Overview
- The Destatis release on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, found that 69% of new entrants in winter semester 2025/26 started their studies in the same federal state where they earned their higher‑education qualification.
- Retention varies widely by state: densely served North Rhine‑Westphalia kept about 82% of its new entrants while Brandenburg retained only 33%, with roughly 32% of Brandenburg‑qualified students moving to Berlin.
- Cross‑border flows follow geography and supply, for example 17% of Hamburg’s first‑years came from Schleswig‑Holstein and 35% of Bremen’s entrants held qualifications from Lower Saxony.
- Thuringia’s low local‑origin share (about 34%) reflects the presence of the Internationale Hochschule (IU) in Erfurt, whose largely distance‑learning enrolments mean many students do not relocate to the state.
- Early, provisional 2026/27 state reports point to changing intake patterns—Bavaria reports roughly an 18.8% jump in first‑year entrants tied mainly to the return of a larger Abitur cohort after G8→G9, and Hessen cites new English‑taught programmes and forthcoming RMU Exzellenz funding as factors that could shift future flows; these figures may be revised and will affect regional planning for places, housing, and university funding.