Dirk Sliwka studied economics at the University of Bonn and the École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique (Ensae) in Paris. He received his degree as Diplom-Volkswirt in 1995. He was a student in the European Doctoral Programme in Quantitative Economics at the University of Bonn and the London School of Economics and received his Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of Bonn.