How many students are there in Germany?
Almost 2.9 million students are currently enrolled at higher education institutions in Germany (winter semester 2025/26). This is shown by data from the German Federal Statistical Office. As the following chart illustrates, there has been a sharp increase in student numbers in Germany since the 1998/99 winter semester. While only around 1.8 million students were enrolled at that time, the number of students continued to rise, particularly in the early 2010s. Recently, however, there has been a slight decline in student numbers again, which is why the 3 million student mark has never been reached.
How many students are there at universities, universities of applied sciences and other higher education institutions in Germany?
Most students in Germany (57.3 %, around 1.6 million students in winter semester 2025/26) are currently studying at a full university. Further 38.4 % of all students in Germany, i.e. around 1.1 million students, are enrolled at a university of applied sciences (UAS) in the winter semester 2025/26. The remaining 4.2 percent of students in Germany are enrolled at colleges of public administration, colleges of art and music, colleges of education and colleges of theology.
As the following table shows, the number of students in Germany has grown significantly over the past 20 years, particularly at universities of applied sciences. Compared to 20 years ago, the number of students here has more than doubled. At full universities, on the other hand, saturation has been evident for a few years now. Student numbers at colleges of administration, colleges of art and music and colleges of education have also risen over the past 20 years, while student numbers at colleges of theology have remained at a rather low level overall and decreases in the last years.
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How many students are there at public, private and churchly higher education institutions in Germany?
The majority of students in Germany currently study at a public institution (85.4%, around 2.4 million students in the winter semester 2025/26). About 13,5 % of students in Germany, i.e. around 387,000 students, are currently studying at a private (but state-recognized) university. Church-run universities only accounted for around one percent of all students in Germany in the winter semester 2025/26.
The following table clearly shows that private universities in particular have recorded a clear upward trend in student numbers in recent years. In the 2005/06 winter semester, their share of all students was only 2,7 percent. Since then, student numbers at private universities have increased almost sevenfold. The private IU Internationale Hochschule, which is currently Germany's largest university with over 125,000 students, has a large share here (see also the page on higher education institutions in Germany). There are also significantly more students enrolled at public institutions compared to 20 years ago, although there has been a slight downward trend in recent years.
How many women study at higher education institutions in Germany?
The proportion of female students in Germany has risen significantly in recent years. In the winter semester 2025/26, exactly 1,468,030 women were studying at German universities. There are more female than male students in Germany (51.3 percent female students in the winter semester 2025/26), whereas in the winter semester 1998/99 only 44.5 percent of students were female.
How many foreign students are there in Germany?
In the winter semester 2025/26, 516,820 foreign students (i.e. students without a German citizenship) were studying at German higher education institutions. The proportion of foreign students has risen significantly over the last years: from 9.2 percent in the 1998/99 winter semester to 18.0 percent in WS 2025/26. A detailed analysis of the countries of origin of foreign students can be found on the website Wissenschaft Weltoffen.
How many students are there in the individual subject areas?
According to data from the German Federal Statistical Office, (international) business administration is currently the most studied subject in Germany, followed by computer science and medicine. Psychology and law are almost on a par.