Timeline

Koblenz University of Applied Sciences was first established in the period after World War II, although the foundation of the Materials Engineering degree dates back to the 19th century (Ceramic Technical College in Höhr-Grenzhausen since 1879). In the 1949-50 winter semester, the United Technical Schools (VTL) began teaching courses in a former military barracks in the Karthause district of Koblenz. Eleven full-time and six part-time lecturers taught approximately 300 students in three departments: Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In the 1951-52 winter semester, Electrical Engineering was added to the programme. 

In 1971, the Koblenz Engineering College, which had since been taken over by the state, was integrated into the newly founded Rhineland-Palatinate University of Applied Sciences. As part of this restructuring, the Koblenz campus, which had previously only offered technical programmes, was expanded to include the faculties of Business Administration, Social Work and Education. The independent ceramics college in Höhr-Grenzhausen became the Department of Ceramics, completing the range of study programmes at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. The opening of the Fine Arts Institute for Ceramics in Höhr-Grenzhausen in 1987 was an important addition to the university.

Koblenz University of Applied Sciences became independent on 1 September 1996. In the 1998-99 winter semester, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences opened the new RheinAhrCampus in Remagen. The new campus, which was financed through the Bonn-Berlin compensation agreement, offered degree programmes in Health and Social Economy, Sports Management and Medical Engineering. 

Two new buildings in Koblenz and Remagen paved the way for the university's future development. With competition between universities intensifying, only institutions that could offer their students both high quality education and excellent infrastructure would be likely to succeed. By 2012, the number of students enrolled at the university's three campuses had increased to 8,000.

In April 2010, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences launched its Research Centre at the RheinAhrCampus in Remagen. In the 2015-16 winter semester, the Graduate Centre was established at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences to support PhD students throughout their doctoral research.

In May 2013, the Senate of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences nominated its first honorary senator: Franz-Walter Aumund, founder of the Aumund Foundation.

In spring 2016, the Rhineland-Palatinate Institute of Education, Training and Early Childhood Care (IBEB) was set up to initiate, develop and enhance quality, research and expertise to foster excellence in early childhood education and in the childcare system in Rhineland-Palatinate.

In the 2018 winter semester, the Interdisciplinary Institute for Digitisation (IIFD) was opened. 

In November 2019, the Max-von-Laue Institute of Advanced Ceramic Material Properties Studies (CerMaProS) was launched at an official opening ceremony with around 100 guests from the realms of academia, business and politics. The newly established collaborative research centre was a milestone in the long-standing and successful cooperation between the University of Koblenz-Landau and Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. 

In 2020 two new buildings in Koblenz (architecture building) and Remagen (lecture building and student housing) were opened. In this year, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences recorded a one-time high of 9,800 students.

In September 2022, the University of Koblenz and Koblenz University of Applied Sciences launched a second collaborative research centre: Data2Health: Trustworthy Data Analysis for Healthcare. Six cooperative doctoral projects at the research centre explore new approaches to security and reliability in the transfer, distribution and predictive analysis of healthcare data. A third collaborative research centre with the University of Kaiserlautern started in 2023 with the title “Resilient Transformation Spaces (ReTra)” – Innovative strategies for sustainable and crisis-resilient spatial development in rural, mid-mountain regions. 

In 2023 Matthias Nester and Thomas Wolff were elected honary senators as well as in 2024 Prof. Dr. Daniela Braun.

In 2024 the university recorded third-party income of over 10 million euros for the first time, used mainly for research projects.