Germany’s record first-year intake drives 6% rise in international enrolments
Though slightly below DAAD’s December 2024 forecast of 405,000 students for the 2024/25 winter semester, up from 380,000 in 2023/24, the growth still highlights Germany’s appeal as a top study destination, according to DAAD president Joybrato Mukherjee.
“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,” stated Mukherjee.
According to Wissenschaft weltoffen 2025, a flagship report by DAAD and German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW), first-year international enrolments in Germany rose to a record 116,600 from 88,000 last year, with Asia Pacific now the largest source region (33%), followed by North Africa and the Middle East (19%), and Western Europe (15%).
Geopolitical developments, DAAD’s active promotion, and skill-based programs with Germany are all contributing to the country’s growing attractiveness
Bala S. Ramani, Leibniz University Hannover
India has again emerged as the largest country of origin for international students with just under 59,000 students, up 20% year on year, followed by China in second place with around 38,600 students, marking a 7% decline since the 2019/20 winter semester.
Germany introduced the APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) certificate process in India in October 2022, similar to China and Vietnam, to verify students’ academic credentials amid concerns over fraudulent applications.
Although the process has faced criticism for causing visa delays among Indian students, the German Embassy in India says most applications are now finalised within a few days “owing to increased staff and procedural optimisation”.
However, the German ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, has warned Indian students to “not trust their agents too much”, noting that Berlin’s missions in India still reject roughly 25% of study visa applications, with private education agents partly contributing to the high rejection rate.
According to data shared with The PIE News, APS had finalised over 110,000 applications as of August 2025 since its introduction, with improved visa processes and policy shifts elsewhere making Germany an increasingly attractive destination, according to stakeholders.
“Since 2010, enrolments from India have increased strategically, with many tuition-free universities offering English-language programs,” stated Bala S. Ramani, Leibniz ambassador, Leibniz University Hannover, adding that Indian student associations provide services, including pre-departure sessions, for those planning to study in Germany.
“The visa process has significantly improved over the past year, with few complaints, thanks largely to India and Germany’s cooperation. Geopolitical developments, DAAD’s active promotion, and skill-based programs with Germany are all contributing to the country’s growing attractiveness.”
Moreover, 80 German universities visited India earlier this year to strengthen academic and research partnerships, signalling significant progress in Germany’s internationalisation efforts in recent years.
“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,” stated Marcus Beiner, scientific director at DZHW.
“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.”
According to the report, state-recognised universities in Germany offered nearly 2,400 English-language programs, about 420 bachelor’s and 1,930 master’s, representing 4% and 18% of programs at each level, respectively.
Further data showed that most international students in Germany study engineering (43%) or economics, law, and social sciences (25%), with dropout rates slightly higher than German students but lower than previously estimated.
Based on the first three semesters, the dropout rate for international first-year students in 2020 was 16% for bachelor’s and 9% for master’s degrees – particularly low at art and music colleges and comparatively high in humanities and health sciences – while for German students the rates were 13% and 6%, respectively.
“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,” stated Mukherjee.
Despite research from the German Economic Institute warning that around 768,000 specialist roles could remain unfilled by 2028, only about one-third of international students feel prepared to start their careers in Germany, with many seeking stronger career support.
While universities now have career centres focused on entrepreneurship and the startup ecosystem, helping students align their profiles with German employers’ needs, learning German remains central to integrating international students into the labour market, according to Ramani.
“The German language remains key and is crucial in the job market,” stated Ramani.
“Universities support German language learning, while companies are equipped to take care of workers through buddy systems and by offering additional courses.”
With the Wissenschaft weltoffen report showing that international students and research candidates account for 26% and 28% of all students respectively, Germany’s housing crisis, already hitting university students, has had a particularly severe impact on internationals.
A 2023 study by the Eduard Pestel Research Institute found that Germany’s shortage of over 700,000 apartments, combined with rising rents in university towns, has particularly affected international students, who often lack the financial guarantees available to domestic students.
“Accommodation is a major issue, there’s little new housing, self-financed students face challenges, and it ultimately comes down to local councils and availability,” stated Ramani.
The number of German students studying abroad also remained stable, with around 138,800 enrolled at international universities in 2022, according to the DAAD-DHZW joint report.
The most popular destinations were Austria (37,800), the Netherlands (22,600), Switzerland (12,500), and the UK (9,600), with the latter seeing a 32% drop in German students.
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