The Problem Of Student Numbers : Germany

Despite the considerable expansion of the higher education system in Germany, the enormous growth in the number of people wishing to pursue a course of study has led to the introduction of nationwide admissions restrictions (numerus clausus) for an increasing number of subjects, including some with large enrollments, since capacity is insufficient to meet demand. Study places are usually awarded on the basis of average marks in final school exams and the length of time applicants have been waiting. In the case of those study courses for which demand is especially high nationwide, study places are awarded under a special selection procedure that requires tests and selection interviews as well.

Reforms have been under discussion for some time, principally with a view to reducing the length of the period of study. Today students in Germany spend on average 14 semesters (seven years) at a university, longer than in other countries. In addition, they are commencing studies at an ever older age. Many of them, for example, have completed an apprenticeship or compulsory military or civilian service before pursuing a course of study. The fact that they begin earning their living comparatively late in life appears to put them at a serious disadvantage vis-a-vis job applicants from other nations - especially in view of constantly increasing international mobility, as for instance in the European internal market.