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TU Delft — application (BSc Computer Science & Engineering)

The English route into TU Delft is BSc Computer Science & Engineering (the maths BSc is Dutch-taught). It is sometimes considered as a "CS + maths electives" route — but the admissions reality is more restrictive than that route description implied.

The blocker — a Russian attestat doesn't qualify directly

For a Russian school-leaving certificate, TU Delft requires ≥60 ECTS (a full first year) of a BSc/BEng at an accredited university in a related field, with GPA ≥75%, before a place is possible. So this is not a direct school-leaver route — it's a transfer-after-a-university-year route. That materially changes the "CS life-hack": it presupposes a year of university first.

Does a UK foundation year help? (researched 2026-05-26)

Reportedly not, by itself. A UK International Foundation Year (UCL UPCSE, Warwick IFP, etc.) is not on TU Delft's list of accepted qualifications — that list covers full secondary diplomas (A-levels, IB, …), not pre-university foundation programmes. For a Russian-attestat holder, TU Delft's published routes to a VWO-equivalent entry qualification are:

  • Full GCE A-levels (3–4, grades A–C, including Mathematics), or
  • ≥60 ECTS (a full university year, GPA ≥75%) of a CS/engineering bachelor.

A foundation year is neither. Maths deficiency, where relevant, is proven via CCVX / Boswell-Bèta certificates — not the OMPT test (OMPT is used by some other Dutch universities, not TU Delft).

Action: diploma equivalence is decided case-by-case after Studielink registration, so email TU Delft Contact Centre / ESA (contactcentre-esa@tudelft.nl) with the actual transcript for a binding ruling before relying on this route. [confirm-with-admissions]

The A-levels route (2027 entry) does work, and the timing fits. With full A-levels (Maths required; Physics not needed for CSE), apply via Studielink by 15 Jan 2027 on predicted grades (numerus-fixus selection; ranking ~15 Apr 2027), then submit final A-level results by 1 Sep 2027. So a 1-year A-level in 2026/27 is timing-compatible — though the programme remains numerus-fixus selective, not threshold-based.

Deadline & selection

  • Numerus fixus programme (590 places; ~345 on the English track).
  • Apply via Studielink by 15 January (23:59 CET) — a hard deadline; the 2026 window has passed.
  • Selection = Matching (mandatory) + a Selection test; the test result plus a lottery draw set the ranking number (issued 15 April).

Other requirements

  • English: IELTS ≥6.5 / TOEFL ≥90.
  • Studielink registration, diploma/transcripts, plus the selection-procedure assignments.

Chances

Not viable as a direct school-leaver application: it requires a university year first, it is numerus fixus (capped, with a lottery element), and it is maths/CS-intensive. It becomes relevant only where a year of relevant university study is already in hand — otherwise École Polytechnique (direct, English) or the German-language route (ETH / TUM) are the continental options.

Sources