Foto erstellt mit KI DALL-EMore than a quarter of all first-year students in Germany leave the higher education system without a degree. Better matching between students and degree courses and intensive support at the start could help here. A publication by the CHE Centre for Higher Education shows that universities have expanded corresponding measures such as self-assessments or preparatory and bridging courses in recent years.
Around one in four German first-year students drop out
According to data from the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) from 2022, 28% of Bachelor’s students in Germany end their studies without graduating. Figures from the Federal Statistical Office show that 11% of first-year students from 2019 dropped out during their first three semesters.
“The reasons frequently given by students who drop out, such as performance problems or a lack of motivation, often point to a ‘matching problem’,” explains Cort-Denis Hachmeister. “This means that the student’s self-assignment to a course of study or a specific subject proves to be inappropriate,” says the expert for university admissions at the CHE Centre for Higher Education.
Data from the current “CHECK Hochschulzugang und Studieneingang in Deutschland (CHECK University Admission and Study Entry Phase in Germany)” now shows that universities have reacted to this situation. This is shown by comparative figures from 2021 and 2024 for the use of self-assessment tools and support measures at the start of studies.
More than every second department uses self-assessment tools
Self-assessment tools are a good way of assessing whether prospective students are suitable for the course in question. They can contain performance-related tasks, such as those used in selection tests, but also other elements, such as questions about personality or interests. Unlike selection tests, only prospective students receive the results of self-assessments.
Currently, 52% of all departments at German universities use self-assessment tools as a guide when choosing a course. In 2021, the proportion was still 40 percent. For subject-related self-assessments, more than a third of departments use the department’s or university’s own test procedures. Pharmacy, with 94% of departments, has the highest use of self-assessments compared to other subjects, followed by economics with 79%.
Background information: In Germany, more than half of the degree programs are freely accessible without a selection procedure by the university. This means that self-selection and support during the study-decision-process plays a greater role in Germany than in other countries. Pharmacy, however, is subject to nationwide admission restrictions.
Preliminary and bridge courses: Expansion of support services
For years, first-semester students have been able to fill gaps in their knowledge before starting their studies and get to know the working methods and the university before they actually begin their studies with so-called bridge or preliminary courses. The proportion of departments offering such courses rose from 67% to 77% between 2021 and 2024.
Advice on individual course planning is available almost everywhere. In addition, four out of five departments offer tutorials for first semester students. Two thirds of the departments provide individual feedback on learning success during the semester.
Early warning systems, which can detect signs of students dropping out early on in the course of their studies so that support measures can be offered in good time, are used by 48 percent of departments.
In addition to good support for a successful start to studies, however, it is also important to enable flexible interfaces, transitions and mutual recognition between vocational and academic education. “Switching from a degree course to a suitable apprenticeship should be perceived as a normal part of the educational path and not as a personal failure,” says Cort-Denis Hachmeister. To achieve this, however, Germany needs even better interlinked post-school education offers.
About the publication
The authors of the publication “CHECK – Hochschulzugang und Studieneingang in Deutschland” (only available in German) are Sonja Berghoff and Cort-Denis Hachmeister. The information on self-assessments and counselling services in the introductory phase of studies is based on surveys conducted as part of the CHE University Ranking between 2022 and 2024 and includes data from 1,657 departments at 222 German universities.
CHECK – Hochschulzugang und Studieneingang in Deutschland (Stand 2024) 24. September 2024 1.03 MB 3496 downloads
Hachmeister, Cort-Denis; Berghoff, Sonja: CHECK – Hochschulzugang und Studieneingang...