Statistics of Higher Education
What does the the statistics of higher education describe?
Official statistics of higher education provides fundamental information for planning and political shaping in the higher education sector.
Non-monetary statistics of higher education include especially:
- the statistics of students (students and new entrants),
- the statistics of examinations (graduates),
- the statistics of non-enrolled students,
- the statistics of post-doctoral lecturing qualifications,
- the statistics of personnel and posts.
The monetary aspect of higher education is covered and represented separately as part of the statistics on the finance of institutions of higher education.
The institutions of higher education include all institutions (public and private) as defined in the higher education law of the Land concerned. Their aim is to foster and develop the sciences and the arts through research, teaching and studies and to prepare students for occupations which require the application of scientific knowledge and methods or creative abilities in the artistic field. They include the following types of institutions officially recognised: universities, comprehensive universities, colleges of theology and education, colleges of art and music, Fachhochschulen (specialised colleges of higher education), and colleges of public administration.
Statistics of students provide data on students (e.g. age and sex) and on their subjects. Students in the context of higher education statistics are persons enrolled in specialised studies - excluding students granted leave, participants in Studienkollegs and non-enrolled students. New entrants in their first semester of higher education (students enrolled for the first time) are students who have enrolled for the first time at an institution of higher education in Germany in the semester observed. Students in their first subject-related semester are students who have enrolled in a specific course of studies for the first time. Usually, new entrants in their first semester of higher education are also in their first subject-related semester.
For purposes of statistics of students and examinations, which apply to the entire Federal Republic, a classification of subjects (only in German) is used where higher education subjects are allocated to codes. Related subjects are grouped to form fields of study which, in turn, are grouped to form nine large subject groups.
The academic final examinations taken by the students are covered by the statistics of examinations. A general distinction is made here between (university) diploma examinations (including relevant final examinations), doctor's degrees, state examinations for the teaching profession, arts qualifications, Fachhochschule diploma examinations as well as bachelor's and master's degrees. The individual examinations are listed in a classification of final examinations (only in German) applying to the entire Federal Republic. Students who have passed a final examination are referred to as graduates.
The survey of personnel at institutions of higher education covers all persons working at institutions of higher education as a primary or secondary occupation on the reference day (1 December). A general distinction is made between scientific and artistic staff on the one hand and non-scientific staff (administrative, technical, and other staff) on the other. The statistics of personnel and posts is based on a classification of subject areas and titles (only in German) that is applicable all over Germany.
The legal basis of the statistics of higher education is the Law on Statistics of Higher Education (higher education statistics law) of 2 November 1990 (BGBl. page 2414), which took effect on 1 June 1992; last amended by Article 3 of the Law on Modifying the Law on Trade and Wage Statistics (statistics amendment law) of 3 March 1994 (BGBl. page 384) as well as further amendments. The characteristics covered by higher education statistics are laid down in that law.
How are the data for the statistics of higher education collected?
The statistics of higher education are based on secondary surveys, with individual data supplied by the institutions of higher education to the statistical offices of the Länder. The heads of the institutions of higher education are obliged to provide information. The data are supplied by the administrations and examination offices of the institutions of higher education on the basis of administrative files available. After comprehensive plausibility checks have been performed at the statistical offices of the Länder, the Land results are transmitted in an aggregated form to the Federal Statistical Office where they are processed to produce the federal result.
Until the winter semester of 1993/1994, students were covered per semester. As a result of the statistics amendment law, the data laid down in the higher education statistics law have been collected since 1994 for the entire stock of students in any winter semester, while in the summer semesters only the new entrants in their first higher education semester and/or in their first subject-related semester and students taken off the institution's register are covered. Data on examinations and personnel at institutions of higher education are processed yearly.
When are the statistics of higher education released?
Current results of the statistics of higher education are published through press releases. Key data on the individual statistics of higher education are available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office, in the higher education area.
Detailed final results of the individual statistics of higher education are regularly published as part of Fachserie (Subject-Matter Series) 11 "Bildung und Kultur" (Education and Culture) of the Federal Statistical Office:
Reihe (Series) 4.1 "Studierende an Hochschulen" (students at institutions of higher education) (also containing data on non-enrolled students)
Reihe (Series) 4.2 "Prüfungen an Hochschulen" (examinations at institutions of higher education)
Reihe (Series) 4.3.1 "Nichtmonetäre hochschulstatistische Kennzahlen" (non-monetary key data on institutions of higher education)
Reihe (Series) 4.4 "Personal an Hochschulen" (personnel at institutions of higher education) (also containing data on posts and post-doctoral lecturing qualifications)
The above series are published in the 3rd / 4th quarter of any year. Also, provisional and final results from individual higher education statistics that become available earlier are provided to the customers in a timely manner. First provisional results (only in German) on students and new entrants of the current winter semester are published not later than in early December.
From 2004, electronic versions of the above subject-matter series will be distributed through the publication service. Already now, selected tables from various areas of the statistics of higher education are available there.
Also, the statistical offices of the Länder release data from higher education statistics regarding the Land concerned.
How accurate are the statistics of higher education?
The statistics of higher education are secondary statistics produced on the basis of complete enumerations. To ensure good data quality, comprehensive plausibility checks are performed regularly at the statistical offices of the Länder. Consequently, the results have high information value and good quality.
Further information
Statistics of higher education
Phone: +49 611 75 4140
>>> Statistics from A to Z (further definitions)
