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| Private College and University
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Students must pay
Private colleges and universities have been springing up in Germany for several years now. However, not every institution lives up to what it claims in its promotional material. Therefore, an important sign of quality is official government recognition of each particular college or university. Private institutions which are not named in the “Higher Education Compass” of the Higher Education Rectors Conference are not officially recognized. That means that their definition of higher education does not necessarily correspond to independent scientific or application-oriented research and/or the teaching methods of state or church-run institutions.
There are currently more than 50 officially recognized private colleges and universities. They are financed and maintained in different ways. Support comes partly from the private sector or foundations, and partly through additional funds from the state. They all have one thing in common: students must pay for at least part of their education. The amounts vary—from 15,000 euro for an entire study programme at the University of Witten-Herdecke till upto 4,000 euro per semester at the Leipzig Business College. Because of that, the number of students at these institutions, in comparison to those at state-supported schools, is lower, and training and advising take place on a more individual basis.
As a rule, private schools recruit students themselves. Good grades (in many cases a very good first diploma) are important, but in order to get into the desired school, a high degree of competence and personal initiative is essential. Many private schools offer internships at partner schools abroad or work in close cooperation with companies in their particular fields.
Of course, studying at a private college or university does not guarantee a top-notch career later on, but it does provide a strong foundation in a well-defined period of time that can smooth the road right on up to the top.
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