Delft University of Technology

The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; Dutch: Technische Universiteit Delft) is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. It specializes in engineering, technology, computing, design, and natural sciences.

It is considered one of the leading technical universities in Europe and is consistently ranked as one of the best schools for architecture and engineering in the world. According to the QS World University Rankings it ranked 3rd worldwide for architecture and 13th for Engineering & Technology in 2024. It also ranked 3rd best worldwide for mechanical and aerospace engineering, 3rd for civil and structural engineering, 11th for chemical engineering, and 12th for design.

With eight faculties and multiple research institutes, TU Delft educates around 27,000 students (undergraduate and postgraduate), and employs more than 3,500 doctoral candidates and close to 4,500 teaching, research, support and management staff (including more than 1,300 faculty members of all academic ranks in the Netherlands).

The university was established on 8 January 1842 by King William II as a royal academy, with the primary purpose of training civil servants for work in the Dutch East Indies. The school expanded its research and education curriculum over time, becoming a polytechnic school in 1864 and an institute of technology (making it a full-fledged university) in 1905. It changed its name to Delft University of Technology in 1986.

Dutch Nobel laureates Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, and Simon van der Meer have been associated with TU Delft. TU Delft is a member of several university federations, including the IDEA League, CESAER, UNITECH International, ENHANCE Alliance, LDE, and 4TU.

Delft University of Technology was founded on 8 January 1842 by William II of the Netherlands as Royal Academy for the education of civilian engineers, for serving both nation and industry, and of apprentices for trade. One of the purposes of the academy was to educate civil servants for the colonies of the Dutch East India Company. The first director of the academy was Antoine Lipkens, constructor of the first Dutch optical telegraph, called simply as Lipkens. Royal Academy had its first building located at Oude Delft 95 in Delft. On 23 May 1863 an Act was passed imposing regulations on technical education in the Netherlands, bringing it under the rules of secondary education.

On 20 June 1864, Royal Academy in Delft was disbanded by a Royal Decree, giving a way to a Polytechnic School of Delft (Politechnische School te Delft). The newly formed school educated engineers of various fields and architects, much needed during the rapid industrialization period in the 19th century.

Yet another Act, passed on 22 May 1905, changed the name of the school to Technical College (Institute) of Delft (Technische Hoogeschool Delft, from 1934 Technische Hogeschool Delft), emphasizing the academic quality of the education. Polytechnic was granted university rights and was allowed to award academic degrees. The number of students reached 450 around that time. The official opening of the new school was attended by Queen Wilhelmina on 10 July 1905. First dean of the newly established college was ir. J. Kraus, hydraulic engineer. In 1905, the first doctoral degree was awarded. From 1924 until the construction of the new campus in 1966, the ceremonies were held in the Saint Hippolytus Chapel.