Best residential areas for students in Aachen

‍Why the situation when studying has more influence than many think

There are phases of life in which the residential area is relatively irrelevant because you have a car, work flexibly and rarely have to be at a specific location at fixed times. Studying is usually not one of these phases.

As a student, you have lectures at fixed times, often early in the morning and throughout the day. You walk or cycle because there is no car available or because parking spaces near the campus are scarce. You need a canteen or affordable shopping facilities nearby because the budget is limited. You spend a lot of time in the library or in study rooms, which are usually on campus. And after a long day of studying, you're happy when the way home is short and doesn't mean a thirty-minute bus ride.

Over a semester, these everyday factors add up to a significant influence on energy, mood and academic success. If you have a ten-minute walk to the lecture, your day is different from those who have to calculate a half-hour bus ride in one direction every day. This is not an abstract argument, but the lived experience of students who know both.

The special feature of the Aachen campus model: Why you need to know your area of expertise first

Before talking about residential areas, you need to understand the structure of RWTH Aachen, because it directly influences the location decision. RWTH is not a university with a central campus where everything is connected. It has several locations spread across the city.

Campus West is the largest and most well-known location. Many of the engineering and natural sciences departments, the main RWTH building, several libraries and large parts of the central administration are located here. For the majority of RWTH students, Campus West is where they spend most of their time.

Campus Melaten is located west of Campus West and houses newer research buildings and institutes, primarily from the fields of engineering sciences, medical technology and biotechnology. Anyone who has their department there should adjust the location of the desired residential area accordingly.

The clinic area around Aachen University Hospital is also located in the west of the city. Medical students spend a significant amount of their time there, particularly during clinical semesters.

There is also the FH Aachen, the University of Applied Sciences, with two locations: one in the city center and one on Jülicher Straße in the north of the city. Students studying at FH have other ideal residential areas than RWTH students.

The first step when deciding where to live in Aachen should therefore always be: Where is my department located? Anyone who knows this can sensibly evaluate the residential areas from there.

The district around Campus West: The strongest location for RWTH students

For the vast majority of RWTH students, the area around Campus West is the best starting point. It is located right at RWTH's largest location, is densely populated with students and appropriate infrastructure, and offers the shortest routes for everyday student life.

As far as everyday infrastructure is concerned, the area is well supplied. Several supermarkets are within walking distance, including Aldi, Lidl and Netto. The Ahornstraße canteen is located right on campus and is the most important and cheapest lunch offer for students in the immediate vicinity. The RWTH University Sports Center is also located in this area and can be reached on foot in five to fifteen minutes, depending on your specific home address. There are enough cafés, bakeries and smaller restaurants in the district.

From this area, the city center of Aachen can be reached in about ten minutes on foot or in five minutes by bike, which makes the Campus West area a reliable location for everyday student life as well as for leisure and errands.

The Good Shepherd residential project is located in exactly this area, right on Campus West. For students and professionals who have to go to RWTH every day or want to take advantage of this location, this is a structural advantage over more distant districts. More about the location and the specific routes: https://guterhirte-wohnen.com/lage

Compared to Aachen, the rental price level in this area is in the middle to upper segment. Shared rooms near the campus usually cost between 450 and 600 EUR per month, which is above the city-wide average of around 402 EUR, but is directly related to the short distances and the dense infrastructure. Whoever chooses this location pays for real everyday value, not for prestige.

The Pontviertel: student flair and proximity to the city center

The Pontviertel is located east of Campus West, between the main RWTH building and Aachen city center. It is one of the most popular residential areas for students because it offers a mix of student life, good food and relative proximity to campus.

The neighborhood has a different character than the more direct campus area. It is denser built up, more lively and has a distinctive pub and café culture. Anyone who appreciates urban student life and values an active social environment right on their doorstep will find a suitable atmosphere in Pontviertel.

For students on Campus West, the Pontviertel is easily accessible: on foot in around ten to fifteen minutes, by bike in five minutes. This is justifiable, but noticeably wider than an apartment located directly on campus. Anyone who has to go to class early every day and values short distances should take this into account.

