its main focus is on the automobile industry. Currently, there is no information on these specific courses, but you can search through our list of available courses to find something that can pique your interest.
Top Automotive Engineering Schools in Europe
1. RWTH Aachen University
RWTH Aachen University or Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen is a prestigious German public research university in the city of Aachen, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is Germany’s largest technical university, with over 47,000 students enrolled in 144 academic programs. This university does not offer an undergraduate degree specifically for Automotive Engineering but they do have Automotive Technology that you can take up in their vocational school for six semesters, but it’s still regarded as a Bachelor’s degree. Also, they offer a Bachelor’s degree in Transport Engineering and Mobility which still tackles vehicle construction and transport concepts. However, both programs mentioned are being taught in German.
The university does offer Automotive Engineering but as a Master’s program. This one is being taught in English and in terms of real-world vehicle requirements, market trends, and legislative limits, the curriculum delivers in-depth knowledge of industrial design methodologies and research issues. This Master’s course is hosted by the Institute for Automotive Engineering of RWTH Aachen University, which is one of Europe’s leading institutes in automotive engineering.
2. University of Hertfordshire
Located in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, the University of Hertfordshire is a public university that offers a wide variety of programs for students. It provides both undergraduate and postgraduate courses for Automotive Engineering. An aspiring student in this program will find it fun to study at this university because of its excellent reputation, good employment prospects, and industry connections.
Ever heard of Formula One or F1? It is one of the most popular sports in the world, regarded as the highest class of international racing for single-seater formula racing cars. The University of Hertfordshire is home to the United Kingdom’s most successful Formula Student Team, which designs, manufactures, and competes for a single-seat race car in the worldwide Formula Student championship each year. Every Formula One racing team includes an automotive engineering graduate from this school. The school also has long-established partnerships with renowned companies in this field like BMW, Nissan, and McLaren who are involved with work placements and provide their presence in the school’s careers fairs or practical workshops.
3. Coventry University
Coventry University is a research university located in Coventry, England. The institution is known around the world for its expertise in health, peacebuilding, and agroecology, as well as the world-class engineering and design graduates it produces, particularly in the automobile industry. Coventry University is known to be one of Europe’s best automotive engineering schools and offers both bachelor’s and master’s programs for Automotive Engineering. It even has a program for Automotive and Transport Design.
This university has superb facilities for its Automotive Engineering students. Some of their best features include the Cruden F1 Simulator, which offers a realistic experience of working for a race team in a highly pressured and realistic environment, and a state-of-the-art Metals Workshop, where students can engage in hands-on technical work. They also have a Wind Tunnel, which is like a test area for their work and it is built and tested by the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team itself. In terms of career opportunities, graduates of this school have landed jobs in renowned companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Technologies, and Mahle Powertrain. Some previous students also have experience working with projects in Honda, NP Aerospace, Eaton Trucks, and McLaren Automotive.
4. KTH Royal Institute of Technology
The KTH Royal Institute of Technology (abbreviated KTH) is a Swedish public research university. KTH is Sweden’s largest technical university, doing engineering and technology research and instruction. This school doesn’t have an undergraduate course for Automotive Engineering or other related programs. But, it does offer Vehicle Engineering as a Master’s program. Other closely related Master’s programs are Transport and Geoinformation Technology, and Transport, Mobility and Innovation.
The Vehicle Engineering program in this excellent automotive engineering school in Europe offers two specializations: Road Vehicles and Rail Vehicles. It is a research-intensive program and students can definitely learn a lot because of the school’s connections. The Swedish vehicle industry and the Division of Vehicle Engineering and Solid Mechanics work closely together, and important manufacturers like the KTH and the Swedish transport administration are all involved in several large active research projects, in which students can participate and learn a lot. In terms of career opportunities, some graduates from this school can be found working in renowned companies such as Volvo Cars, Scania, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, Bombardier Transportation, NEVS, CEVT, Daimler, BMW, etc.
5. Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilnius Tech)
This public university is located in Vilnius, Lithuania. Vilnius Tech is yet another one of the best automotive engineering schools in Europe. Being among Lithuania’s largest research universities, Vilnius Tech puts a strong emphasis on university-business collaboration and a focus on technology and engineering. It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Transport Engineering. The undergraduate program offers several specializations such as Automobile Transport Engineering, Railway Transport Engineering, Automotive Engineering, etc. Graduates from this school have good opportunities in the employment world and can work in the Lithuanian Road Administration and Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration. The program is offered both in Lithuanian and English.
We hope that you found this article on the best automotive engineering schools in Europe informative and helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
