▁Berg isches ▁Land ▁and ▁the ▁Lower ▁Rh ine ▁ground ▁their ▁economy ▁on ▁" Hidden ▁Champions " ▁in ▁various ▁se ctors . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁un emp loyment ▁rate ▁is ▁ 8 . 2 %, ▁second ▁highest ▁among ▁all ▁western ▁German ▁states . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁the ▁un emp loyment ▁rate ▁stood ▁at ▁ 6 . 4 % ▁and ▁was ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average . ▁ ▁Education ▁▁ ▁R W TH ▁A achen ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁leading ▁univers ities ▁of ▁technology ▁and ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁D F G ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Univers ities ▁of ▁Ex cell ence ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁ 1 4 ▁univers ities ▁and ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁partly ▁post grad uate ▁colleg es , ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁students . ▁L arg est ▁and ▁oldest ▁university ▁is ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁C ologne ▁( Univers ität ▁zu ▁Köln ), ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 8 ▁AD , ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁eleven ▁Univers ities ▁of ▁Ex cell ence . Univers ity ▁of ▁D uis burg - E ss en ▁( Univers ität ▁D uis burg - E ss en ), ▁is ▁also ▁well ▁known ▁and ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁univers ities ▁in ▁Germany