Foto: Michal Jarmoluk / PixabayIn chemistry, four out of five master’s degrees lead to doctorates. Most doctoral theses are written in medicine. This is shown by a recent data report (‘DatenCHECK’) by the CHE Centre for Higher Education.
Highest amount of doctoral degrees in Medicine, with numbers on the rise.
Doctorates represent the highest academic degree that can be obtained at German universities. According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 28,000 people received their doctoral degree in 2024. With a total of 7,400, one in four doctorates was completed in the field of medicine. Other popular disciplines include biology and chemistry, with around 2,000 doctorates awarded in 2024.
While the number of first-year students has risen sharply in recent decades, the number of doctorates has remained relatively constant. ‘The fact that the increase in student numbers has not been reflected in more doctoral theses could be due to a “ceiling effect”,’ says Cort-Denis Hachmeister. ‘This means that the number of doctoral opportunities, especially those funded by scholarships or project positions, has not grown at the same rate as the number of students,’ explains the CHE data expert.
The majority of chemistry students go on to do a PhD
In a 12-year comparison by CHE, the number of doctorates in medicine rose from around 6,400 in 2012 to 7,400 in 2024. In contrast, there are downward trends in subjects such as biology, law, business administration and German studies.
Furthermore, the CHE examined the ratio between the number of completed doctorates and the number of master’s degrees qualifying for doctoral studies at universities. Chemistry occupies an exceptional position here with a calculated doctoral quota of 80 per cent.
Business administration – popular subject, low doctoral degree rate
In biology and medicine, 71 per cent of graduates decide to pursue a doctorate. In engineering subjects such as mechanical engineering (24%) or electrical engineering (21%), or in language and cultural studies such as history (25%) and German studies (19%), excluding teacher training students, doctoral degrees are much less common. In business administration, the most popular subject among first-year students, only around one in twenty Master’s graduates goes on to pursue a doctorate.
However, when considering the calculated doctoral rates, it should be noted that these also include doctorates awarded to individuals who previously studied abroad or in subjects other than the subject of their doctoral thesis.
About the data report:
The report examines the number of doctorates in Germany between 2022 and 2024 in various subjects at universities, based on data from the Federal Statistical Office. Cort-Denis Hachmeister is the author of the publication ‘DatenCHECK 2/2026: Promotionen an deutschen Hochschulen 2022 bis 2024’ (‘Doctorates at German universities between 2022 and 2024’) (only available in German)