The results of the German International Student Barometer 2022 are in line with the global International Student Barometer, which indicates that one of the most important considerations for overseas students when deciding where to study is career prospects.
Compared to the global benchmark of 71%, 77% of final-year international students in Germany who responded to a survey said they felt ready for their future career aspirations. According to the authors of a GATE-Germany report on the barometer, “a clear link to the world of work may be the most effective way to attract international students.”
While 97% of German respondents said they were happy with the academic standards of their programs, some expressed doubts about the relationship between their academic work and how they would use it in their post-graduation careers.
According to the report, “students of today want a clear return on their investment from their educational experience.” German students evaluated their learning’s employability outcomes at a lower rate than the global benchmark, but only by 1% less than the European benchmark.
As far as employability is concerned, “German institutions need to focus on this area, but… there is also room for improvement at European institutions overall, suggesting a need for greater attention to be paid to graduate outcomes,” the authors wrote.
They suggested actions for universities, such as increasing internship opportunities and inviting former students from abroad to deliver guest lectures.
Since the last survey in 2018, students’ assessments of how welcome they felt when they arrived in Germany have improved. Germany also distinguished itself from other European nations with its comparatively low cost of living and reasonably priced housing, outperforming the European Barometer by 19% in terms of satisfaction with living expenses. However, the writers expressed concern that overseas students might mistake cheap prices for poor quality.
A few regions continued to fall short of the worldwide standard. The authors specifically mentioned the need for higher education institutions’ support services, such as career counseling, to be improved. These were rated as 84% satisfied, which is 6% less than the global average.
“Higher education institutions in Germany will be able to continue to attract (and retain) talented international students while providing them with a high-quality educational experience by addressing the issues highlighted in the report,” the report concluded.