Education in Dresden, Germany: official figures
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 7th highest share of school leavers without even a lower secondary certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) in 2023, at 8.1% (median of all 400 districts: 7.0%). In 2019 it was 7.5%.
How many pupils get the Abitur in Dresden?
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 8th highest share of school leavers with the Abitur or another university entrance qualification in 2023, at 41.1% (median of all 400 districts: 29.2%). In 2019 it was 43.0%.
Source: Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung · saved copyHow many children under three are in daycare in Dresden?
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 2nd highest share of children under three in day care (Kita) in 2023, at 62.6% (median of all 400 districts: 35.5%). In 2019 it was 56.2%.
Source: Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung · saved copyHow many apprenticeship places are there in Dresden?
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 10th lowest number of company apprenticeship places offered per 100 applicants in 2024, at 103.6 (median of all 400 districts: 109.1). In 2019 it was 100.8.
Source: Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung · saved copyHow many students are there in Dresden?
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 8th lowest number of university and college students per 1,000 residents in 2023, at 64.0 (median of all 400 districts: 3.8). In 2019 it was 69.1.
Source: Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung · saved copyHow far is the nearest primary school in Dresden?
Among 22 large German cities, Dresden had the 7th longest average distance from home to the nearest primary school in 2023, at 533 metres (median of all 400 districts: 1,121 metres).
Source: Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung · saved copyHow many young children are in childcare in Dresden?
71% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2025 (707 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Dresden?
35,925 students were enrolled in higher education in Dresden in 2024, 64 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Dresden have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Dresden in 2024, 48% had a degree-level education, 45% an upper secondary education and 7% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people leave school early in Dresden?
4.9% of 18 to 24-year-olds had left education and training early in 2019.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Dresden compares with other cities in Germany
School leavers without a qualification (%) – large cities (2023)
Dresden ranks 7 of 22, highest first. INKAR indicator: Anteil der Schulabgänger ohne Hauptschulabschluss an den Schulabgängern in %; kreisfreie Städte with city pages
| Rank | City | School leavers without a qualification (%) – large cities |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Nürnberg | 8.6% |
| 5 | Duisburg | 8.6% |
| 6 | Essen | 8.3% |
| 7 | Dresden | 8.1% |
| 8 | Berlin | 8.1% |
| 9 | Bielefeld | 7.9% |
| 10 | Wuppertal | 6.9% |
School leavers with university entrance qualification (%) – large cities (2023)
Dresden ranks 8 of 22, highest first. INKAR indicator: Anteil der Schulabgänger mit Hochschulreife an den Schulabgängern in %; kreisfreie Städte with city pages
| Rank | City | School leavers with university entrance qualification (%) – large cities |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Düsseldorf | 44.1% |
| 6 | Stuttgart | 41.7% |
| 7 | Köln | 41.6% |
| 8 | Dresden | 41.1% |
| 9 | Karlsruhe | 40.5% |
| 10 | Essen | 39.2% |
| 11 | Bochum | 37.2% |
Children under 3 in day care (%) – large cities (2023)
Dresden ranks 2 of 22, highest first. INKAR indicator: Anteil der Kinder unter 3 Jahren in Kindertageseinrichtungen an den Kinder der entsprechenden Altersgruppe; kreisfreie Städte with city pages
| Rank | City | Children under 3 in day care (%) – large cities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leipzig | 66.3% |
| 2 | Dresden | 62.6% |
| 3 | Hamburg | 53.3% |
| 4 | Berlin | 51.6% |
| 5 | Frankfurt am Main | 45.0% |
| 6 | Münster | 43.2% |
| 7 | Karlsruhe | 42.7% |
Apprenticeship places per 100 applicants – large cities (2024)
Dresden ranks 13 of 22, highest first. INKAR indicator: Gesamtangebot an betrieblichen Ausbildungsplätzen je 100 Nachfrager; kreisfreie Städte with city pages
| Rank | City | Apprenticeship places per 100 applicants – large cities |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Frankfurt am Main | 104.9 |
| 11 | München | 104.0 |
| 12 | Münster | 103.7 |
| 13 | Dresden | 103.6 |
| 14 | Bielefeld | 102.1 |
| 15 | Hamburg | 101.7 |
| 16 | Wuppertal | 101.1 |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)
Dresden ranks 46 of 71, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | Ulm | 66 |
| 44 | Hamburg | 65 |
| 45 | Braunschweig | 65 |
| 46 | Dresden | 64 |
| 47 | Ingolstadt | 63 |
| 48 | Lübeck | 63 |
| 49 | Bremen | 60 |
Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2025)
Dresden ranks 5 of 66, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Potsdam | 746 |
| 3 | Jena | 737 |
| 4 | Magdeburg | 712 |
| 5 | Dresden | 707 |
| 6 | Erfurt | 688 |
| 7 | Leipzig | 686 |
| 8 | Heidelberg | 667 |
More on Dresden: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in Germany
Sources
- Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung: INKAR – Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung: 43 district (Kreise) indicators, 2012-2024 (table service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c743f54caf6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)
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