Are you a student wanting a free RIB CostX student license?
APPLY FOR A LICENSEWhy Choose RIB CostX for your University?
Get Started with RIB CostX
Step 2
We will have a short discussion in regards to your IT set-up and how many licenses you will need.
Step 3
We will send your license download details and free training materials!
Why Teach with RIB CostX?
Many educators recognise the value RIB CostX brings to the classroom, but may be unsure how to integrate it into their course. The best approach depends on your subject’s goals. Start by considering some key questions: Who are the students? What outcomes are expected? What skills should they develop, and how will you assess them?
On average, educators spend around 20 hours per semester teaching RIB CostX, often combining foundational knowledge sessions with practical, hands-on activities. Some use it as a supplementary tool to highlight industry relevance, while others embed it into semester-long projects with formal assessments.
RIB CostX can be incorporated across a range of subjects—from Quantity Surveying and Building Economics to Project Management and Building Design. If you’re unsure where to start, explore our case studies below or contact us for guidance.
Abertay University
UK
“RIB CostX provides students with the foundation to develop the breadth and depth of skills to learn about the costing process and how to share information in a BIM-compliant format.”
Wawasan Open University
Malaysia
“We fully endorse RIB CostX because it is one of the leading BIM-based construction estimating platforms used internationally as well as locally. We are determined to equip our students with industry-relevant knowledge and skills that will give them a competitive edge in today’s changing work environment amid technological disruption, especially as the Malaysian government aims for greater adoption of BIM moving towards Industry 4.0.”
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
Australia
“The integration of digital technology and BIM into the curriculum design of the cost management stream at UTS has been a major step in enhancing the learning experience for students. The incorporation of digital technology and BIM into the curriculum is preparing students for their future roles in industry to a greater extent than before. The approach that we adopted this semester was well received by students as they found it more interesting and flexible to learn. The materials that we developed and taught represent the forefront of technology used in cost management in the construction industry.”
Queensland University of Technology (QUT )
Australia
“The Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering at QUT is committed to the practical application of theory together with industry tools that can be used to enhance this theoretical knowledge throughout the many courses on offer. ‘Industry Tools’ such as RIB CostX have allowed the students to be engaged in the more fundamental core, technical competencies, within the School of Urban Developments’ Bachelor of Urban Development (Construction Management and Quantity Surveying courses).”
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong
“With basic measurement ideas, a user can navigate using RIB CostX with the greatest of ease.”
London South Bank University
UK
“RIB CostX is very easy to use and install and has full functionalities for practical use. We find the educational standalone licenses, which are provided to academic staff and students, to be particularly convenient for teaching the course away from campus when the situation requires.”
The University of Melbourne
Australia
“The integration of RIB CostX along with other BIM tools into the curriculum is benefiting the students. BIM Education using real world digital tools including RIB CostX is increasing the awareness of the opportunities and benefits of digital technologies as well as simplifying complex digital concepts and scenarios for students.”
Oxford Brookes University
UK
“RIB CostX is very easy and straightforward to learn. It is also a very stable software compared to other similar software in the market.”
The Institute of Business Engineering & Technology
Sri Lanka
“RIB CostX is the measurement and estimating solution of today, with its versatility and user-friendliness distinctly distinguishing itself from competitors.”
RIB CostX FAQs for Lecturers
The global construction industry has been slow in adopting new technologies. While globalization has helped other industries prosper, the construction sector has stagnated over the least 40 years due to severe fragmentation. RIB recognises that the key in reforming the industry lies in greater collaboration through digitalization, and as part of our commitment to upskill the industry from the ground up, we allow universities to access and learn RIB CostX for free. Students are charged a nominal fee for licenses due to administration costs, but we still keep this fee low in order to make RIB CostX accessible for everyone.
There is no paperwork, terms & conditions or commitment at all. Just let us know which faculty & course you intend to teach RIB CostX in, the type of licenses and the number of licenses needed and we are good to go.
There is no limit to the number of licenses an institute can receive, however, if it is a very large amount, we will have to verify the usage and installation location.
We offer two different types to assist with university set-up- Institutional and Educational Network. The RIB CostX educational version comes with various restrictions to prevent commercial usage. These restrictions are only marginal and should not hinder the academic value of the software. Contact us here for detailed restrictions.
Both license types are for campus installation and bear the same functionalities. They only differ in their IT setup catering for the different IT configurations of a particular institute. Generally, if you will only be needing a small number of licenses to be used at a certain lab, then the Institutional setup will suffice. On the other hand, if you will be needing a greater number of licenses to be used throughout campus, then the Educational Network licenses will be more appropriate.
Yes, you are welcome to setup virtualisation of your RIB CostX educational version, so students can access the software for remote working. Only eligible students may be given access to the virtualised program, and the license serial number cannot be shared with students.
All relevant terms and conditions of the Educational Program must still be followed, and RIB cannot provide technical support related to issues with your cloud deployment.
This is possible, we understand that lecturers and students may want a personal copy of RIB CostX to carry on working away from campus. Please apply for a personal license here – once approved, you will be sent an automated email with your serial and installation instructions.
With a modern Windows look and feel, the RIB CostX interface is a breeze to use. RIB CostX was custom-built by award-winning software engineers to meet the needs of the quantity surveying and estimating practices. This intuitive software design has a relatively short learning curve and our Introductory training takes only 6 hours to work through. Overall, the average person could master RIB CostX in 2 -3 weeks.
Yes, we offer free training packs for academic staff to download. These packs can be sent once you have successfully implemented RIB CostX licenses into your institute. We also have various training options available which can be found here.
By default, all licenses are set to expire on the 30th June or 31st December for institutes based in the Northern hemisphere and Southern hemisphere respectively. The year of expiration is relative to when you submitted the application. For example, if you are based in the Southern hemisphere and you applied for a license in January 2018 or November 2018, in both cases your license will expire on 31st Dec 2018. When your license has expired, you can simply reapply again for the year ahead.