The Increasing Importance of Fachhochschulen in German Higher Education

Abstract

In the late 1960s, the German system of higher education was changed into a binary one by the development of the Fachhochschulen, which differ from the German universities by shorter, more structured degree programs and a strong orientation toward practice. The Fachhochschulen have not only provided opportunities for many young people from families without a tradition of advanced education, but in addition they attract a growing fraction of high school graduates who would also be qualified to enter the traditional universities. They currently enroll about one-third of all students in higher education. Their continuing growth appears limited only by the ability to allocate adequate resources.