Dropout in numbers
How many really drop out of their studies, and why? This report shows the reliable rates and reasons, and it says honestly where the data on distance learning ends.
What the DZHW measures
The authoritative source for dropout rates in Germany are the cohort calculations of the DZHW.
In short: Around 28 percent of German bachelor's entrants drop out of their studies, in master's programmes it is 21 percent. At universities the bachelor's rate of 35 percent is considerably higher than at universities of applied sciences with 20 percent.
Where the rates are high, and where not
The dropout rate is not a fixed quantity: it depends strongly on the degree, the type of institution and the subject.
In short: In bachelor's programmes, universities lose a good one in three first-year students, universities of applied sciences one in five. In master's programmes the rates are considerably lower at both types of institution.
Dropout rates of German students (DZHW 2022)
Bachelor's: starting cohorts 2016/17, based on the 2020 graduate cohort. Master's: starting cohort 2018.
Data as a table
| Group | Dropout rate |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's, university | 35% |
| Bachelor's, total | 28% |
| Master's, total | 21% |
| Bachelor's, UAS/FH | 20% |
Why people drop out
The DZHW survey of de-registered students shows which motive was decisive in each case.
In short: Three motives explain around 60 percent of all dropouts: performance problems, a lack of study motivation and the wish for practical work. Money problems play a smaller role than is often assumed.
Decisive dropout motive (DZHW, survey of de-registered students)
Share of dropouts for whom the respective motive was decisive.
Data as a table
| Motive | Share |
|---|---|
| Performance problems | 30% |
| Lack of study motivation | 17% |
| Wish for practical work | 15% |
And how high is the rate in distance learning?
The honest answer: there is no official dropout rate for distance learning. The Federal Statistical Office does not report study success by study format, and the DZHW calculations do not distinguish between distance and on-campus study either. The often quoted claim that 70 percent or more drop out of distance learning comes from blogs and old individual analyses and cannot be substantiated in this form.
What is plausible: the conditions differ. Distance learners are older, employed and often study part-time; many interrupt or stretch their studies instead of dropping out for good. That is exactly what makes clean rates so hard, because a pause initially looks like a dropout in the statistics.
What can be derived from the documented motives: people rarely drop out because of the material alone, but because of the fit. Performance problems, motivation and the wish for practical work are solvable issues when study format and everyday life fit together. How much time a distance course really costs is shown in the report on time commitment; who typically studies at a distance, in the report Who studies at a distance.
Answered briefly
How many people drop out of their studies in Germany?
According to the DZHW calculations from 2022, around 28 percent of German bachelor's entrants drop out of their studies, in master's programmes it is 21 percent. At universities the bachelor's rates of 35 percent are considerably above those of the universities of applied sciences at 20 percent.
Is it true that 70 percent drop out of distance learning?
There is no reliable evidence for this. The number circulates in blogs and goes back to old individual analyses. Officially, study success is not reported by study format, and pauses or stretched study plans, which are common in distance learning, distort any simple rate.
What is the most common reason for dropping out?
Performance problems: for around 30 percent of dropouts they were the decisive motive. They are followed by a lack of study motivation at 17 percent and the wish for practical work at 15 percent (DZHW survey).
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
The dropout rates are calculated by the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) in a cohort comparison: graduate cohorts are set against the corresponding starting cohorts. The motives come from the DZHW survey of de-registered students. An official rate specifically for distance learning does not exist; where the data ends, we say so explicitly in the report instead of adopting blog numbers.
Sources: DZHW Brief 05/2022, dropout rates (Heublein et al.) · DZHW, motives for dropping out (Heublein et al. 2017, via studienabbruch-und-weiter.de)
Last updated: 26.07.2026. The figures are updated as soon as the DZHW publishes new calculations.
Dropouts arise before the studies, not in the middle of them
The most common reasons for dropping out are problems of fit, and those can be clarified in advance. At Studienflüsterer the initial consultation is free and without obligation.