idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Germany's universities remain highly attractive to students from all over the world: in the 2024/25 winter semester, around 402,000 international students and doctoral candidates were enrolled at German universities – around six per cent more than in the previous year. This continues the upward trend of recent years, with more than half of international students enrolled in engineering and natural sciences. At the same time, dropout rates among international students are lower than previously assumed: their dropout rates are relatively close to those of German students. This is shown in the new edition of Wissenschaft weltoffen, which is published today by DAAD and DZHW.
"More than 400,000 international students and doctoral candidates confirm Germany's position as the most important non-English-speaking host country. Universities have once again proven their attractiveness to talented individuals from all over the world," said DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee. "The new, lower dropout rates among international students are also a positive sign. Their academic success and successful entry into professional life are crucial for Germany as a centre of science and innovation in view of the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change."
"It is not only the growing numbers of international students and researchers that show that the internationalisation of Germany as a centre of science is continuing to progress," added Dr Marcus Beiner, Scientific Director of the DZHW. "This development is also evident in the structures that support internationalisation processes at . For example, the number of international employees in university administration has risen sharply in recent years. The vast majority of higher education institutions in Germany now have an International Office. Almost all higher education institutions offer at least one English-language degree programme. The number of international higher education partnerships is also continuing to grow."
More international first-year students – India most important country of origin
According to Wissenschaft weltoffen 2025, around 402,000 international students and doctoral candidates were enrolled at German universities in the last winter semester. The number of international first-year students reached a new high of 116,600.
The most important region of origin for international students in Germany remains Asia-Pacific with a share of 33 per cent, followed by North Africa and the Middle East (19 per cent each) and Western Europe (15 per cent). India has established itself as the largest country of origin with just under 59,000 students – an increase of 20 per cent over the previous year. China follows in second place with around 38,600 students, whose numbers have declined by seven per cent since the 2019/20 winter semester.
Most international students intending to graduate in Germany are enrolled in engineering (43 per cent) and economics, law and social sciences (25 per cent). The proportion of international young people in master's and doctoral programmes is particularly high (26 and 28 per cent respectively).
Dropout rates lower than previously assumed
For the first time, Wissenschaft weltoffen contains detailed data from the Federal Statistical Office on dropout rates among international students in Germany. This is based on recently available data from the official study progress statistics. According to this data, the dropout rate among international students is only slightly higher than that of German students – and thus significantly lower than previous estimates.
Based on the first three semesters of study, the dropout rate for international first-year students in 2020 was 16 percent for bachelor's degrees and nine percent for master's degrees; for German students, the figures were 13 and six percent, respectively. Dropout rates for international students are particularly low at art and music colleges, and comparatively high in the humanities and health sciences.
English-language degree programmes reach new high
The number of English-language degree programmes in Germany has also continued to rise: in summer 2025, state-recognised universities offered almost 2,400 English-language programmes, including around 420 bachelor's and 1,930 master's degree programmes. The proportion of English-language courses at master's level is thus a good 18 per cent, while at bachelor's level it was only 4 per cent.
Almost every German university now offers at least one English-language programme. According to the latest BintHo survey conducted by the DAAD in the winter semester of 2023/24, this is a decisive factor for international students when choosing a host country and university.
German students abroad: stable at a high level
Around 138,800 German students were enrolled at universities abroad in 2022. This figure was slightly above the pre-coronavirus level of 2019 (137,900). The proportion of German students studying abroad as a percentage of all students was again around five per cent in 2022.
The most popular host countries remained Austria (around 37,800 German students), the Netherlands (22,600), Switzerland (12,500) and the United Kingdom (9,600). While the figures for the first three countries have risen since 2019, the number of German students in the United Kingdom has fallen by around 32 per cent.
Dr Jan Kercher
Expert S1 – Strategy and Management
DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service
+49 228 882-8779
kercher@daad.de
https://www.wissenschaft-weltoffen.de/content/uploads/2025/11/7004002xw-1.pdf Wissenschaft Weltoffen (in German)
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