Education in Bavaria, Germany: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 38.6% in 2025, against 35.4% for Germany and 36.9% across the EU; 4th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many pupils are there in Bavaria?
1,373,227 pupils attended general schools in Bavaria in the 2025/26 school year, 15.3% of all pupils in Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children go to private school in Bavaria?
10.9% of pupils in Bavaria attended a private school in 2025/26, 3rd highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 9.1%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many teachers are there in Bavaria?
Bavaria had 104,098 full- and part-time teachers at general schools in 2025/26 (72% women), about 13.2 pupils per teacher against 11.8 nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils leave school without qualifications in Bavaria?
7,923 young people left school in Bavaria in 2025 without even the first school-leaving certificate, 6.6% of their age group and 2nd lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 8.3%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils got the Abitur in Bavaria in 2025?
Only 11,623 young people in Bavaria gained the Abitur (general higher-education entrance qualification) in 2025, 9.1% of the age group against 33.9% nationally; with so few Gymnasium graduates that year, Bavaria is left out of the 2025 Abitur ranking.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children are in full-day childcare in Bavaria?
In 2024, 33.4% of children aged 3 to 5 and 10.9% of those under 3 in Bavaria were in full-day childcare (more than seven hours a day), compared with 47.0% and 20.0% nationally.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyHow many young people in Bavaria leave school early?
10.1% of 18 to 24-year-olds had left education and training early, with at most lower secondary schooling, in 2025 (Germany: 13.1%; EU: 9.1%); 2nd lowest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 6.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Bavaria are NEET?
6.7% of young people aged 15 to 29 were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2025 (Germany: 9.5%; EU: 11.0%); the lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 5.7%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Bavaria are in education or training?
8.2% of adults aged 25 to 64 had taken part in education or training in the previous four weeks in 2025 (Germany: 9.3%; EU: 13.7%); 5th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 7.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Bavaria have no qualifications?
11.0% of adults aged 25 to 64 had no qualification beyond lower secondary school in 2025 (Germany: 14.2%; EU: 18.8%); 6th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 11.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Bavaria have?
50.4% of adults aged 25 to 64 had an upper secondary or post-secondary (non-degree) education as their highest level in 2025 (Germany: 50.4%; EU: 44.3%); 7th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 59.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Bavaria?
Schools in Bavaria taught 513,238 primary pupils and 1,062,159 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 15.6% of pupils in Bavaria held a foreign nationality in 2025/26 (Germany: 16.3%). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 2.9% of pupils in Bavaria were repeating a school year in 2025/26 (30,734 pupils), 2nd highest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 59.6% of 30- to 34-year-olds in Bavaria held an academic or higher vocational qualification in 2025 (Germany: 60.0%). Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How Bavaria compares with other states
School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) (2025)
Bavaria ranks 15 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Saxony | 8.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.3% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 8.0% |
| 13 | Hamburg | 7.7% |
| 14 | Baden-Württemberg | 6.9% |
| 15 | Bavaria | 6.6% |
| 16 | Hesse | 6.3% |
Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) (2025/26)
Bavaria ranks 4 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saxony-Anhalt | 13.7 |
| 2 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 13.6 |
| 3 | Thuringia | 13.3 |
| 4 | Bavaria | 13.2 |
| 5 | Saxony | 12.6 |
| 6 | Brandenburg | 12.5 |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 12.1 |
Share of pupils at private schools (2025/26)
Bavaria ranks 3 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of pupils at private schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 12.9% |
| 2 | Saxony | 12.2% |
| 3 | Bavaria | 10.9% |
| 4 | Brandenburg | 10.8% |
| 5 | Saxony-Anhalt | 10.5% |
| 6 | Berlin | 10.4% |
| 7 | Baden-Württemberg | 10.3% |
Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare (2024)
Bavaria ranks 15 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Hamburg | 52.9% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 49.2% |
| 12 | Schleswig-Holstein | 43.2% |
| 13 | Lower Saxony | 39.0% |
| 14 | Bremen | 36.7% |
| 15 | Bavaria | 33.4% |
| 16 | Baden-Württemberg | 23.3% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
Bavaria ranks 13 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 13.8% |
| 9 | Thuringia | 13.6% |
| 10 | Hesse | 13.3% |
| 11 | Saxony | 12.2% |
| 12 | Baden-Württemberg | 11.1% |
| 13 | Bavaria | 10.1% |
| 14 | Hamburg | 9.6% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Bavaria ranks 16 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
| 11 | Hamburg | 9.7% |
| 12 | Hesse | 9.5% |
| 13 | Saxony | 9.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 8.9% |
| 15 | Baden-Württemberg | 8.5% |
| 16 | Bavaria | 6.7% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Bavaria ranks 12 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 9.2% |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 9.2% |
| 11 | Saarland | 9.0% |
| 12 | Bavaria | 8.2% |
| 13 | Thuringia | 8.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 7.6% |
| 15 | Saxony-Anhalt | 7.4% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Bavaria ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Hamburg | 14.7% |
| 9 | Schleswig-Holstein | 14.5% |
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 14.3% |
| 11 | Bavaria | 11.0% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 10.0% |
| 13 | Saxony-Anhalt | 9.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 7.2% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Bavaria ranks 10 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 53.7% |
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 51.7% |
| 9 | Lower Saxony | 50.9% |
| 10 | Bavaria | 50.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 49.6% |
| 12 | Hesse | 47.9% |
| 13 | Baden-Württemberg | 46.9% |
More on Bavaria: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Germany
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis): Statistischer Bericht: Allgemeinbildende Schulen, Schuljahr 2025/2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 eda75dad3048…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren): Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren der Länder: Tabellenband mit kompletten Zeitreihen zu allen Indikatoren (October 2026 edition), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f3f1b692389…)
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