The Technical University of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, DTU) was founded in 1829 as the 'College of Advanced Technology' (Danish: Den Polytekniske Læreanstalt). The initiative was taken by the renowned physicist Hans Christian Ørsted (then a professor at the University of Copenhagen) who also served as its principal until his death in 1851. The university is generally understood to be one of Europe's leading engineering institutions, and the best engineering university in Scandinavia.

From 1933 the institution was officially known as Danmarks Tekniske Højskole (DTH), which usually was translated as the 'Technical University of Denmark'. Finally on 1 April 1994, in connection with the joining of Danmarks Ingeniørakademi (DIA) and DTH, the Danish name was changed to Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, in order to include the word 'University', thus giving rise to the acronym DTU by which the university is commonly known today.

DTU is the subject of recent and ongoing controversy (2009) because the institute director of the Department of Chemistry is a high-ranking member of Scientology. In relation to this, the university is being accused of violating the principles of free speech by threatening to fire employees who voice their criticism of the institute director.

On 1 January 2007 the university was merged with the following Danish research centers: Forskningscenter Risø, Danmarks Fødevareforskning, Danmarks Fiskeriundersøgelser (from 1 January 2008: National Institute for Aquatic Resources; DTU Aqua), Danmarks Rumcenter, and Danmarks Transport-Forskning. In November 2007 the Times Higher Education Supplement put the university as number 130 in their ranking of the universities of the world.

The student union at DTU is the 161-year old Polyteknisk Forening.