(Frankfurt am Main, December 8, 2025) According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of 14,126 men and women began studying electrical engineering or information technology in the 2025 academic year. This is almost exactly the same number of first-year students as in the previous year, when 14,174 people began studying these subjects.
"On closer inspection, however, there are significant differences between universities and universities of applied sciences (HAW)," says Michael Schanz, advisor to the Study, Career, and Society Committee of the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies. While the number of first-year students at universities is declining by 5 percent, it is rising by 4 percent at HAWs (formerly: universities of applied sciences). "The VDE has been observing a sharp decline in first-semester cohorts for years, particularly at medium-sized universities, and recommends that these locations in particular make greater efforts to attract young people to study electrical engineering," adds Schanz.
Partly due to the switch to a 9-year high school diploma in Bavaria, a reduction in the total number of first-year students had actually been expected. "However, we are seeing an increase in the number of international students enrolling in electrical engineering courses," says Schanz, who regularly discusses the topic with course directors from all over Germany. At around 20 percent, the proportion of women remains constant and is even lower than in computer science and mechanical engineering, where a good quarter of students are female. Schanz: "However, without international students, the proportion would be significantly lower."
