Education in Germany

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Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German states (Länder), with the federal government only playing a minor role.

While kindergarten (nursery school) is optional, formal education is compulsory for all children from the age of 6-7. Details vary from state to state. For example, in Bavaria, children need to attend school for a total of 12 years (of which 3 may be for an apprenticeship);^[1] while in Brandenburg, school must be attended until the end of the school year in which the pupil turns 18.^[2] Students can complete three types of school leaving qualifications, ranging from the more vocational Hauptschulabschluss and Mittlere Reife over to the more academic Abitur. The latter permits students to apply to study at university level. A bachelor's degree is commonly followed up with a master's degree, with 45% of all undergraduates proceeding to postgraduate studies within 1.5 years of graduating.^[3] While rules vary (see → § Tuition fees) from Land (state) to Land, German public universities generally don't charge tuition fees.

Germany is well-known internationally for its vocational training model,^[4][5][6] the Ausbildung (apprenticeship), with about 50 per cent of all school leavers entering vocational training.^[7]