Germany has published the results of the largest survey conducted among students at German universities. It reveals many details about the life of the average German student: where and with whom they live, how much they spend on living and on entertainment. Deutsche Welle analyzed the top ten facts about student life in Germany.
AGE
Compared to 2012, the average student in Germany has become slightly older – now they are 24 years and seven months old. Among university students, there are also many who are over 30. This was revealed in the largest survey conducted every five years by the German National Association for Student Affairs.
BACKGROUND
Every fifth student in Germany is a migrant or a descendant of migrants. Most of them come from Poland, Turkey, Russia or Kazakhstan.
MARITAL STATUS
About half of the surveyed students are not married but are in a steady relationship. Only six percent of German students are already married, while the rest are still looking for a partner.
POPULAR MAJORS
Students in Germany prefer engineering and natural sciences, law and economics. Less popular faculties at German universities are philology, cultural studies, sociology and psychology.
DROPPING OUT
Every fifth student in Germany has changed their faculty or major at least once. About 16 percent have voluntarily discontinued their studies at the university.
MONEY
The average German student has become slightly richer: today they have 918 euros per month. Half of this amount comes from parents, another quarter is earned by themselves. The remaining funds come from either scholarships or other sources of income.
PART-TIME JOBS
68 percent of students in Germany regularly work part-time. Among the reasons for working in their free time, young people cited the desire to be independent from their parents, gain practical experience, and be able to afford something extra.
EXPENSES
Monthly, students in Germany pay about 320 euros for rented housing; the second largest expense is food: 168 euros per month. Public transport or – less often – a personal car costs 94 euros. For entertainment and sports, a German student has 61 euros. Total living expenses amount to about 800 euros per month.
FOOD
At least once a week, two-thirds of respondents eat at the university cafeteria. However, five years ago they were more popular. As researchers note, demand depends on age – younger students eat at cafeterias more often.
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
It takes about half an hour for a student to get from their apartment to the place of study. But where does a German student live? A third of respondents rent housing together with classmates or friends, the same number rent an apartment alone or with their partner. Often students stay under the same roof with their parents, and this option is chosen more often by boys than girls.