Germany continues to cement its place as one of the most preferred destinations for higher education, with the latest Wissenschaft weltoffen 2025 report showing a sharp rise in international enrolments.
In the 2024–25 winter semester, German universities recorded 402,000 international students and doctoral candidates, marking a six per cent increase from last year.
A large share of this growth comes from students choosing engineering and natural sciences. The report, released by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW), also notes that dropout rates among international students are lower than previously believed and now sit close to those of German students.
DAAD President Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee said the new numbers reaffirm Germany’s status as the world’s leading non-English-speaking host country. He described the improvement in academic success among international students as encouraging at a time when Germany is dealing with skilled workforce shortages.
The shift is strongly reflected in classrooms across the country. For Darshak Patel, a Master’s student in Micro and Nano Systems at Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany’s education style was the decisive factor.
“Germany places emphasis on high-quality education,” he said. “The hands-on projects and collaboration with industry were exactly what I was looking for. The education cost is also low compared to many countries, but the standards are really high.”
DZHW Scientific Director Dr Marcus Beiner added that the internationalisation of German universities goes beyond student numbers. Many institutions have strengthened support structures, increased international staff and expanded their English-taught courses — developments that students say made their decision easier.
This resonates with Nishit Sanghvi, who is pursuing a Master’s in Advanced Manufacturing at TU Chemnitz. He said his goal was clear from early in his undergraduate studies. “For an aspiring mechanical engineer, Germany is the dream place to study and work,” he said. “A lot of people told me to choose the US or other English-speaking countries, but I always knew I wanted Germany, the global pioneer in automobiles, machinery and technology.”
According to the report, India remains the largest source of international students, with just under 59,000 students enrolled, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. China follows in second place with around 38,600 students.
Many Indian students say Germany offers both quality and affordability, as well as strong career prospects after graduation. For Sreniketh Karthick Sri, who is studying Embedded Systems at TU Chemnitz, the decision was straightforward. “Choosing Germany for my higher studies was a clear decision for me: affordable education, strong research opportunities and good employment prospects,” he said. “It gave me the chance to study outside the usual English-speaking destinations.”
Germany’s rising popularity is also supported by the growth of English-language programs. Universities now offer almost 2,400 English-taught degrees, most of them at the master’s level. For many students, this has opened pathways that were earlier limited by language.
With rising enrolments, wider English-language offerings and strong industry links, Germany continues to attract students from around the world and Indian students remain at the forefront of this shift.
