Distance learning in Germany consists of more than the FernUni Hagen. Alongside the one large state distance university, there is a range of private distance universities that together make up a considerable share of all distance learners. They are the reason the market has grown so clearly in recent years.
Who carries the market
The larger private distance universities include providers such as the IU Internationale Hochschule, the AKAD University, the Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule, the Euro-FH, the APOLLON Hochschule, the Hamburger Fern-Hochschule and the DIPLOMA Hochschule. The list is not complete and is not a ranking, it only shows the range. Some of these providers are broadly positioned, others have a clear subject focus, for example business, engineering or health.
Exactly how large the individual providers are fluctuates and can only be stated reliably with a reference date. The documented orders of magnitude are therefore set out in the Distance learning in numbers report, not in a snapshot that would be out of date tomorrow.
Size is not the same as quality
A large provider reaches many people, and the raw number says nothing more than that. Whether a distance learning programme is good depends on entirely different things: on state recognition and accreditation, on the support, on the credit transfer practice and on fair contract terms. You should check these points before enrolling, regardless of how well known or large a name is.
Precisely because large providers run a lot of advertising, a sober look pays off. A low advertised monthly rate can gloss over additional costs, and a well known name is no substitute for checking the accreditation. What a distance learning programme really costs over the whole duration is put in perspective by the Costs and funding report.
Why the private providers move the market
The state sector around the FernUni Hagen grows fairly steadily. The dynamism comes from the private distance universities, which respond flexibly to the rising demand for degree programmes organised alongside work and online. They launch new programmes, expand capacity and target employed people specifically. That is why the picture of distance learning is slowly shifting: away from the one large distance university, towards a diverse market of state and private providers. Anyone who wants to see the scale of this shift will find it in the Distance learning in numbers report.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest distance university in Germany?
By distance learners alone, the private IU is now in front, with about 76,000 ahead of the state FernUni Hagen with just over 62,000 (Federal Statistical Office, winter semester 2022/23). Together the two account for more than half of all distance learners. Further orders of magnitude are set out in the Distance learning in numbers report.
Are private distance universities reputable?
Many are. What matters is not the legal form, but whether the university is state recognised and the programme accredited. You should always check these two points before enrolling, regardless of the size of the provider.
Does size say anything about quality?
No. Size only shows how many people a provider reaches, not how good the support, the credit transfer practice or the exam organisation are. A large provider can offer good or poor support, and so can a small one.
Why do private distance universities grow so strongly?
Because study formats organised alongside work and online are in ever greater demand, and private providers respond to that flexibly. In doing so they drive a large part of the market's growth, while the state sector grows more steadily.
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.