Students: Number of university degrees increases easily

Last year around 511,600 students, students and doctoral students acquired a degree at a German university. The number increased by 1.9 percent or almost 10,000 compared to the previous year, as the Federal Statistical Office announced.

Almost every second exam led to a bachelor’s degree in the exam year 2024. Compared to the previous year, the number of bachelor’s degrees rose 0.8 percent to 245,600. At the same time, the number of master’s degrees increased by 1.9 percent to 149,300. No teacher degrees are included in these figures.

Business and law still popular

In 2024, most of the degrees accounted for 41 percent to the subject group of legal, economic and social sciences. Every fourth graduated in engineering (25 percent). This was followed by mathematics and natural sciences (11 percent) and humanities (9 percent).

Seven percent of the degrees were achieved in the field of medicine, the statisticians explained. The remaining six percent were among other things on the subject groups of sports, forestry or art sciences.

According to the Federal Office, every tenth conclusion was located in the teaching position last year (49,700). Of these, 19,100 bachelor’s degrees, which, however, usually do not qualify for teaching, as well as 20,200 master and 10,400 state examination. The number of master’s and state examination qualifications qualifying for teaching increased by 5 percent from 29,000 to 30,600 compared to the previous year.

With 28,200, 6 percent of all completed exams were promotions – 6 percent more than in the previous year. In addition, there were 31,000 conventional university and artistic degrees, such as state exams outside the teacher and 7,800 conventional university degrees.