Distance Learning in Numbers
How many people in Germany study by distance learning, which subjects lead the field and how fast the market is growing. This report brings together the most important core figures on distance learning, with source and date.
The market in four numbers
The scale of distance learning in Germany, condensed into the four figures that are searched for most often.
In short: Around 250,000 people in Germany study by distance learning, 8.6% of all students. The largest single university is the private IU, followed by the state-run FernUni Hagen. Its students are on average almost 38 years old and three quarters are in employment.
How many really study by distance learning
There is no single big number, because it depends on what is counted. That is exactly what this report makes transparent.
Anyone searching for the number of distance learners will find very different figures depending on the source. That is not down to poor data, but to how the boundary is drawn. Some statistics count only the students of pure distance universities, others add in all part-time and online-organised study programmes. Still others include distance courses that do not lead to an academic degree at all. Compare these figures without context and a false picture quickly emerges.
That is why FernStudent discloses which definition sits behind each figure. The anchor points are the official higher education statistics of the Federal Statistical Office and the reports of FernUni Hagen, the largest state university in the country. They are supplemented by the large private distance universities, whose student numbers have grown strongly in recent years. This produces a robust order of magnitude rather than a bogus number. In winter semester 2024/25 the number of distance learners was still above 250,000, around 9 percent of all students (Federal Statistical Office).
A market that is growing
The number of distance learners has risen continuously over the past years. The bars show the order of magnitude over time.
In short: From 67,833 distance learners in winter semester 2006/07 to 250,418 in WS 2022/23, almost a fourfold increase. The growth now comes above all from private distance universities, while the number at FernUni Hagen has recently even fallen.
Distance learners in Germany over time
Number of distance learners per winter semester.
Data as a table
| Winter semester | Distance learners |
|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 67,833 |
| 2011/12 | 132,960 |
| 2016/17 | 163,653 |
| 2021/22 | 242,520 |
| 2022/23 | 250,418 |
The largest subject groups
Economics and law provide the most distance study programmes, followed by society and social affairs as well as the engineering sciences. This is how the programmes are distributed across the subject groups.
In short: A good one in three distance study programmes (38.3%) is an economics or law subject, followed by society and social affairs as well as the engineering sciences. The five largest subject groups cover more than 90% of all programmes.
Distance study programmes by subject group
Share of all distance study programmes, HRK subject classification.
Data as a table
| Subject group | Share |
|---|---|
| Economics, Law | 38.3% |
| Social and Political Sciences | 17.7% |
| Engineering Sciences | 15.4% |
| Mathematics, Natural Sciences | 13.6% |
| Medicine, Health Sciences | 9.6% |
| Other subject groups | 5.4% |
The largest providers
Three private universities provide the most distance study programmes. Overall, a good two thirds of the programmes come from private universities.
| University | Distance study programmes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IU Internationale Hochschule (Erfurt) | 141 | 14.0% |
| AKAD University (Stuttgart) | 72 | 7.2% |
| Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule (Darmstadt) | 62 | 6.2% |
| The 10 largest universities combined | 562 | 55.9% |
Of the 1,006 distance study programmes in Germany, 68.4% come from private, 30.8% from state and 0.8% from church-affiliated universities. The figures count study programmes, not students, and are not a ranking by quality. Source: CHE analysis of the HRK Hochschulkompass (Hüsch et al. 2024), as of 05.07.2023.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
The DACH region counts distance learning differently. That is why a direct comparison of figures only makes sense with context.
Germany
Largest market in the DACH region. The official higher education statistics record FernUni Hagen and the private distance universities, which makes the data situation comparatively good.
Austria
Smaller, growing market. Many students are enrolled at German distance universities, which means a purely national count underestimates the figure.
Switzerland
Its own system with strong higher vocational education and the CAS, DAS and MAS formats. Pure distance study programmes are rarer, but the part-time offering is dense.
The information on this page is general in nature and is meant as orientation. It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the relevant university and is not legal advice. The universities and the responsible bodies decide: the ZAB in Germany, the BMBWF in Austria and the SBFI in Switzerland. Always check your specific case directly with the university before you enrol.
Goes well with these numbers
How distance learners live, how much time they invest and what they pay.
Study and job
How many distance learners work on the side and how they finance their studies.
To the reportTime commitment
How many hours per week a distance study realistically takes.
To the reportCosts and funding
What a distance study costs over its full duration and who makes use of funding.
To the reportFurther reading
Background on individual figures in this report.
Frequently asked questions about the numbers
The most important questions about the size and development of distance learning, answered concisely.
How many people in Germany study by distance learning?
The order of magnitude is in the range of several hundred thousand, depending on whether only pure distance universities or all part-time formats are counted. FernStudent brings together the official higher education statistics and the figures of FernUni Hagen and discloses the definition transparently.
Which is the largest distance university?
By the total number of students, the private IU is now the largest university in Germany, with the state-run FernUni Hagen following as the largest public university. Among distance learners alone the IU is also ahead: about 76,000 compared with just over 62,000 at FernUni Hagen (Federal Statistical Office, winter semester 2022/23).
Is distance learning growing?
Yes. The part-time and online-organised segment has been increasing for years, driven by continuing education alongside work and more flexible study formats. The exact growth rate depends on the definition and is reported with source and date in the report.
Which subjects are studied most often by distance learning?
A good 38% of distance study programmes are economics or law subjects, followed by social and political sciences (17.7%) and the engineering sciences (15.4%). This is shown by a CHE analysis of the HRK Hochschulkompass. The exact shares are in the subjects chart.
How old are distance learners on average?
Considerably older than in on-campus study. Distance learners are usually in the middle of their working lives and on average in their thirties. That explains why balancing study with job and family is the decisive question for this group.
Sources, method and download
Where the numbers come from, how they are compiled and how you may reuse them with a source reference.
How these numbers are compiled
FernStudent brings together publicly available official and university statistics and states for every figure what exactly is counted. The basis is the higher education statistics of the Federal Statistical Office, the CHE analysis of the HRK Hochschulkompass and the student figures of FernUni Hagen. Where sources count differently, we give the range instead of a bogus number.
Sources: Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), higher education statistics · CHE (Marc Hüsch): Trend zum Fernstudium, Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung 2/2024 · HRK Hochschulkompass, study programmes (CHE analysis 2024) · FernUniversität in Hagen, facts and figures
Last updated: 02.07.2026. The figures are updated as soon as the sources publish new data.
Numbers become your decision
The data shows the market. Whether and which distance study suits you is best clarified in a personal conversation. At Studienflüsterer the initial consultation is free and without obligation.