Education in Thuringia, Germany: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 30.4% in 2025, against 35.4% for Germany and 36.9% across the EU; 13th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many pupils are there in Thuringia?
208,810 pupils attended general schools in Thuringia in the 2025/26 school year, 2.3% of all pupils in Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children go to private school in Thuringia?
9.8% of pupils in Thuringia attended a private school in 2025/26, 8th highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 9.1%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many teachers are there in Thuringia?
Thuringia had 15,727 full- and part-time teachers at general schools in 2025/26 (75% women), about 13.3 pupils per teacher against 11.8 nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils leave school without qualifications in Thuringia?
2,270 young people left school in Thuringia in 2025 without even the first school-leaving certificate, 11.9% of their age group and 2nd highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 8.3%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyWhat percentage of pupils get the Abitur in Thuringia?
5,903 young people in Thuringia gained the Abitur (general higher-education entrance qualification) in 2025 at general or vocational schools, 31.8% of the age group and 3rd lowest of 15 Länder (Germany: 33.9%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children are in full-day childcare in Thuringia?
In 2024, 91.9% of children aged 3 to 5 and 53.9% of those under 3 in Thuringia 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 Thuringia leave school early?
13.6% 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%); 6th lowest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Thuringia are NEET?
In 2025, 10.6% of 15 to 29-year-olds were not in employment, education or training (Germany: 9.5%; EU: 11.0%); 6th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 9.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Thuringia are in education or training?
8.1% 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%); 4th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Thuringia have no qualifications?
7.0% of adults aged 25 to 64 had no qualification beyond lower secondary school in 2025 (Germany: 14.2%; EU: 18.8%); 2nd lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 4.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Thuringia have?
62.6% 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%); 3rd highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 69.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Thuringia?
Schools in Thuringia taught 80,557 primary pupils and 156,821 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 11.6% of pupils in Thuringia held a foreign nationality in 2025/26 (Germany: 16.3%). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 2.8% of pupils in Thuringia were repeating a school year in 2025/26 (4,519 pupils), 4th highest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 51.6% of 30- to 34-year-olds in Thuringia 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 Thuringia compares with other states
School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) (2025)
Thuringia ranks 2 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saxony-Anhalt | 13.2% |
| 2 | Thuringia | 11.9% |
| 3 | Saarland | 11.8% |
| 4 | Bremen | 11.3% |
| 5 | Berlin | 10.4% |
| 6 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 10.4% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
Abitur rate (% of age group) (2025)
Thuringia ranks 13 of 15, highest first. Bavaria left out: very few Abitur graduates in 2025
| Rank | Region | Abitur rate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Hesse | 35.2% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 34.8% |
| 11 | Saxony | 34.5% |
| 12 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 33.3% |
| 13 | Thuringia | 31.8% |
| 14 | Saarland | 29.2% |
| 15 | Saxony-Anhalt | 27.1% |
Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) (2025/26)
Thuringia ranks 3 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)
Thuringia ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of pupils at private schools |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Saxony-Anhalt | 10.5% |
| 6 | Berlin | 10.4% |
| 7 | Baden-Württemberg | 10.3% |
| 8 | Thuringia | 9.8% |
| 9 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.3% |
| 10 | Hamburg | 8.1% |
| 11 | Saarland | 7.9% |
Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare (2024)
Thuringia ranks 1 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thuringia | 91.9% |
| 2 | Saxony | 83.0% |
| 3 | Saxony-Anhalt | 81.2% |
| 4 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 74.4% |
| 5 | Brandenburg | 64.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 63.8% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 55.9% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
Thuringia ranks 9 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 12 | Baden-Württemberg | 11.1% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Thuringia ranks 6 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Saarland | 13.0% |
| 4 | Brandenburg | 11.9% |
| 5 | Saxony-Anhalt | 10.9% |
| 6 | Thuringia | 10.6% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 10.2% |
| 8 | Schleswig-Holstein | 10.1% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 10.0% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Thuringia ranks 13 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 16 | Brandenburg | 6.4% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Thuringia ranks 15 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 14.3% |
| 11 | Bavaria | 11.0% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 10.0% |
| 13 | Saxony-Anhalt | 9.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 7.2% |
| 15 | Thuringia | 7.0% |
| 16 | Saxony | 6.5% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Thuringia ranks 3 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saxony-Anhalt | 65.5% |
| 2 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 64.5% |
| 3 | Thuringia | 62.6% |
| 4 | Saxony | 58.5% |
| 5 | Brandenburg | 57.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 54.7% |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 53.7% |
More on Thuringia: 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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