Number of students at FAU on the rise again

FAU is starting the new lecture period with a slight increase in student numbers. A total of 39,697 students have registered for winter semester 2024/25 (as of October 11, 2024). The number of international students has risen by just under 8 percent – with a total of 9,164, international students now account for approximately 23 percent of total student numbers.

Starting the new semester with an increase in student numbers

“As one of the few universities in Germany to offer the entire spectrum of academic disciplines, the current figures demonstrate that we are an attractive choice for students across the whole range of our subjects,” explains Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, FAU President. “Popular Master’s degree programs in engineering such as Electromobility-ACES or Artificial Intelligence underline our strength in innovation. However, that doesn’t mean that our traditional programs are any less in demand – quite the opposite. Business and Economics, Physics, teaching degrees, Computer Science or Archeology remain extremely popular. The number of international students has risen again, showing just how significant internationalization is at FAU.”

Most popular degree programs at FAU

This winter semester, most new students have decided to pursue a degree program in Business and Economics, followed by law and teaching degrees in secondary education (Gymnasium). It is noticeable that a teaching degree in primary education (Grundschule) is also a popular choice.

In the case of Master’s degree programs, International Information Systems is the most popular, with 108 new students. However, Master’s degree programs focusing on engineering disciplines of the future have also proven attractive to students. This semester, Electromobility-ACES, Materials Science and Engineering, Computational Engineering and Artificial Intelligence have attracted large numbers of students, with classes of over 50 students in each instance.

Students from across the globe

The number of international students remains at a high level: At the beginning of the semester, a total of 9,164 students from 134 countries were enrolled at FAU. Among the countries of origin, India is the leader with 2,184 students followed by China with 1,176 students, and, new to the top three, Pakistan with 588 students. Turkey has fallen to 5th place in the list of countries of origin. The faculty with the most international students is the Faculty of Engineering with 4,853 students, accounting for almost half of all students at the Faculty.

Student numbers

A total of 39,697 students are enrolled for the start of the lecture period. Around three quarters of students are based mainly in Erlangen and around one quarter in Nuremberg. Precisely 6,013 of the students enrolled at FAU are enrolled for their first degree program at an institute of higher eduction, with FAU recording an increase of approximately 8 percent in new students compared to winter semester 2023/2024. Enrollment is now complete, but one or two late arrivals are to be expected in the next few weeks.

More and more students are choosing to study part time: A total of 558 students are currently enrolled on a part-time degree program. A total of 249 students have chosen a cooperative degree program at FAU.

Female students are in the majority of new students, accounting for a total of 54 percent. Overall, a total of 20,141 women are registered as a student at FAU, that is just under 50 percent of total student numbers.

By faculty

• A total of 9,156 students have enrolled at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology. With 1,906 first-year students, this year the Faculty has proven the most popular, with almost 20 percent more new students than the year before. With more than 70 percent female students, the Faculty is also the faculty with the largest proportion of women. Subjects that are particularly popular among new students are teaching degrees in secondary education (Gymnasium) and teaching degrees in primary education (Grundschule).
• A total of 9,379 students are enrolled at the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law this year. With 1,352 first-year students, the Faculty is the second most popular with new students. 4,703 students at the Faculty are women, almost exactly half of enrolled students. As is the case every year, the Bachelor’s degree program in Business and Economics is extremely popular. With 460 new students enrolled on the degree program, it has more new students than any other degree program at FAU.
• A total of 4,811 students have enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine, 298 of which are first-year students. This is approximately 5.3 percent more than the year before. A total of 3,350 students are women, approximately 70 percent. 45 students have enrolled for the degree program Medicine Erlangen/Bayreuth at Medizincampus Oberfranken in the winter semester. Places for new students in medicine and dentistry are allocated centrally via the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (Foundation for University Admissions) in Dortmund.
• A total of 5,877 students have enrolled at the Faculty of Sciences. Of this number, 1,178 are first-year students. The Faculty has over 10 percent more new students than the year before. With just under 49 percent female students, the ratio of male to female students is similarly balanced as in the previous winter semester. New students are once more particularly interested in the subjects Physics and Biology.
• This winter semester, 10,474 students are enrolled at the Faculty of Engineering, with 1,279 of them first-year students. With a total of 4,853 international students, their share in the Faculty has risen to 46 percent. Overall, the Faculty of Engineering is the faculty with the largest number of students. The proportion of women is at a similar level to previous years: A total of 2,749 female students are enrolled at the Faculty, approximately 26 percent. The most popular degree programs among new students are Computer Science, Medical Engineering and Industrial Engineering and Management.