DAAD Report: About 402,000 International Students in Germany, Up About 6%; Record 116,600 First-Years, India Top Source With 59,000
Around 402,000 international students and doctoral candidates were enrolled at German universities in the 2024/25 winter semester, about 6% more than the previous year's 379,900, according to Wissenschaft weltoffen 2025, the annual report published by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) together with the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW). Federal Statistical Office data put Germany's total student population that semester at 2.87 million.
The number of international first-year students reached a new high of 116,600. By country of origin, India ranked first with just below 59,000 students enrolled, an increase of 20% compared to last year, followed by China at around 38,600.
DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee said the more than 400,000 international students and postgraduates bear out Germany's status as the most important non-English-speaking host country. For the first time, this year's report presents detailed evaluations of international student dropout rates based on Federal Statistical Office data.
Source: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图中是柏林洪堡大学主楼，德国高校的代表性建筑之一。Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
