English-language study programmes at universities in Germany, by type of degree, since 2009

English-language study programmes are a central instrument in the internationalisation of university teaching in Germany and other non- English speaking countries. Not only do they offer domestic students an internationalised form of study, they are also an important factor in attracting international students and teaching staff.
According to the Higher Education Compass of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), in 2024 (as of 17 July), a total of 2,175 study programmes with English as the primary language of instruction are available, representing a share of almost 10% of all study programmes. In 2009, there were just 419 degree programmes, in other words, there has been a more than fivefold increase in the number of English-language study programmes at German universities over the last 15 years. Over the same period, the number of universities in Germany offering English-language study programmes rose from 340 to 414 (+22%); this means that the vast majority of the currently 427 state-recognised universities in Germany now have at least one English-language degree programme.
Moreover, it can be concluded that the greatest portion of the increase presented above is due to an expansion of the corresponding study options at each university: thus, the average number of English-language degree programmes per university offering English-language curricula has more than tripled between 2009 and 2024, from 1.2 to 4.1. Over 80% of these study programmes (1,790 or 82%) are master’s programmes, while just under a fifth (365 or 17%) are bachelor’s programmes. Furthermore, the proportion of Englishlanguage programmes of all master’s degrees is around 17%, more than four times higher than for bachelor’s degrees (4%).