In the winter semester 2024/2025, 33,200 guest students attended courses at German universities.

As the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Thursday, this was three percent more guest students than in the 2023/2024 winter semester (32,200), but still eleven percent fewer than before the coronavirus pandemic in the 2019/2020 winter semester (37,200). Due to the pandemic, the number of guest students plummeted in the 2020/2021 winter semester. The current increase in guest student numbers occurred primarily in the age group 60 and older. As a result, the average age of guest students increased from 51 to 52 years between the winter semester 2023/2024 and the winter semester 2024/2025.

The proportion of women declined slightly from 49 percent to 48 percent during this period. The number of German guest students increased by three percent to 29,400 in the 2024/2025 winter semester compared to 2023/2024, while the number of international guest students increased by five percent to 3,800. The proportion of international guest students thus reached twelve percent. Guest students can participate in individual courses and lectures at universities even without a formal higher education entrance qualification. Although no final examination is possible, guest studies nevertheless allow for academic continuing education and are thus a central element in the context of "lifelong learning." Compared to the 2.9 million regularly enrolled students in the 2024/2025 winter semester, guest students accounted for only one percent, according to the Federal Office.