International Students in German Higher Education

How Quality‐Characteristics of the Study Programme Relate to Student Satisfaction Over the Course of Studies

Bibliographic Data

ID21592535
AuthorsTheresa Thies (0000-0002-9568-717X, Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning Munich Germany, corresponding author), Susanne Falk (0000-0002-4997-2236, Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning Munich Germany, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume79
Issue4
Publication date2025-10-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHigher Education Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-5224 • E-ISSN: 1468-2273
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hequ.70053
OpenAlexW4414189765
LanguageEN
References cited38

Germany is the most attractive non‐English‐speaking destination for international students. Their number has considerably grown over the last 10 years. However, the dropout rate among international students is higher than among domestic students. This is an undesirable situation given the necessity of training highly skilled labour and integrating them into the German labour market. It raises the question of student satisfaction and the quality of study programmes. In particular, we examine how the perception of study programme characteristics affects student satisfaction over three semesters. We analyse this question using the International Student Survey, a longitudinal online‐panel survey of international degree‐seeking students in Germany ( N = 2428). The results show that increases in the perceived teaching quality, teacher support and student integration relate to increases in student satisfaction throughout their studies. High exam frequencies and overcrowded classes reduce satisfaction values. Our findings emphasise the need to improve the quality of teaching and study programmes in order to increase satisfaction, and therefore success, of international students

German · Higher education · International studies · Perception · Study abroad · Higher Education Governance and Development · Higher Education Research Studies · International Student and Expatriate Challenges

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