How many International Students stay in Germany after their studies, and why?

Among students from non-EU countries, the retention rate is around 50%.

At provisit.com we offer various insurance policies for students from abroad. In general, we recommend students from non-EU countries to use the student tariff of the statutory health insurance (GKV). GKV is the best choice for students under the age of 30. Why?

Because GKV is more future-proof than private comprehensive health insurance, especially for younger students. Students who require a visa can only be privately insured for a maximum of five years. There is no such limit with statutory health insurance. This means that a twenty-year-old student from a non-EU country can study in Germany for longer than five years, or stay in Germany after graduation, e.g. to accept a good job offer.

Can't you simply join the statutory health insurance scheme if your private insurance ends after five years? No, because the GKV no longer accepts people who were previously privately insured - and if it does, then only under absolutely exceptional circumstances.

This brings us to the question: How many international students stay in Germany after their studies, and why?

  • Five years after graduation, around 48–55% of international students still live in Germany. After ten years, the number is about 38–46%.

  • Especially among students from non-EU countries, the retention rate is around 50%.

Countries of Origin and Nationalities

The main countries of origin for international students in Germany are currently (country of origin / number of students approx.):

India: 43,000
China: 40,100
Turkey: 13.500
Ukraine: 9,100
USA: 6,700

  • The largest group now comes from India, followed by China.

  • About 17% of international students come from North Africa, the Middle East, and Western Europe each. The Asia/Pacific region accounts for around 32%.

Age of Students

  • The average age of international students in Germany is about 24 years.

  • 40% are between 22 and 24 years old; 27% are between 25 and 29.

  • Most bachelor’s students are around 23 years old; master’s students are about 26. International freshmen are typically a bit older than their German counterparts.

Reasons Why International Students Stay

The most important reasons for remaining in Germany after graduation are:

  • Good career opportunities and high demand for skilled workers, especially in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).

  • Career prospects in the German job market (particularly in engineering, IT, business).

  • The affordability of studying in Germany compared to other countries, as well as the availability of numerous English-taught programs.

  • Opportunities for entrepreneurship: About half of those wishing to stay consider starting a business.

  • Family reasons: 21% have a residence status for family reasons; for Russian graduates, this is 38%.

Conclusion

Germany continues to be attractive for international students after graduation, mainly due to good job prospects and quality of life. Around half of foreign graduates remain in the long term, primarily due to economic and personal reasons (as of August 2025).

We therefore recommend that students who have this option due to their age take advantage of the student tariff of the statutory health insurance.  However, we also offer affordable, high-quality private insurance for students over 30.

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