Education in Hesse, Germany: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 35.6% in 2025, against 35.4% for Germany and 36.9% across the EU; 5th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many pupils are there in Hesse?
699,877 pupils attended general schools in Hesse in the 2025/26 school year, 7.8% of all pupils in Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children go to private school in Hesse?
7.5% of pupils in Hesse attended a private school in 2025/26, 3rd lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 9.1%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many teachers are there in Hesse?
Hesse had 61,269 full- and part-time teachers at general schools in 2025/26 (73% women), about 11.4 pupils per teacher against 11.8 nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils leave school without qualifications in Hesse?
3,791 young people left school in Hesse in 2025 without even the first school-leaving certificate, 6.3% of their age group and the lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 8.3%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyWhat percentage of pupils get the Abitur in Hesse?
22,203 young people in Hesse gained the Abitur (general higher-education entrance qualification) in 2025 at general or vocational schools, 35.2% of the age group and 7th lowest of 15 Länder (Germany: 33.9%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children are in full-day childcare in Hesse?
In 2024, 54.3% of children aged 3 to 5 and 21.7% of those under 3 in Hesse 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 Hesse leave school early?
The early school leaving rate was 13.3% in 2025 (18 to 24-year-olds with no upper secondary qualification who are not in education or training), against 13.1% for Germany as a whole and 9.1% across the EU; 5th lowest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 9.9%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Hesse are NEET?
9.5% of young people aged 15 to 29 were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2025, against 9.5% for Germany as a whole and 11.0% across the EU; 5th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.4%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Hesse are in education or training?
10.1% of adults aged 25 to 64 had taken part in education or training in the previous four weeks in 2025, against 9.3% for Germany as a whole and 13.7% across the EU; 4th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 9.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Hesse have no qualifications?
In 2025, 16.4% of 25 to 64-year-olds had left education with at most a lower secondary education, against 14.2% for Germany as a whole and 18.8% across the EU; 4th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 14.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Hesse have?
47.9% of adults aged 25 to 64 had an upper secondary or post-secondary (non-degree) education as their highest level in 2025, against 50.4% for Germany as a whole and 44.3% across the EU; 5th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 55.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Hesse?
Schools in Hesse taught 244,830 primary pupils and 534,408 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 19.7% of pupils in Hesse held a foreign nationality in 2025/26 (Germany: 16.3%). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 1.9% of pupils in Hesse were repeating a school year in 2025/26 (10,056 pupils), 8th lowest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 61.2% of 30- to 34-year-olds in Hesse 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 Hesse compares with other states
School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) (2025)
Hesse ranks 16 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% |
Abitur rate (% of age group) (2025)
Hesse ranks 9 of 15, highest first. Bavaria left out: very few Abitur graduates in 2025
| Rank | Region | Abitur rate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 37.5% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 37.1% |
| 8 | Bremen | 35.6% |
| 9 | Hesse | 35.2% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 34.8% |
| 11 | Saxony | 34.5% |
| 12 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 33.3% |
Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) (2025/26)
Hesse ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Berlin | 12.0 |
| 9 | Baden-Württemberg | 12.0 |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 11.9 |
| 11 | Hesse | 11.4 |
| 12 | Hamburg | 11.3 |
| 13 | Bremen | 11.0 |
| 14 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 10.8 |
Share of pupils at private schools (2025/26)
Hesse ranks 14 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of pupils at private schools |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Hamburg | 8.1% |
| 11 | Saarland | 7.9% |
| 12 | Bremen | 7.9% |
| 13 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 7.8% |
| 14 | Hesse | 7.5% |
| 15 | Lower Saxony | 6.3% |
| 16 | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.6% |
Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare (2024)
Hesse ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Saarland | 63.8% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 55.9% |
| 8 | Berlin | 55.2% |
| 9 | Hesse | 54.3% |
| 10 | Hamburg | 52.9% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 49.2% |
| 12 | Schleswig-Holstein | 43.2% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
Hesse ranks 10 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 14.3% |
| 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% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Hesse ranks 12 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 10.0% |
| 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% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Hesse ranks 4 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 11.9% |
| 2 | Hamburg | 11.4% |
| 3 | Bremen | 11.0% |
| 4 | Hesse | 10.1% |
| 5 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 9.9% |
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 9.4% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.3% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Hesse ranks 4 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bremen | 23.3% |
| 2 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 18.0% |
| 3 | Saarland | 17.2% |
| 4 | Hesse | 16.4% |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 16.1% |
| 6 | Berlin | 15.1% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 15.0% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Hesse ranks 12 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Lower Saxony | 50.9% |
| 10 | Bavaria | 50.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 49.6% |
| 12 | Hesse | 47.9% |
| 13 | Baden-Württemberg | 46.9% |
| 14 | Bremen | 44.4% |
| 15 | Hamburg | 42.3% |
More on Hesse: 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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