Many foreign students want to stay in Germany but need more help with the transition to life after study

Early findings from an extensive survey of international students in Germany finds that two-thirds would like to stay and work in Germany after their studies. And that interest is especially concentrated among those studying economics, engineering, and computer science. Roughly half of the surveyed students were also interested in starting a business in Germany.

Whatever way you parse those results, that is an impressive amount of skill and opportunity that could be leveraged by Germany. But the survey also shows that only a third of foreign students in the country feel that they are well prepared to transition to a career in Germany. Many are looking for more support, especially in terms of career services, advanced language skills, and networking among Germany employers.

"Anyone studying in Germany today wants to help shape the future of our country," says German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) President Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. "This is a great opportunity, especially in view of the shortage of skilled labour and demographic change. We should make the best possible use of it."

He cautions, however, that, "If we want to attract international students as future skilled workers, we need to prepare them better for the labour market. This requires targeted programmes at universities and more staff who are permanently available to universities for this task."

These early findings are drawn from a survey commissioned by DAAD and conducted in the winter semester of 2023/24. It gathered responses from nearly 21,000 international students enrolled at 132 German universities. The survey makes it clear as well that those students are especially drawn to study in Germany by three factors: the affordability of degree studies at German universities, the career opportunities arising from those qualifications, and the wide availability of English-taught programmes. On the point of language of instruction, DAAD adds, "English-language study programmes remain an important recruitment tool. It is crucial to provide international students with targeted support in learning German - ideally through integrated language courses during their studies. This is particularly crucial with a view to later integration into the labour market."

Meanwhile, the underlying business case for those expanded career and transition supports for foreign graduates is quite strong. A related analysis by the German Economic Institute finds that, even with a stay rate of 40% after graduation, each cohort of foreign students in Germany contributes a net economic impact of €16 billion.

These findings are accumulating as Germany continues to report steady growth in its foreign enrolment. DAAD estimates that there are currently 405,000 international students in the country. The OECD recently reported as well that Germany has the highest retention rate of international students among leading study destinations (together with Canada). The OECD reports that ten years after starting their studies, 45% of foreign graduates are still in the country. The current DAAD survey, however, suggests that that stay rate could be notably higher still – and with a correspondingly greater impact on Germany's economy – if transition supports for foreign graduates are further strengthened.

For additional background, please see:

• "Germany recovers an 8x return on investment in international students"
• "Germany projected to exceed 400,000 international students in 2024/25"
• "Germany expands in-study work opportunities for foreign students"
• "Germany announces new labour force integration initiatives for foreign students and graduates"