Education in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 33.3% in 2025, against 35.4% for Germany and 36.9% across the EU; 7th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many pupils are there in Rhineland-Palatinate?
440,883 pupils attended general schools in Rhineland-Palatinate in the 2025/26 school year, 4.9% of all pupils in Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children go to private school in Rhineland-Palatinate?
7.8% of pupils in Rhineland-Palatinate attended a private school in 2025/26, 4th lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 9.1%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many teachers are there in Rhineland-Palatinate?
Rhineland-Palatinate had 41,768 full- and part-time teachers at general schools in 2025/26 (74% women), about 10.6 pupils per teacher against 11.8 nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils leave school without qualifications in Rhineland-Palatinate?
3,395 young people left school in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2025 without even the first school-leaving certificate, 8.9% of their age group and 8th lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 8.3%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyWhat percentage of pupils get the Abitur in Rhineland-Palatinate?
14,447 young people in Rhineland-Palatinate gained the Abitur (general higher-education entrance qualification) in 2025 at general or vocational schools, 37.1% of the age group and 7th highest of 15 Länder (Germany: 33.9%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children are in full-day childcare in Rhineland-Palatinate?
In 2024, 55.9% of children aged 3 to 5 and 20.1% of those under 3 in Rhineland-Palatinate 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 Rhineland-Palatinate leave school early?
13.8% 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%); 7th lowest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 12.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Rhineland-Palatinate are NEET?
10.0% 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%); 8th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Rhineland-Palatinate are in education or training?
9.2% 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%); 8th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Rhineland-Palatinate have no qualifications?
15.0% of adults aged 25 to 64 had no qualification beyond lower secondary school in 2025 (Germany: 14.2%; EU: 18.8%); 7th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 15.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Rhineland-Palatinate have?
51.7% 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%); 8th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 59.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Rhineland-Palatinate?
Schools in Rhineland-Palatinate taught 162,420 primary pupils and 333,244 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 14.9% of pupils in Rhineland-Palatinate held a foreign nationality in 2025/26 (Germany: 16.3%). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 2.6% of pupils in Rhineland-Palatinate were repeating a school year in 2025/26 (8,776 pupils), 5th highest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 57.3% of 30- to 34-year-olds in Rhineland-Palatinate 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 Rhineland-Palatinate compares with other states
School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 10.4% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
| 8 | Schleswig-Holstein | 9.1% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 8.9% |
| 10 | Saxony | 8.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.3% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 8.0% |
Abitur rate (% of age group) (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 7 of 15, highest first. Bavaria left out: very few Abitur graduates in 2025
| Rank | Region | Abitur rate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Brandenburg | 40.8% |
| 5 | Schleswig-Holstein | 38.6% |
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 37.5% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 37.1% |
| 8 | Bremen | 35.6% |
| 9 | Hesse | 35.2% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 34.8% |
Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) (2025/26)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 15 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 11.9 |
| 11 | Hesse | 11.4 |
| 12 | Hamburg | 11.3 |
| 13 | Bremen | 11.0 |
| 14 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 10.8 |
| 15 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 10.6 |
| 16 | Saarland | 10.4 |
Share of pupils at private schools (2025/26)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 13 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)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 74.4% |
| 5 | Brandenburg | 64.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 63.8% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 55.9% |
| 8 | Berlin | 55.2% |
| 9 | Hesse | 54.3% |
| 10 | Hamburg | 52.9% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 8 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 14.5% |
| 6 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 14.5% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 14.3% |
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 13.8% |
| 9 | Thuringia | 13.6% |
| 10 | Hesse | 13.3% |
| 11 | Saxony | 12.2% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Thuringia | 10.6% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 10.2% |
| 8 | Schleswig-Holstein | 10.1% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 10.0% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
| 11 | Hamburg | 9.7% |
| 12 | Hesse | 9.5% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 9.4% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.3% |
| 8 | Saxony | 9.3% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 9.2% |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 9.2% |
| 11 | Saarland | 9.0% |
| 12 | Bavaria | 8.2% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Hesse | 16.4% |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 16.1% |
| 6 | Berlin | 15.1% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 15.0% |
| 8 | Hamburg | 14.7% |
| 9 | Schleswig-Holstein | 14.5% |
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 14.3% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Rhineland-Palatinate ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Brandenburg | 57.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 54.7% |
| 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% |
More on Rhineland-Palatinate: 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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