In 2025, about 341,700 German students received university‑entrance qualification, either the general Abitur or the Fachhochschulreife. This figure represents an eight‑percent dip compared with the previous year, a decline of roughly 29,900 individuals. The sharp drop is almost entirely attributable to the phasing out of the eight‑year Gymnasium (G8) programme in 2024 and the resulting incomplete Abitur cohort of 2025 in Bavaria. When Bavaria is excluded, the reduction across the remaining states is a more modest 0.7 % from the year before.
The overall population of 17‑to‑19‑year‑olds rose 0.9 % by the end of 2024. However, this increase is mainly driven by immigration of youths from abroad and therefore has little effect on the number of students eligible for university studies.
Bavaria saw the most pronounced fall in eligible students, with a 51 % decrease – about 27,600 fewer graduates – attributable to the shift from G8 to G9 at the state’s general schools. Other states also experienced declines: Saarland fell 7 %, while Schleswig‑Holstein, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Saxony‑Anhalt each dropped 3 %. In contrast, Saxony and Thuringia enjoyed gains of 6 % and 4 %, respectively.
Of the 341,700 eligible students, 80 % obtained the general or specialized university entrance qualification, and 20 % earned the Fachhochschulreife. Two thirds (≈67 %) earned their qualifications at general‑civic schools, while the remaining third (≈33 %) completed them at vocational institutions.
Female participation among eligible students remained steady at 54 % in 2025. The proportion of women was slightly higher among those holding a general or specialized university qualification (55 %) and fairly balanced for those with a Fachhochschulreife (52 % female, 48 % male).