„International students want to stay, which is a huge opportunity for the German labour market“

International students in Germany are largely optimistic about their professional future. The DAAD surveyed more than 20,000 international students at over 130 German universities about their perspectives on their career prospects. Two thirds plan to stay in Germany after their studies. The intention to stay is particularly pronounced in the fields of economics, engineering and computer science. Around half of the international students that wish to stay are interested in founding a business in Germany. The results illustrate that career opportunities and English-taught study programmes are key factors for choosing Germany as a host country. At the same time, there is an increased need for support when it comes to starting a career in Germany. In the following interview, study project manager Dr. Jessica Schüller explains the most important findings of the study.

Dr. Schüller, the DAAD’s latest report is titled “Arriving, Studying, Staying: How international students view their future in Germany.” Let’s start by looking at the arrival aspect: How many and which international students are currently coming to Germany and why? And do these students match the need for skilled workers in Germany?

International students usually aim to complete a full degree in subject areas in which there is a significant shortage of skilled labour in Germany. They currently make up around 13 per cent of all students in Germany. In the winter semester of 2023/24, a total of around 380,000 international students were enrolled at German universities, and the most important countries of origin are India and China.

International students are particularly well represented in the engineering sciences and in law, economics and social sciences. These choices of focus align to a high degree with the needs of the German labour market, especially the STEM sector, where the shortage of skilled workers is especially pronounced.

The role of international students in STEM has also increased in importance over the years: as the number of German students enrolled in STEM has been decreasing, the number of international students in STEM has been substantially rising. In the last ten years alone, international student enrolment in STEM subjects increased by 95 per cent.

If we look at the second aspect, the studying part: How satisfied are international students with their studies in Germany? What can you tell us about their integration and their preparation for the German labour market? Are there still things that Germany could improve?

International students choose to study in Germany for several reasons: comparatively low tuition costs, good career prospects after graduation, and the range of English-taught degree programmes. The specific university in Germany is mostly chosen on basis of the programme content, and on this note it is important to point out that two thirds of the students are satisfied with the professional relevance of their programmes’ content.

However, there is still room for improvement, particularly when it comes to preparation for the German labour market. A good 40 per cent of those surveyed rated current preparation measures at their universities as only average, with just under a quarter even rating it as rather or very insufficient. Appropriate support is particularly important when looking for a part-time job during their studies, in particular because many international students choose Germany because the study conditions match their financial abilities. Part-time jobs play an important role in this: a good 60 per cent of international students work alongside their studies.

There is also room for improvement in terms of university support when it comes to the transition into the workforce. This is where the Campus-Initiative International Talents comes in: Model projects are funded at 114 universities to, for instance, build international career services that help better prepare students for the entry into the workforce. However, it would be critical to equip career services in Germany with more resources to handle this permanent task in the coming years, especially as the numbers of international students keep increasing.

The last aspect of the study deals with staying. How many international students stay in Germany after their studies and what exactly does this stay look like? What obstacles are there for international graduates on their path into the German labour market and what approaches are there inside and outside of the universities to mitigate these challenges?

Germany has, according to data from the OECD, one of the highest retention rates of international students along with Canada. According to information from the Federal Statistical Office, ten years after the start of their studies, 46 per cent of international students are still in Germany. Furthermore, according to our last survey among more than 20,000 international students, two thirds of them intend to stay in Germany after finishing their studies.

The study primarily highlights that international students want to stay, which is a huge opportunity for the German labour market. The transition into the German labour market, however, is tied to several challenges. Many international graduates require a visa, or a residence permit, to look for a job, which necessitates contact with the immigration authorities not only at the beginning, but also towards the end of their studies. This bureaucratic process can often take a long time.

Another important factor for starting a career are adequate German language skills. While some students speak German, particularly graduates of purely English-language degree programmes need support in improving their language skills. However, in addition to their regular studies, international students often have little time to learn the language in depth, partly also due to the aforementioned part-time jobs that many of them rely on. Nevertheless, the majority of international students in English-language degree programmes participate in German language classes to improve their language skills. This shows that the willingness among many students is present. However, there is often a high demand for more resources at universities to be able to offer German courses widely. Again, this is where the Campus-Initiative for International Talents comes in: To facilitate the entry into the German labour market, many universities offer targeted support as part of their projects. This also includes language courses and job application training specifically geared towards the needs of international students.