The rental price level in Pontviertel is similar to that of the campus area, slightly cheaper in some streets. The selection of shared rooms in Pontviertel is good, which makes the search a bit easier than in the most sought after campus locations right by the RWTH main building.

The city center: Central but with restrictions

Aachen's city center is attractive to many at first glance: everything within walking distance, shopping opportunities just around the corner, lively urban life. For students, however, it also has some restrictions that you should know in advance.

Living space in the city center is scarce and tends to be more expensive than in areas close to the campus, without the location offering a real everyday advantage for students who mainly spend at Campus West. Anyone who lives in the city center and has to go to Campus West every day has a walking distance of around twenty to twenty-five minutes or takes the bus.

For FH students studying in the city center, on the other hand, the inner-city location is very useful because the FH is right nearby at the city center location. For RWTH students on Campus West, it is a question of personal priorities: Anyone who values the city center as their center of life and accepts the somewhat longer campus journey can easily live there. If you primarily want short distances to RWTH, you'll find better options further west.

Laurensberg and Richterich: Quieter, cheaper, but further out

Laurensberg and Richterich are western districts of Aachen that are quieter and slightly cheaper than the districts close to the campus. They are sometimes mentioned as a housing alternative because the rental price level there is lower and the apartments are often larger.

In practice, these districts are only suitable to a limited extent for students without cars. The connection to Campus West is possible by bus, but the journey takes between twenty and thirty minutes, depending on the line and time of day. Anyone who travels this distance twice a day invests an hour of commuting time, which is missing in everyday student life with early lectures, examination phases and project work.

If you have a car or want to live very cheaply and accept the longer journey, you can find a good balance of price and quality of living in Laurensberg or Richterich. However, for the majority of students who want to travel through Aachen without a car, these districts are not an ideal choice.

Burtscheid: Quiet, well-connected, underrated

Burtscheid is a southern district of Aachen that is less frequently on the radar of students, but is an interesting option. The district has good bus connections to the city center and is also easily accessible from there to Campus West. The rental price level is slightly cheaper than in the districts close to the campus, the living atmosphere is quieter and less densely populated than in the Pontviertel or directly on campus.

For students who prefer peace and a somewhat quieter living atmosphere and are willing to take a slightly longer journey to campus, Burtscheid is an option that is worth a second look. Campus West can be reached by bike from Burtscheid in around fifteen to twenty minutes.

What ultimately makes the decision: Three questions you should ask yourself

After all quarters have been described, it helps to break down the decision to three specific questions.

The first question is: Where is my department or employer in Aachen? The answer to this question determines which residential area offers the shortest routes in practice. Anyone who has to go to Campus West every day should live close to the campus. Anyone who is mainly at the FH city center has other priorities.

The second question is: How important is immediate everyday infrastructure to me? If you value having a supermarket, canteen and sports within walking distance, the Campus West area is the best place to go. Anyone who prefers big city life and dense gastronomy is more comfortable in the Pontviertel.

The third question is: What is my realistic budget? Anyone who is willing to pay between 450 and 600 euros per month for a location close to the campus has the best selection in the most sought-after areas. If you have a tight budget, you will find cheaper options in Burtscheid or in the western districts, but must take commuting time into account.

conclusion

For RWTH students, the area around Campus West is the best residential area in Aachen, if you take everyday suitability, infrastructure and proximity to the campus as a yardstick. The Pontviertel is a very good alternative with a more lively atmosphere and a slightly longer campus path. The city center works well for FH students or for those who place urban life on short campus routes. Quieter and cheaper districts such as Burtscheid or Laurensberg are interesting for students with cars or a high need for rest, but require a conscious approach to commuting time.

If you're looking for a fully furnished apartment right on Campus West, check out the options available at The Good Shepherd: https://guterhirte-wohnen.com/apartment

Or get in touch with us directly if you have any questions about the situation: https://guterhirte-wohnen.com/kontakt

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