Student numbers in Saxony-Anhalt are falling to a new low!

Student numbers in Saxony-Anhalt are falling to a new low!

Current figures from Saxony-Anhalt show that the number of students fell to 55,169 in the 2024/25 winter semester. This represents a decrease of 1,462 students or 2.6% compared to the previous year. Some universities in the country in particular suffered significant losses. Steinbeis University Magdeburg, for example, recorded a decline of 598 students, which corresponds to a decrease of 12.9% and currently has 4,053 enrolled students. The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg also had to make compromises and reduced its number of students by 501 to 18,727. At Anhalt University the decline was 399 students or 5.6%, meaning 6,672 students are now enrolled there. These numbers come from Hallanzeiger.

But not everything is bleak: some universities have even been able to increase their attendance. The Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg reported an increase of 115 students and now has 12,605. Merseburg University even recorded an increase of 86 students to a total of 3,054. It is interesting that the proportion of foreign students increased to 20.1%, which corresponds to 11,071 students and an increase of 326 foreign students compared to the previous year. This is a clear trend, because since 2000 the proportion of international students has increased from 5.4% to 20.1%, reports [Higher Education Statistics Saxony-Anhalt].

A look at the popularity of the fields of study

In terms of popular subjects, education is at the top in Saxony-Anhalt with 5,235 students, followed by international business administration/management and business administration. This can be seen in the comparison of the statistics from CHE Hochschulranking, where 56% of students are enrolled at universities and 40% at universities of applied sciences. Although the figures in recent years show a slight decline in technical courses such as mechanical engineering, interest in health and social professions remains unbroken.

If you look at the development of student numbers over the last few years, it can be seen that Saxony-Anhalt has experienced a significant increase in student numbers since the winter semester of 1998/99, starting with 32,894 and ending at 58,338 in the winter semester of 2022/23. However, these figures should be assessed before the current decline and make it clear that the higher education landscape is changing.

Overall, the university statistics show a complex and dynamic change in Saxony-Anhalt's education system, which brings with it both challenges and opportunities. It remains to be seen whether this trend will reverse or continue in the future.