(Frankfurt am Main, January 26, 2026) Electrical engineering degree programs that enjoy sustained success invest both in the quality of teaching and in appropriately promoting their offerings to young people. This is demonstrated by the positive examples mentioned in a study recently published by the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies. According to the study, the electrical engineering programs at Munich University of Applied Sciences and Clausthal University of Technology are among the few relevant programs that are bucking the general trend of declining or stagnating first-semester enrollment numbers.
For the study, the VDE surveyed the deans of electrical engineering departments on topics such as the respective first-semester enrollment figures and the effort required to promote the degree programs. This provides a supplement to the statistics of the Faculty Association for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (FTEI) and the Department Association for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (FBTEI), according to which the number of first-year students at both types of universities fell by about one-third between 2013 and 2023. They also allow for a more detailed look. "Small and medium-sized degree programs in particular are currently struggling. We have also found that many electrical engineering departments and faculties would like to see more funding for recruiting young talent," summarizes Dr. Michael Schanz, spokesperson for engineering professions and studies at the VDE.
A clustering in the VDE study shows that many of the small and medium-sized university and HAW locations, defined here as locations with fewer than 120 (HAW) or 400 (universities) first-semester students at the beginning of the study period, are experiencing a sharp decline in first-semester enrollment. "Medium-sized degree programs are thus becoming small degree programs, and small degree programs are likely to encounter problems. However, every graduate is important. That is why electrical engineering degree programs should not be significantly reduced or even dropped," warns Michael Schanz. "Besides, it would take years to rebuild something like that."
TU Clausthal: More students through better teaching
Positive examples such as Clausthal University of Technology give cause for hope. While there were only 13 first-year students in 2017, this number rose steadily to 90 by 2023. "Student numbers will continue to rise steeply beyond 2023," says Prof. Dr. Christian Rembe, representative of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Clausthal University of Technology in the FTEI. "Thanks to our measures, we are now attracting more applicants from the surrounding area who would not have studied at all before or would have gone elsewhere." However, this success was preceded by an improvement in the range of courses on offer. For example, the compatibility of the bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with master's programs at other, better-known locations such as Aachen or Munich was improved. Internships were modernized, and exams are designed to be fair without lowering the level of difficulty. The effort required to study must therefore be worthwhile. In addition, a cooperation with Sichuan University in China is attracting more international students to the bachelor's program: they are given more time for the first semesters and learn German at the same time. The university is also ahead in terms of the proportion of women. "The high proportion of women among international students makes German women feel comfortable and confident that they are in the right degree program," says TU professor Christian Rembe, quoted in the study.
Munich University of Applied Sciences: Targeted approach
While the numbers at the larger electrical engineering locations are generally not declining, Munich University of Applied Sciences stands out with a 40 percent increase in first-semester enrollment within a year – not even counting the degree programs associated with electrical engineering. "Instead of relying on student numbers to recover on their own, we invested early on, established new formats, and strategically developed our communication in addition to our work with young talent," says Prof. Dr. Benjamin Kormann, Dean of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the university. Among other things, regular school visits were introduced in 2022. Since 2024, young students have been presenting the results of exciting practical projects to school students as part of the so-called project vernissage, thus serving as a public figurehead. In addition, the university has been making greater use of Instagram to promote its offerings since 2023.
"Other universities and universities of applied sciences in Munich and Clausthal, as well as other successful locations, can certainly learn something from this. An exchange of good practice among themselves would be the right way forward," says Michael Schanz from the VDE. However, he believes that politicians and university administrators have a particular responsibility in this regard. Cuts to electrical engineering programs can threaten their existence if the quality of teaching declines as a result and less publicity is given to the programs. Because, as a CHE study shows, young people with an affinity for technology are less likely than others to be willing to move for their studies, a comprehensive range of courses is particularly important. "If opportunities to study electrical engineering are reduced, we will be lacking important experts in the labor market in just a few years," summarizes Michael Schanz.
The study can be downloaded here (in German).
