Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
9th Jan 2025

Germany projected to exceed 400,000 international students in 2024/25

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • Germany is reporting strong foreign enrolment growth this year, with student numbers in the 2024/25 winter semester projected to be up by nearly 10% year-over-year
  • Growth in commencements is correspondingly strong this year, with notable increases in the number of new graduate students in particular

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has released the findings of a December 2024 snapshot survey of 200 German universities. Based on those survey responses, DAAD projects that foreign enrolment in German higher education will reach 405,000 in the 2024/25 winter semester. That represents a nearly 10% increase year-over-year, and the greatest annual growth of the past decade.

The responding universities collectively account for 70% of Germany's international enrolment, and DAAD summarises the survey data as follows: "Around 90% of universities report a stable or rising number of newly enrolled international students. Over half of the universities surveyed reported rising numbers, with a third reporting a sharp increase (10% or more). A further third reported no change, while a good 10% of universities reported a decline."

The German agency notes that commencements were also up this year, by 7% overall and with notable gains in graduate student numbers in particular.

When asked to name the most important hurdles for foreign students in Germany, survey respondents said that visa policy and visa processing was the number one issue (83% of responding universities). This was closely followed by the availability of affordable housing (75%) and costs of study/costs of living in Germany (69%). "We urgently need more affordable accommodation for students from Germany and for international students," said DAAD President Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. "This is also essential for the continued success of Germany as a centre of business and innovation."

The need for expanded career supports and work opportunities for international students also came through in the survey results. As Dr Mukherjee explains: "German universities are demonstrably very attractive for international students. In times of an increasingly noticeable shortage of skilled workers, we should do more in science, business, and society to open up career prospects in Germany for young people who come here from all over the world to study."

Even so, the German government, in collaboration with higher education institutions around the country, has introduced new labour force transition supports for foreign students within the past year. Those initiatives include a funding commitment of up to €120 million through 2028 in order to smooth the transition to work for foreign graduates.

Most recently, the government has also moved to double the number of hours per week that foreign students are allowed to work during their studies.

DAAD will report in more detail on the final 2024/25 foreign enrolment data for Germany later this year.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • US institutions bracing for a challenging enrolment outlook for 2025/26 Read More
  • How the UK’s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training Read More
  • Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degrees Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

US institutions bracing for a challenging enrolment outlook for 2025/26 The Institute of International Education’s (IIE) twice-yearly snapshot surveys are always required reading for international educators. That is...
Read more
How the UK’s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training This article was originally published in the ICEF Academy Knowledge Hub and is reproduced here with permission. International...
Read more
Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degrees In a 3 July 2025 letter to the Dutch parliament, Education Minister Eppo Bruins explained that the government...
Read more
New Zealand announces strong foreign enrolment growth along with a new international education strategy Following a post-pandemic surge in 2023, Education New Zealand (ENZ) announced this week that the country’s international student...
Read more
The surging demand for skills training in a rapidly changing global economy With more than 175 million users, Coursera is the largest online learning platform in the world. It currently...
Read more
US issues corrected student visa data showing growth for 2024 while current trends point to an enrolment decline for 2025/26 In April 2025, we reported that foreign enrolments in the US had declined by -11% between March 2024...
Read more
Survey finds US institutions expanding agency engagement and focusing on new student markets AIRC (The Association of International Enrollment Management) and BONARD have just released a second edition of the State...
Read more
Canada’s language sector buffeted by policy changes in 2024 Amid reports of mounting job losses and programme cuts across Canadian education, the country’s language education providers are...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links