History
Riga Technical University (RTU) was established in 1862 as a multi-discipline polytechnic higher educational establishment. It was devised following the model of the most advanced technical universities of that time – Zurich and Karlsruhe universities, and became a foundation that allowed Riga to develop into a remarkable industrial centre in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.
Education
RTU has sustained its role in the education system of Latvia. Nowadays, RTU is accredited, internationally recognised European university that implements academic and professional study programmes of advanced quality. RTU has been highly evaluated by the international experts within the Institutional Evaluation Programme carried out by the European University Association (EUA), who recognised in their report that strategically RTU is moving in the right direction on the way to becoming a modern university of the third generation.
Research
RTU carries out research in the fields that are essential for the national economy of Latvia and educates and trains highly qualified specialists that are in great demand and competitive in the international labour market.
Career
RTU Career Centre was established in October, 2007, to enable cooperation and communication between the university, students, graduates and companies as well as to assist student integration in the labour market and development of his/her career.
Housing services
Riga Technical University offers accommodation on condition that you have already registered or will be registered as a student at RTU at the beginning of the Accommodation Period and remain registered student throughout the Accommodation Period.
Library services
The RTU Scientific Library is the oldest higher school library in Latvia. The formation of the Library dates back to 1862 with the establishment of the library of the Riga Polytechnic – the first higher school in Latvia – based on the donation of 1048 books by the Riga Manufacturing and Stock Exchange Committee, which laid the foundation of the Library collection.
Medical services
Insurance is an obligatory requirement to claim for residence permit ID card.
The insurance should be the following:
- Valid throughout the territory of Schengen Zone;
- Cover the entire period of the intended stay;
- With the minimum coverage of EUR 43 000.
Campus life
KIPSALA CAMPUS DORMITORY
- The dormitory is located on Kipsala campus providing students with the advantage of close by faculty buildings, city centre and a big shopping mall.
- The dormitory has a big “back yard” – a grass covered field where you may play various sports, lie on the grass, etc.
- The dormitory building is arranged in various blocks (A, B, etc.) either with 9 or 11 floors. The rooms are arranged into apartments. Each apartment has three double shared rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and corridor.
Riga Technical University Overview
Riga Technical University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 16.2% Latvia
Top 4.8% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
QS World University Rankings
761
By TopUniversities
Dropped 40 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 751 | 721 | 761 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
1001
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1001 | - | 1001 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
1441
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 169 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| - | 1272 | 1441 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Riga Technical University Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
Latvia Country
Riga City
Riga Technical University Student Reviews & Awards
4
Based on 100 reviews
- 5 Star 29 Reviews
- 4 Star 51 Reviews
- 3 Star 14 Reviews
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 5 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Overall Satisfaction 4.0
- Admission Process 4.2
Good
I liked practicing with different programs there during the lessons.
Review
Great school for domestic and international students. Many opportunities for exchange and additional academic development. Discounted tuition fees for EU citizens. Very wide range of available study programs.
Professional MBA
Great program for experienced employees, who want to know what's happening behind the scenes and understand why and how certain decisions are met depending on the area of responsibility. If you are a seasoned professional some of the courses might be easier for you, but not less valuable as experience sharing during the project and group assignments as well as discussions on the topic are very valuable. Hence would like to see more courses related to the IT area, current offering limited to project management, AI strategy and Power BI usage, which might not be sufficient for those having IT background.
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Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
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