Major growth in German undergraduate numbers predicted

First-year student population to reach 526,200 by 2035

A large increase in the number of first-year students in higher education in Germany is expected over the next decade, according to the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK).

From a baseline of 473,665 in 2022, the number of first-year students is expected to reach 478,000 this year. The numbers will then decline briefly to 451,000 in 2026 before beginning a steady rise to 526,200 by 2035. This is around 7,500 more than in the previous peak year of 2011, KMK said in a statement.