Germany’s international student numbers climb 6% as India emerges as top source country

Germany continues to attract international students and researchers, with the number of international students and doctoral candidates at its higher education institutions rising by around 6% in the 2025–26 winter semester, according to Wissenschaft weltoffen 2026, published by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) on Oct 14.

Around 426,200 international students and doctoral candidates were enrolled at German higher education institutions during the period. International first-year enrolment also reached a new high of approximately 130,000, the report said.

India was the leading country of origin for international students, with around 69,000 students, followed by China with approximately 39,000. Asia and the Pacific remained the largest region of origin, accounting for 34% of international students in Germany. North Africa and the Middle East accounted for 20%, while Western Europe represented 14%.

The report also highlighted the concentration of international students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. These subjects accounted for 56% of international students pursuing degrees in Germany, compared with 33% of domestic students.

Engineering was the most popular subject group among international students, accounting for 44%, followed by mathematics and natural sciences at 12%. Half of international students pursuing a degree in Germany were enrolled in master's programmes, while another 37% were studying at bachelor's level.

Germany also remained a major destination for international researchers. In 2024, more than 86,700 international researchers were employed in the country. Around 68,300 worked as academic and artistic staff at German universities, including 4,200 international professors, while another 18,400 worked at the country's four largest non-university research institutions.

According to the report, Germany ranked second globally as a host country for international researchers, behind the United States and ahead of the United Kingdom. International academic staff accounted for 16% of total academic staff at German universities, rising to an average of 32% at the four largest non-university research institutions.

The 2026 edition of Wissenschaft weltoffen also expanded its analysis of international doctoral candidates to include those not formally enrolled at universities.

Using doctoral candidate statistics from Germany's Federal Statistical Office, the report identified approximately 50,700 international doctoral candidates in 2024, compared with around 32,000 previously counted international doctoral candidates enrolled at universities.

The report also examined German students studying abroad. Around 137,200 German students were enrolled at foreign universities in 2023, representing just over 5% of German students studying in Germany and abroad.

Meanwhile, preliminary findings from the DZHW's nationwide student survey showed that the share of students undertaking study-related stays abroad had risen slightly to 20% in 2025, after falling from 32% in 2009 to 19% in 2021.