Guide to studying in Germany: low graduation rate, high demand from German companies

Guidance on studying in Germany: Low graduation rate, high demand from German companies

Germany is the third largest study abroad destination in the world and the largest host of international students among non-English speaking countries, with 73% Most international students in Germany choose to study in Germany because of the reputation of German higher education.

High elimination rate requires controlling the quality of students

German universities are crowded with students from all over the world. In the winter semester from 2013 to 2014, there were 86,200 international students among the new students enrolled in Germany, accounting for 16.9%. In this academic year, a total of 218,848 international students studied at various universities in Germany, accounting for 8.4%. As the largest group of international students in German universities, 28,381 Chinese students account for 13% of the total number of students studying in Germany, far exceeding Russia (5.1%), the second largest source of students.

However, the glory of quantity does not mean the glory of quality. Recently, the "German Higher Education Report 2020" jointly launched by the Alliance of German Academic Foundations and McKinsey & Company has sounded the alarm for the education of international students in Germany: 59% of international students can successfully complete their studies (32,100 people), which is significantly lower than the graduation rate of German students (72 %); 44% of the graduated international students settled in Germany, and the settlement rate of international students from non-EU member states was even lower (23.2%). Compared with German college students, the high elimination rate of international students mainly occurs at the undergraduate level.

The report recommends that colleges and universities should firmly control the quality of students and develop a standardized testing tool for admissions or popularize the existing standardized learning ability test (TestAS). The standardized learning ability test is conducted three times a year for international students from non-EU countries. In mainland China, students who apply to study in Germany and have not completed 6 semesters of studies in domestic universities must take this test and be checked by the Approval Department for Persons Studying in Germany (APS) of the Cultural Department of the German Embassy in China.

Low settlement rate, a culture of hospitality must be created

The German higher education system costs 59,500 euros to train a foreign graduate, which is 38% higher than training a local graduate. At the same time, the German higher education system’s public financial investment in providing a foreign graduate to the German talent market (€134,200) is three times that of a domestic university graduate (€45,500).

Despite the high investment, Germany is the winner regardless of whether international students choose to settle down after graduation. Choosing to settle down is obviously beneficial to taxation and consumption, and international students who return to their home countries can build economic, political and cultural bridges for Germany to connect with the world.

Although German higher education has become an important immigration tool, it needs to be included in the immigration strategies of German governments at all levels and linked with talent policies. The report believes that the federal government can use project-driven competitive or incentive financial support methods to encourage colleges and universities to attract international students with high-quality teaching and tutoring and ultimately help them complete their studies and settle down.

Given that only half of international students (49%) have in-depth contact with Germans on campus, and even fewer (24%) in life, Schipler, chairman of the Joint Conference of German University Presidents, suggested that universities should not only ensure that international students Master the necessary academic knowledge and professional skills, and also focus on cultivating international students' emotions towards Germany. The "Internationalization Strategy of German Universities" issued by Germany in 2013 proposed to create a hospitality culture. In fact, only by creating a culture of hospitality and cultivating love for Germany can the German government reshape itself into a major country for studying abroad? Increase the number of international students entering and graduating from 16.9% and 7.4% in 2013 to 20% and 11% in 2020. In order to create a culture of hospitality, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has implemented the Scholarship and Tutoring Incentive Program for International Students (STIBET), with an annual investment of 7.5 million euros. Although this plan has achieved great results, it is of little use in the face of the rapid increase in international students.

There is a shortage of talents, and information channels must be cleared

The report conducted a questionnaire survey on 230 representative German companies. 56% of the companies can completely rely on German graduates in terms of employment. Half of German companies are eager for international students, and 66% of them are eager for international students in the future. 65% of the companies surveyed believe that the government must also take into account the needs of the talent market when formulating education plans for international students.

Despite this, it is still difficult for international students to find employment in Germany after graduation, and it is difficult to gain a foothold in the German talent market. The main problems lie in information asymmetry and lack of connections, as well as the lack of German language skills among international students. To this end, the report recommends that universities should integrate life adaptation and career planning into the education of international students, establish connections with companies through internships or writing papers, and clear channels for employment information.

To achieve high-quality employment in Germany, international students must choose a school and major before enrolling. The choice of school and major is related to career development prospects and salary levels. By analyzing the educational resumes of 529 chairmen of 100 of Germany's largest companies, German sociologist Hartmann found that almost all German economic leaders completed their studies in public universities (only one person graduated from a private university), and the corporate The elites are widely distributed. This is due to the balanced development of public higher education in Germany.

What deserves the attention of Chinese students is that very few German MBA degree holders can aspire to executive positions. Therefore, if you want to obtain a high-paying job as soon as possible after graduation, you must choose your major carefully. Among German graduates, engineering, science and medical graduates have the highest incomes. Law students are not inferior either, but their graduation results are crucial. There is a huge talent gap for information technology professionals in Germany, so the profession itself can provide great employment convenience. Moreover, 75% of companies in this industry believe that their talent needs depend on international students. Of course, a doctoral degree has employment advantages in all majors. In contrast, liberal arts students should not have too high expectations for starting salaries. The average starting salary for language and culture graduates is around 33,000 euros. However, in the final analysis, interest is the primary criterion for choosing a major to study abroad.

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