Preparatory courses for university admission (Studienkollegs) in Germany by federal state, funding body and state accreditation, in 2022

International study applicants who wish to take up an undergraduate degree programme in Germany, mostly a Bachelor’s or Staatsexamens degree programme, require a university entrance qualification that is assessed as equivalent to a German university entrance qualification in order to be admitted to study. This is not the case for applicants from many countries. These applicants have the option of taking a preparatory course at a international preparatory and language centre (Studienkolleg) and completing it with an assessment test. Successful completion of the assessment test is associated with a (usually subject-linked) university entrance qualification.

In 2022, a total of 22 general state Studienkollegs were active. Only in the federal states of Brandenburg, Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland do no such state Studienkollegs exist. In Brandenburg, Bremen and Saarland, state-specific Studienkollegs have been set up to enable students to study at the universities of the respective state. In North Rhine-Westphalia there are two ecclesiastical Studienkollegs and – as in other federal states – private Studienkollegs.

The number of active private Studienkollegs cannot be determined with complete certainty, as there are no corresponding records or compilations. According to comprehensive internet research within the framework of Wissenschaft weltoffen, a total of 35 active private Studienkollegs or independent locations of private Studienkollegs, each with a complete study preparation programme, can be verified for the year 2022. Of these, 17 have state recognition so that they are allowed to independently administer the assessment test.