International students studying in Germany increase

The number of international students in Germany has increased by more than 50% in 10 years, due to the tuition-free policy and open job opportunities.

According to the German Academic Exchange Service's International Student Report released in September, more than 458,000 international students will study in Germany in the 2022-2023 academic year, up 4% from last year. This is a 52% increase since 2014, when the German government approved the free education policy.

Of these, nearly 146,000 students are pursuing engineering, accounting for 31.8% and up 7% from two years ago. Other popular fields of study for international students are Law, Economics and Social Sciences, with a total of more than 87,000 students.

By nationality, Indian students are the largest with more than 42,000, triple the number seven years ago. China ranks second with more than 39,000 students.

At each level, more than 130,000 students are enrolled in the undergraduate program. A sharp increase was recorded at the master's level, with nearly 149,000 students, an increase of 12,000 compared to the previous school year.

Heidelberg University campus. Photo: Heidelberg University — Heidelberg University campus. Photo: *Heidelberg University*

According to a survey by Study in Germany , a portal for information on studying in Germany, there are three main reasons why more and more international students choose Germany as their study abroad destination.

First, most public universities in Germany are tuition-free, with students only paying an administrative fee of 150-250 euros (4-6.6 million VND) per year. Meanwhile, the quality of German higher education is highly regarded with more than 500 bachelor's and master's programs taught in English. A total of 49 of the country's universities are among the world's leading, according to the Times Higher Education rankings.

Second, the average living expenses of international students in Germany are only about 930 euros/month (1,000 USD), significantly lower than those of international students in the UK (1,500 USD) or the US (1,250 USD).

Finally, after graduation, students have the opportunity to stay and work for up to 18 months with an extended residence permit. The survey also shows that nearly 70% of international students want to stay in Germany to find a job after graduation. The percentage of students staying ten years after arriving in Germany is 45%, higher than in Canada (44%) - one of the countries that attracts the most international students in the world.

Currently, about 29% of the workforce at research institutes and 14% at German universities are foreign citizens, a total of 70,000 people, according to Professor Monika Jungbauer-Gans at the German Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education.

According to StepStone , an online recruitment platform, the average salary for bachelor's graduates in Germany is $64,000 a year, 46% higher than the average salary in Germany. Doctors are the highest-paid profession, at $102,000 a year. Other high-paying professions include management consultants ($59,000), bankers ($62,800), engineers ($57,400) and IT professionals ($56,700).

Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger said the growth in the number of international students was a welcome sign, given Germany's shortage of highly skilled professionals, especially in the engineering field.

Huy Quan (According to Study in Germany, DAAD, Erudera)

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